A Comeback Of Epic Proportions Comes Complete

Wednesday Conference Championship College Basketball Open Thread/Live Blog

2012-03-07T06:36:00.003-05:00

Same deal as yesterday. Open thread in the afternoon. Live blog at night. The Big East afternoon games are a little more appetizing than the ones yesterday, so at least that's nice. I will be in around 3:30ish to join in the company.

Wednesday Night College Basketball Live Blog

Big East Tournament 1st Round/Tuesday Conference Championship Open Thread/Live Blog

2012-03-06T06:47:00.001-05:00

I should be back around 3:30 ET, sometime in the middle of Saint John's vs. Pittsburgh. But seeing as I am pretty sure no one at all cares about that game, the live blog will not start until around 7:00. If you feel up for Big East hoops this afternoon, use this as your open thread before the live blog starts.

Tuesday College Basketball Live Blog

Monday Conference Championships Live Blog

2012-03-05T19:50:00.001-05:00

Monday Conference Tournament Live Blog

Sunday Sports Live Blog

2012-03-04T00:55:00.000-05:00

We've got it all for you. Michigan blowing out Penn State, Marv Albert calling Kentucky-Florida, Brando doing Arch Madness, the Flyers conceding a 1st period goal to the Capitals. I figured I do not have a ton of work to do today, and there are a few good games involving some of our teams, so why the heck not do a live blog today! Besides, I want to get even more excited for March Madness. College basketball live blog #1 of the 2012 March Madness season.

Sunday Sports Live Blog

Remember Last Year When I Said Last March Was Going To Be Super-Awesome?

2012-02-25T14:52:00.001-05:00

I am too lazy to find a link* but last year around this time I believe I wrote a post about how awesome this March was going to be because a bunch of teams I liked were doing really well.

*Said as he notices the last time he updated the blog. Calling myself lazy now in blogging that my workload in life has increased ten-fold is probably an understatement

Talk about a 180.

Temple and Drexel are the only Philadelphia area teams worth a damn at the moment, though admittedly Temple may end the season in the top 25. Villanova and Penn State are both terrible, though the future recruiting classes at both schools are looking decent. Everyone else is either pants or led by a complete d-bag. This is depressing. Unless Temple can make a run, it looks like I will spend March rooting for Cal, Washington, and Michigan*, because if I can't be happy, at least let my live blog buddies be happy, right? I also have a strange fetish for Marquette.

*I only included teams I thought have a somewhat of a single remote chance of at least getting close to making the NCAA Tournament.

March live blogs will be back this year, even if I won't be around until after 3:30 ET on weekdays to participate in them. Unless I call out sick, which I will probably only do if Temple or Drexel get an early tip time.

March Madness is coming back. Hopefully it is a fun year. I could really use a fun year.

A 69 Is All Right Before Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T01:21:00.001-05:00

(Originally published as a Broad Street Hockey FanPost)

The Philadelphia Flyers are going through a rough patch. You know this. I know this. Anyone watching the games knows this. Anyone looking at the box scores knows this. It is nothing in comparison to some teams have gone through this year, but for a Flyer team that has achieved more than was to be expected in August 2011, it is a rough spot, nonetheless. As with all rough spots, some panic has emerged. From some coming to a conclusion the Flyers are not the best team in the East, to panic about the Flyers chances at making the playoffs, there has been no shortage of various of reactions to the Flyers' latest slump. A slump is just that. A slump. Teams go through them all the time in the NHL. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find an NHL team that has not gone through some sort of slump this season. It's only nature.

But while the Flyers may be slumping, some perspective is important. It is February 11, 2011 and the Flyers have banked a grand total of 69 points. I was playing around on NHL.com and discovered a nifty feature. You can go back on time and see how the standings looked any day since the start of the 2008-2009 season. Choose any day , and NHL.com has what the standings looked like on that day. So with that in mind, I wondered if 69 points on February 11 is historically a good thing? Seeing as similar teams may not have 69 points exactly, I am expanding this by one to both sides. Included in this list are teams with 69 points, 68 points, and 70 points. This should create a bigger sample without diluting the pool so much that it destroys the conclusion. Seeing as the lockout introduced the now infamous Bettman Point, inflating a team's overall point total in comparison to the pre-lockout era, I am cutting this list off at the lockout. 69 points on February 11 now is not the same as it was before the lockout. Seeing as the NHL goes with an uneven and unbalanced schedule, I will also be providing the number of games played as proper context. The 2011-2012 Flyers have compiled their 69 points in 55 games.

2010-2011 season
Detroit Red Wings: 70 points. 54 games. Made playoffs as #3 seed in the West.
Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins: 69 points. 54 games. Made playoffs as #3 seed.
Washington Capitals: 68 points. 55 games. Made playoffs as #1 seed.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Washington Capitals (68), Montreal Canadiens (66), San Jose Sharks (66), Nashville Predators (65), Phoenix Coyotes (65), Anaheim Ducks (64), New York Rangers (62), Los Angeles Kings (61), Chicago Blackhawks (60), Buffalo Sabres (57)

2009-2010 season
Nashville Predators: 69 points. 59 games. Made playoffs as #7 seed.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Detroit Red Wings (65), Montreal Canadiens (64), Philadelphia Flyers (63), Boston Bruins (61)
It is important to note that because of the Olympic Break, teams had played more games by this point than in a normal year, therefore, there were more teams with 69 points by this date in the season. All 11 of these teams made the playoffs.

2008-2009 season
No teams on February 11 had 68-70 points.
Teams above this threshold to miss the playoffs: No one.
Teams below this threshold to make the playoffs: Calgary Flames (66), Chicago Blackhawks (66), Philadelphia Flyers (65), Montreal Canadiens (64), New York Rangers (63), Carolina Hurricanes (59), Anaheim Ducks (59), Vancouver Canucks (58), Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins (57), Columbus Blue Jackets (57), St. Louis Blues (50).

In case it has not become painfully obvious, the Philadelphia Flyers are in an all right position at the moment, even when you consider their slump and bad defense. The 2011 Stanley Cup Boston Bruins had 69 points on this day last year, though granted with one less game played. The 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins had 57 points racked in this time three years ago with exactly 55 games played. If you thought the Flyers, had it rough, imagine how Penguins fans felt then. 57 points. 55 games. 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. And they won. And here we are stressing about how a 69 point team with the same number of games played are not even going to be able to qualify for the playoffs. At this point, such fears are more than just a tad silly.

Granted, this is still a small sample size and granted, the Boston Red Sox a 9-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in September, a deficit that had never been overcome before. Flukes happen, collapses happen, the improbable becomes possible in sports. However, we have to assess the data that we have and look at the trends. This data is not perfect. Points through a date are not the best way to assess a team. The sample size is admittedly very small. But, when one takes a look at the above data, to conclude that the 2011-2012 Philadelphia Flyers have no chance of making the playoffs is verging on ridiculous. Let's wait for an actual extended losing streak combined with a significant drop in play before pressing the panic button.

Is it possible the Flyers miss out on the playoffs this year? Of course it is possible. They have not yet clinched a playoff berth, therefore, there is definitely a chance. But saying such a collapse is likely or even predicting one at this point reeks of over-reactive irrationality at best and blatant stupidity at worst. Sometimes, a little perspective is a good thing. And in this case, Lady Perspective is smiling down on the Flyers.

Super Bowl XLVI Live Blog

2012-02-05T18:37:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

All-Star Sunday Live Blog

2012-01-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

Prepare for points.

All-Star Sunday Live Blog

Multiple Reasons Why I Am Rooting For The Patriots To Win Super Bowl XLVI

2012-01-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

a). Penn State's new head coach is New England's offensive coordinator.

b). The Giants sucked for 15 weeks, improved only on defense, and all anyone is talking about how Eli Manning is ELIte and what not. Eli Manning has been very good (not elite) and very steady. But his propelled eliteness in the story.

c). I don't care if this is a very BCS-ian argument or not, but the New England Patriots have been one of the best teams this year. Several New York Giants players (Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Antrel Rolle to name a few) are way over-confident and think they are much better than they are. They are underdogs but they are not very likable underdogs. The best thing that can happen this year is for one of the three best teams in the league to win the Super Bowl. I am speaking, of course, about the New England Patriots.

d). Belichick is a great coach. Brady is a great QB. The Patriots should have won a 4th Super Bowl in Glendale. They are already going down as one of the greatest dynasties in league history. What harm is one more Super Bowl for New England?

e). The Patriots' last Super Bowl win was against the Eagles. I'd like this fact changed.

f). This Patriots team......gulp......has actually been somewhat likable this year, media hype aside.

NFL Conference Championship Games Live Blog

2012-01-22T16:14:00.001-05:00

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots 3:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)

New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers 6:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

NFL Conference Finals Schedule

2012-01-20T17:09:00.000-05:00

I love Conference Championship Sunday. It's my favorite NFL Weekend of the year, as there are two championship games in the time it takes to celebrate and play the Super Bowl. Regrettably, in my numerous tweets and post about SOPA, I forgot to get this up earlier, not that anything here is a real surprise. So here's the schedule for this year's Conference Championship Sunday. Here is hoping this year could live up to the fun we've had in year's past.

Sunday, January 22

#2 Baltimore Ravens vs. #1 New England Patriots 3:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)
#4 New York Giants vs. #2 San Francisco 49ers 6:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

Stop SOPA

2012-01-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

I do not like to talk about politics on this blog. When I do have something political I want to say, I will normally go to Twitter. However, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) are not a Democratic or Republican issue, but rather a freedom of speech issue and given what is happening on the internet today, I have no problem filling you in a little bit on what this is about. I know of Democrats that support SOPA. Bob Casey, the man who used to be my favorite Democrat, co-sponsors SOPA. I know of Democrats that oppose SOPA. I know of Republicans that support SOPA. I know of Republicans that oppose SOPA. Michelle Bachmann, perhaps my least favorite Congressperson, opposes SOPA.

The intention of SOPA is fair enough. To stop online piracy. It is a reasonable aim. However, the mechanism SOPA seeks to use to enforce the end of online piracy threatens to destroy the very fabric of the internet. I wish that last sentence was hyperbole.

President Obama has hinted at a veto of SOPA. However, this issue won't go away. Powerful lobbyists in the entertainment industry will continue to pursue this legislature and this figures to come up again as we head toward the Presidential Election of 2012. An example must be made and it must be made now. Acts that limit freedom of speech on the internet will not be tolerated by the American people. I'm all for putting an end to piracy. But this act does not end piracy. This act threatens liberty. These two should never ever be confused.

What follows below are a set of links that can help you learn more. Please, do not just take my word for it. Read the bills themselves (first and second links below). Read analyses from well-informed technical experts, something the House and Senate chose not to do before drafting such drastic legislature. Then at the bottom, there are links to take action. Sign Google's petition. Email your local congressperson. Take action. Now. Every voice counts. Every vote counts. Be heard. Let your representatives know you are not okay with Congress limiting freedom of speech on the internet.

H.R.3261.IH Stop Online Piracy Act

S.968.RS Protect IP Act

A technical examination of SOPA and Protect IP - blog.reddit

Why SOPA Is Dangerous - Mashable

SOPA and PIPA Learn More - Wikipedia

How PIPA and SOPA Violate White House Principles Supporting Free Speech and Innovation - Electronic Frontier Foundation

SB Nation Officially Opposes SOPA - SB Nation

Tell Congress: Don't Censor The Web - Google

Write Your Representative - United States House Of Representatives

Senators of the 112th Congress Contact Information - United States Senate

Have Faith In Your Goalie In The Playoffs

2012-01-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

When you have no faith in goalies, you are quick to pull the trigger. When you are quick to pull the trigger, both goalies get labeled as failures. When both goalies get labeled as failures, you start Michael Leighton in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. When you start Michael Leighton in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the owner of the team gets embarrassed. When the owner of the team gets embarrassed, he over-reacts. When he over-reacts, he forces the GM to sign Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9-year, $51M contract. When the owner forces the GM to sign Ilya Bryzgalov, you learn that the universe is so humongous big. When you learn that the universe is so humongous big, you wonder why his save percentage isn’t so humongous big. When you wonder why his save percentage isn’t so humongous big, you learn any goaltender can have an extended slump. When you any goaltender can have an extended slump, you realize no goalie in today’s NHL is worth a huge contract. When you realize no goalie in today’s NHL is worth a huge contract, you get mad. When you get mad, you throw things. When you throw things, an object goes through the wall. When an object goes through the wall, the portions of the wall and the object land on your unsuspecting pet. When portions of the object land on your unsuspecting pet, your pet gets mad. When your pet gets mad, he claws at your genitals. When he claws at your genitals, you lose the ability to reproduce.

Save your ability to reproduce. Have faith in your goalie in the playoffs.

On Eli, Eliteness, Expectations, And The Game That Changed Everything

2012-01-15T22:20:00.001-05:00

December 23, 2011.

It is a day before the New York Giants face the New York Jets in a battle of New York. The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for a game against Dallas that could mean everything or nothing, depending on what happens in the Giants-Jets game. The Giants are reeling from a 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins that was not as close as the scoreboard would make it appear. A bottom 5 offense had a field day against the Giants defense, and to say there are doubts about the Giants would be an understatement. No one is saying they think this team can make the NFC Championship. Most are questioning whether or not they can make the playoffs. Everyone proudly boasting "Eli is ELIte" after the Giants ripped apart a bad Patriots defense no longer proudly boasted this. Perhaps this only done hauntingly enough as to only foreshadow what was to come, but on December 23, 2011, no one publicly stated Eli was ELIte. Hell, few even held that belief privately. The Giants and Eli were a game away from their third December choke job in three years. That was the only thing on everybody's mind.

December 24, 2011

Mark Sanchez is a twatdonger. Brian Schottenheimer is an idiot. Say them over and over again, whether they be in nodding acceptance or trying to outwardly deny what you know inside is true, these facts presented themselves this day. Mark Sanchez threw the ball 59 times. In case that failed to register, Brian Schottenheimer had Mark Sanchez throw the ball 59 times. Fifty-nine. 5-9. If that sounds crazy to you, it is because it is. Perhaps calling Sanchez a twatdonger is a bit harsh as even the greatest of QBs are bound to make mistakes when that many passes are called, but good grief, Mark Sanchez was awful. Maybe the Giants defense were prepared and expected pass. After all, once you've thrown 45 passes a game, pass #46 is not exactly going to catch a defense off-guard. But even if that was true, Sanchez made mistake after mistake. And the Giants won. They stayed alive. The Eagles playoff hopes died. Eliminated in the end because Brian Schottenheimer is an idiot and Mark Sanchez is not very good at what he does. The cries of "ELIte" are few and far between, but the Giants are now one win away from an improbable and undeserved NFC East Championship.

Fast forward to tonight.....

The Giants are going to the NFC Championship game. They beat one of the best teams in the league. Eli is ELIte again. It certainly is a surprise to everyone who intelligently follows football, but while people are credit to shower Eli with praise and affection, it is almost a disservice to a maligned Giants defense that has stepped up and played well in the playoffs and the Giants have been fortunate enough to face an Atlanta team who embarrassed themselves offensively, in spite of their defense which may be a tad underrated. As despicable a player as Dunta Robinson is, they do have a top 10 defense. And Eli had a very good game against them. But again, I go back to the fact that Falcons managed zero offensive points in this game. Zero. And even if the Giants played better defensively than they had in the regular season, to not score any points against them is just an embarrassment. But credit where credit is due, Eli Manning had a very good game against a top 10 NFL defense in the playoffs. How many people were saying Eli Manning is ELIte after this? A few, maybe? Some of the diehard Eli supporters, perhaps? It certainly was not a football-wide circle jerk, but again, Eli had a good game against a good defense. And yes, a scumbag like Dunta Robinson can still be part of a good defense.

Back to tonight, the Giants beat the Packers. The Giants defense held the Packers to 20 points. The Giants with Eli at the helm put up 37 points against the 24th best defense, according to DVOA. You know what this means? "ELI is ELIte ZOMG look at how perfect it goes together? E-L-I is how you spell Eli AND it's the first three letters in 'elite.' Why are you staring at me, dude? The brilliant writers of The Big Bang Theory would make the same joke!"

Chances are you, or someone you know, or someone you watched on SportsCenter uttered the above sentences. Because, you know, in three weeks Eli has gone from an afterthought to elite again.

So instead of making judgments based off of any single game or string of games, let's answer the question once and for all, is Eli Manning ELIte? Going by Football Outsiders, we see Eli Manning is 6th in DYAR among 47 qualifying QBs and 8th in DVOA among the same 47 qualified QBs. Now let's remember the definition of elite: "the most powerful, rich, gifted, or educated members of a group, community, etc." In other words, while we can throw the words "good" and "great" around willy-nilly, elite clearly is a word saved for the best of the best. Click on the FO link and look at the numbers. Three QBs stand among a tier of their own, in both DYAR and DVOA. These three, the elite three QBs of the 2011 NFL Season:

Aaron Rodgers
Drew Brees
Tom Brady

Nowhere in this list is Eli Manning.

I get why people like Eli Manning. He is a goofy-looking, somewhat off-beat guy who does not have any character flaws that would drive people away from rooting him. While he is on a rival team, I don't dislike Eli Manning. Hell, I get a kick out of watching him. He is fun to watch. Call Eli Manning "very good," or maybe even "great," if you consider "great" to be any QB that is top 10 in the league. Eli Manning fits that definition. Eli is very good at what he does. He has a Super Bowl ring. He is two wins away from another.

But Eli Manning is not among the NFL's elite. He never has been. And until he can consistently perform at a level that puts him right with the league's best on a long-term basis, he will never be elite, no matter how many Super Bowls the New York Giants win under his watch.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Sunday Live Blog

2012-01-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers 4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=61521c0be1" &amp;gt;NFL Divisional Playoffs Sunday Live Blog&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Divisional Playoffs Saturday Live Blog

2012-01-14T13:11:00.000-05:00

It's TebowTime! Though before we can get to TebowTime, we can watch a much more intriguing football game between the Saints and the 49ers! If you are looking to kill time until the games start, I wrote 1,600 words on the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles season. I don't post frequently anymore, but when I do, I make them count. I am the most interesting blogger in the world. Or something.

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:30 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots 8:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=57dcca0f91" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Divisional Playoffs Saturday Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Divisional Playoffs Schedule

2012-01-12T13:14:00.001-05:00

And you thought Tebow-mania was bad last week? Now just wait for the hype as this weekend, and then imagine what it will be if the Broncos somehow win. Likely the biggest blowout of the weekend aside, there are three other interesting games this weekend, including the great offense of the Saints versus the great defense of the 49ers. This should be a fun weekend of football and live-blogging.

Saturday, January 14

#3 New Orleans Saints vs. #2 San Francisco 49ers 4:30 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
#4 Denver Broncos vs. #1 New England Patriots 8:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)

Sunday, January 15

#3 Houston Texans vs. #2 Baltimore Ravens 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
#4 New York Giants vs. #1 Green Bay Packers 4:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

Requiem For A Dream Team

2012-01-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

The best thing you can say about the 2011 is it's now 2012.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, it was a year where seemingly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The best possible off-season had the worst possible season. With so much hype surrounding the team, that they could finish 8-8 is a slap in the face. An embarrassment. An indictment of everything wrong with Andy Reid, Howie Roseman, Joe Banner, and Jeffrey Lurie.

Or was it?

About a month ago when the Eagles were 5-8, I wrote about the Eagles Pythagenport win percentage and how the 2011 Eagles were largely a victim of bad close game luck. At the time, the Eagles were just behind the Dallas Cowboys for 2nd best team in the conference, with a Pythagenport win percentage of just over .511. Since then, the Eagles have done nothing but win. Their win percentage went up. Meanwhile the Giants, whom Pythagenport had has the 3rd best in the division behind only the embarrassing Washington Redskins went on to win it. It's almost a terrifying prospect to go back and revisit this for updated numbers, because I know what the result will be. I know how this ends. I have not even done the math, and yet I know how this ends. I wish I didn't. But I do. Here it is.

Actual win percentage
Giants: .563
Eagles: .500
Cowboys: .500
Redskins: .313

Pythagenport win percentage:
Eagles: .615
Cowboys: .538
Giants: .490
Redskins: .356

The Eagles ended the season at .615 Pythagenport win percentage, or just .1 short of 10-6, to convert the percentages back to actual records. In terms of Pythagenport win percentage, the Eagles were over a game better than the Cowboys, the 2nd best team in the NFC East, according to Pythagenport. To compare the Eagles to the wild card teams, well, both the Lions and the Falcons both finished 10-6. I explained the justification for the disparity a month ago, but I will blockquote here as a refresher.

A basic theory of football is there is the ability to win close football games (with close football game being defined as games where the final margin of victory is 7 points or less) is not an actual ability. Some might define this perceived ability as being "clutch." But alas, no coach/QB/team hold an ability to consistently win/lose close football games. Over the course of a season, teams will tend to hover around the .500 league median. In his article last Friday, Bill Barnwell elaborates on this general point further with Tim Tebow's performance being the subject of the post. To go back to the Eagles, the Eagles are 2-5 this season in games where the final margin of victory is 7 points or less. The bad luck the Eagles have seen in these close games is a major reason why the Eagles' actual win percentage is as far below the Eagles' Pythagenport win percentage as it is. The fact that over 50% of the Eagles games have been decided by a touchdown or less is part of the reason their Pythagenport win percentage hovers around the .500 mark.

Brian Solomon, in a post a month ago attempting to negate what I said, only reinforces my point by (correctly) eliminating other well-known measures of "luck" in a football game. To further illustrate this point, take a look at Andy Reid's record in games decided by 7 points or less per season over the course of his tenure in Philadelphia.

1999: 4-6

2000: 4-4

2001: 3-3

2002: 3-3

2003: 6-2

2004: 4-1

2005: 5-5

2006: 4-5

2007: 3-5

2008: 1-6-1

2009: 4-2

2010: 5-5

2011: 2-5

Lesser teams had normal luck. Good teams had bad luck. Hell, the unluckiest team in the entirety of Andy Reid's tenure made the NFC Championship Game. Even with the dramatic roster turnovers that have occurred over the last decade, the only consistency is the inconsistent records in close games. Because, as I mentioned before, the percentage of games a team wins decided by seven points or less boils down to luck. That is where the 2011 Eagles were unlucky, and ultimately, that is why they did not qualify for the playoffs.

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles were, at worst, good enough.

At best? Some people might want to stop reading now, because if you thought the above stats were difficult to get through, it only gets harder to read from here.

There are numerous methods of ranking a team. One of the best, is Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings. For an explanation of DVOA, click here. Yesterday, Football Outsiders published their latest weighted DVOA rankings. Now it is important to note that if there is such a thing as momentum from game-to-game, it is at best hugely overrated. But at the same time, the make-up of a team and the play of a team can be quite drastic from Week 1 to the end of the regular season. So while momentum, may not necessarily be a factor in this discussion, there is certainly a lot of merit to placing more weight on games played toward the end of the season as opposed to games played toward the beginning of the season. Here are a list of select teams in weighted DVOA after wild card weekend, non-playoff teams included.

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Green Bay Packers
4. New England Patriots
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Houston Texans
7. San Francisco 49ers
10. Baltimore Ravens
13. New York Giants
21. Denver Broncos

Five out of eight. According to Football Outsiders, the Philadelphia Eagles are better than five out of eight NFL playoff teams. And look at who is ahead of them. The teams everyone considers as the NFL's "elite." Even with less than elite competition, the Eagles were playing quite all right in the last few weeks, weren't they? And for those that did not click on the above DVOA explained link, yes, DVOA factors in strength of opposition in their rankings.

It goes against what members of the media have told you. It goes against what people want to believe. People were just waiting for the Juan Castillo experiment to fail. And when things started as bad as they did, the narrative had already been written. Juan Castillo as a defensive coordinator was the biggest flop in Andy Reid's entire coaching tenure. Worst decision ever. Fire Juan. Fire Andy. Fire Howie. Someone's gotta be accountable for this epic and humiliating disaster.

But what if I told you this story did not end like you thought it did?

What if I told you redemption could happen in front of your very eyes, and you not even notice it?

Here is a look at a total DVOA by defense after Week 4
1-31. 31 NFL teams not named the Philadelphia Eagles
32. Philadelphia Eagles: 21.6%.

If you were to say the Juan Castillo experiment was a complete flop after the first four weeks of football, you would be absolutely right. And while it is never the brightest decision to make permanent judgments after four games, it is certainly safe to say things were not looking good for Juan.

But look at non-weighted DVOA by defense after the regular season concluded
10. Philadelphia Eagles: 0.3%

That number gives equal weight to each play in the first four games of the season as it did in the final 12 games. And it factors in strength of opponent.

The question then arises, what to do with Juan Castillo? Was the turnaround a result of Castillo's coaching, Castillo's scheming, or players flat out playing better? Was there a single change that turned things around?

I wish I knew the answer. Unfortunately, I do not. But when evaluating what to do with the defensive coordinator position and Steve Spagnuolo, who is reportedly going to be in Philadelphia the end of this week, it is an answer I hope Andy Reid has. Jeffrey Lurie has already (smartly) announced Andy Reid will be back for the 2012 season, so this will be Andy's decision to make, as he is in charge of his coaching staff. There are reasonable arguments for keeping Juan Castillo, and reasonable arguments for firing him or demoting him to the now conveniently available CB coach. There are reasonable arguments for bringing in Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator and/or an assistant head coach as an aid to defensive coordinator to Juan Castillo, and there are also arguments against Spags. There is no definite path here, and if any of the above come to fruition, I can't say I will be disappointed or angry.

The sun has set on another Philadelphia Eagles season. Another Eagles season without a Super Bowl. But when one makes the Super Bowl their sole expectation for the season, and that expectation is not met as it ultimately happens for 31 of 32 NFL teams, it's not hard to fail, and it's not easy to win. Unlike in college football where every regular season game counts until they don't anymore, every game in the NFL is treated with the same weight. The fact of the matter is four poor early season defensive performances combined with bad luck damned the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles to an eternal hell consisting of ignorant ridicule and worn out jokes.

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles were a good football team. It is a shame they will never be remembered as such.

On that note, we say so long to the Dream Team. And all it's promise. And all it's potential. And all it's bad fortune. You should be remembered fondly, although these words will fall on deaf ears. Maybe one day, we will see this farewell as a revival. Maybe one day, all will be forgotten. Maybe one day, years of pain will be erased with a moment of glory. But for now, we must bid you adieu.

NFL Wild Card Sunday Live Blog

2012-01-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here's hoping today's games don't get too ugly......

Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos 4:30 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d9b2c5dcca" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Wild Card Sunday Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Wild Card Saturday Live Blog

2012-01-07T18:23:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans 4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

Being An Idiot Has A Price, Folks

2012-01-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

Helpful tip: If you see a post on Facebook searching for people who committed a crime, don't respond saying you did it.

This concept sounds so obvious and so simple. If you actually did do it and you confess, then you are an idiot. If you didn't do it, but instead just trying to be "funny," then you are an idiot. Under no circumstances do you come out looking good. Either you just gave yourself up on the internet for everyone to see and will be fined and do some time, or you are going to be highly inconvenienced by the police and have your false confession show up every time someone Googles your name. And possibly get fined in the process. This is simple. Don't admit to doing something that is a crime on the internet. I just wasted a paragraph on something a concept a 3rd grader would understand. You know this. I know this.

But amazingly enough, Edward Neary does not know this. For if he did, he would not have responded to a Broad Street Hockey post searching for people who assaulted Rangers fans outside of Geno's Steaks following Monday's Winter Classic. He has since deleted his posts, but thanks to the magic of screenshots, are still available online for all to see. You have to read this to believe it.

Edward Neary has spoken to the police. He has since denied all involvement. Someone who went to high school with Edward Neary tweeted to me that this is something he would do because he finds it "funny." In case you have not yet figured out, at best, Edward Neary is guilty of being one of Philadelphia's dumbest people. At worst, he is one of Philadelphia's dumbest criminals. Because innocent and just trying to be "funny," or not, this has been on the internet and the top hits when you Google "Edward Neary". Employers know what Google is. His future employment may or may not have a few roadblocks in the future.

As for the Rangers fan that got beat up? The Purple Heart recipient and off-duty cop has been released from the hospital after suffering bruises and a concussion.

The stupidity of humanity never ceases to amaze me, though by this point, it really should.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule

2012-01-04T23:18:00.002-05:00

The NFL Playoffs are back, and I guess it will be more relaxing because the Eagles are not playing. Also, more depressing. Anyway, here is the schedule with announcers. No surprises, but I post this anyway because I like having this handy resource available.

Saturday, January 7

# 6 Cincinnati Bengals vs. #3 Houston Texans 4:30 (NBC - Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)
# 6 Detroit Lions vs. #3 New Orleans Saints 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Sunday, January 8

#5 Atlanta Falcons vs. #4 New York Giants 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
#5 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. #4 Denver Broncos 4:30 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)

NFL Week 17 Live Blog

2012-01-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012, everyone!

As much as I hate being Captain Buzzkill on one of my favorite weekends of the NFL season, this is perhaps the least excited I have ever been for a Week 17. That the Eagles are eliminated and playing a team that is also eliminated with Ron Pitts and Charles Davis on the call may or may not have anything to do with this.

Seeing as CoveritLive has a new system and I suck at figuring it out, for the second straight week, I failed to realize someone set up a live blog before me! Ignore my invitation, wherever you received it. Instead, log onto coveritlive.com, go to upcoming events, and launch "KSJ NFL Week 17 Live Blog". That is the live blog we are using. If this message does not pertain to you,

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

While you do that, I will make a New Year's Resolution to better learn CoverItLive's new system. Or something.

Top 10 Philadelphia Sports Games In 2011

2011-12-29T17:42:00.000-05:00

Last year, I debuted my now annual end of year Top 10 list for best Philadelphia sports games of the year. Even though there was so much less excitement and great games this year, the list is back this year, anyway! Last year, I felt the ordering of the games, including what was the number one game, was very clear cut. This year, not so much. But I will make an attempt at it anyway. With all the sadness, scandal, and shame this year has wrought on many a people in the area, perhaps looking back at the year's higher moments will be a plus for everyone involved and a good way to end a shitty year on a high note. Just like last year, I will start with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

Union comeback verse New England Revolution: Usually I try to only post wins on here. After all, what is worth celebrating about a game that is not a win? Well, in soccer there are draws, and when you have a 3-goal comeback in dramatic fashion, even if the match ends in a 4-4 draw, it is still pretty noteworthy. And thus was the exact case when the Philadelphia Union hosted the New England Revolution on September 7, 2011. New England Revolution 4, Philadelphia Union 4

The Kids Are Alright: Following a 2nd round playoff exit to Boston that saw numerous goalie changes, Ed Snider demanded a ridiculously overpay for a position not worth a ridiculous overpay. In order to fit that overpay in, Paul Holmgren had no choice but to blow up the team, trading the previous faces of the franchise away for youth and draft picks. Low and behold, the Flyers first game of the season immediately followed a 15-hour banner raising at Boston. With many fearing a rocky year, the kids played a great game and the Flyers defeated the Bruins. Flyers 2, Bruins 1

Someone From Philadelphia Wins A Trophy!: The New Mexico Bowl. Yes, this is the kind of year that was. A boring New Mexico Bowl makes the list. Temple 37, Wyoming 15.

10. Flyers Win A 7th Game: On a day and a playoff where there were several Game 7s that would overall rate much better this one, this makes the list because it is the only one that involved a Philadelphia team, and the Philadelphia team won. Flyers 5, Sabres 2

9. Anything Crosby Can Do, Giroux Can Do Sexier: Sidney Crosby made a glamorous return, scored 4 points, and made all sorts of headlines because he is Sidney Crosby and when he is not injured he is the best hockey player of this generation. But, Crosby is not the only one who can make a dramatic, impactful return from a concussion. Even though he was out nowhere near as long, Claude Giroux also suffered a concussion this year and also scored four points in his return. And may I remind you, even though he is not better than Crosby, Giroux is much sexier. So that counts for something. Flyers 4, Stars 1

8. Phillies win NL East: Five straight years. Phillies 9, Cardinals 2.

7. Sunday Night Smackdown: In a Philadelphia Eagles season with very little to celebrate, one good thing that did come of it was the complete beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Eagles 34, Cowboys 7

6. Phillies Game 1 Thrills: It started out poorly for the Phillies, with Halladay having a rough first and the Phillies offense getting mowed down by Kyle Lohse. But, as Phillies fans know all too well, Kyle Lohse in the playoffs is not the greatest of ideas in the world, and Lohse finally got a chance to payback the grand slam he gave up in Game 2 of the 2007 NLDS. The Phillies lost the series, but this was fun. Phillies 11, Cardinals 6

5. Ben Francisco, Playoff Hero: Seemingly every year, some guy comes out of nowhere, gets red hot during the playoffs or comes up with a "clutch" hit, and gets heralded everywhere as a hero. Ben Francisco was that guy in the 2011 MLB Playoffs until he wasn't anymore. It was a tight, tense, dramatic game which saw Francisco hit the game-winning home run late. As exciting a win as you could have in the playoffs. Too bad it ultimately ended up being their last. Phillies 3, Cardinals 2

4. Phillies win opener: I am far from what you may term a "baseball traditionalist," however, I can hardly deny the pageantry that is MLB's opening day in comparison to other sports. It is different. It is more exciting, even though it is technically 1/162 of a season as opposed to 1/16 or 1/82. But it is the smell of spring in the air. It is the knowledge that summer is on the horizon. When the boys of summer first take the field on what is usually a crisp April morning, it is the feeling that a summer of fun is about to begin. And for the Phillies in 2011, it was struggling against old friend Brett Myers playing for a Houston Astros team that recently has been frustrating the Phillies at CBP. Well, everything changed with John Mayberry's 9th inning walkoff shot. The 2011 Phillies were back. Phillies 5, Astros 4

3. Disaster becomes elation for the Flyers: What started as the single worst decision that Peter Laviolette has ever made soon became a celebration that would last up to the point the Flyers got cold-cocked by the Bruins in the next round. But in the most exciting and dramatic hockey game of the year, the Flyers rallied after falling behind thanks to starting career AHL goaltender Michael Leighton in just his 2nd game of the season over the significantly more competent Sergei Bobrovsky or Brian Boucher. In future hindsight, I think it will be safe to say this game-winning goal hindered the Buffalo Sabres for six years. Flyers 5, Sabres 4 (F/OT)

2. 76ers beat the Heat: Just hours before the Flyers defeated the Sabres in overtime, the number two game on this list happened. For the 76ers, 2010-2011 was a resurgence. After enduring a painful year under Eddie Jordan, the Sixers fired him, hired Doug Collins, and improved instantly. They made the playoffs after having the number two overall pick in the 2010 Draft, and as luck would have it, they ended up playing the most controversial team in the league, the Miami Heat. The Heat won the series 4-1, but the Sixers played them tough the whole way through, which is more than one might be able to say for the next two teams the Heat faced. For the Sixers, that one win was special and unforgettable. Like the hockey game soon after it, it was a dramatic comeback and won at the last second. 76ers 86, Heat 82.

1. Babe Valdez: Entering the 2011 season, Babe Ruth was the last person in MLB to start the game as a position player and end the game as the winning the pitcher. After the 2011 season, that person was Wilson Valdez. But while Valdez got the glory for a single inning, the real story of this game should be Danys Baez. Make no bones about, Danys Baez is not a good pitcher. Most of the time, he does not pitch well. In his tenure with the Phillies, he has been below replacement level. But Danys Baez will always have this one night. One night where he did pitch well. For five innings. More than he had pitched in quite a single game in quite a long time. And he was not getting BABIP luck, either. Danys Baez actually pitched real well in this game. His time in Philadelphia on the whole can best be described as real bad, but he will always have this one night. And the Phillies will always have these 19 innings they will always remember. Phillies 5, Reds 4 (F/19)

NFL Week 17 Schedule

2011-12-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

It's the last week of what can only be described as an infuriating NFL Season on so many levels. This is one season I will not miss any time soon. I will probably have some sort of lengthy end of year reflection on the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles, but for now, here is the Week 17 Schedule. There is nothing more depressing than on Week 17 turning on the TV to watch your team's last game of the season and hearing the words "Along with my partner Charles Davis, I'm Ron Pitts."

Maps of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

CBS early games

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 (CBS - Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein)
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots 1:00 (CBS - Don Criqui and Randy Cross)

Fox early games

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Charles Davis)

CBS late games

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos 4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals 4:15 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders 4:15 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns 4:15 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

Fox late games

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons 4:15 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:15 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington)

Sunday Night Football

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

NFL Week 16 Live Blog

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

It is Christmas Eve and for the Eagles, it will be the most tension filled afternoon of the season. If the Jets could make an emergency trade for Michael Bush, I'd appreciate it greatly.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!*

*If you got an email from me, please disregard it. As I am sure you have seen, both Mookie and I sent live blog emails at around the exact same time. Even creepier, we then notified each other that we both sent live blogs at the same time at the exact same time. After one of us finally got a word in edgewise without the other repeating the same thought verbatim at the same time, it was agreed that Mookie would host this live blog. If you clicked my live blog first and got worried because I deleted it, please, do not worry. Just click on Mookie's invitation and go over there. If you did not get an email and want to comment, click the above link and follow Mookie's instructions.

NFL Week 16 Schedule

2011-12-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

The Eagles need to beat the Cowboys. The Jets need to beat the Giants. If one of these things do not happen, the Eagles will be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Thursday Night Football

Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan

Maps of who gets what Saturday afternoon games

CBS games

Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens 1:00 (CBS - Spero Dedes and Rich Gannon)
Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

San Diego Chargers vs. Detroit Lions 4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Fox early games

New York Giants vs. New York Jets 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnson, SA: Tony Siragusa)
St. Louis Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Minnesota Vikings vs. Washington Redskins 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers 1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington)

America's Game Of The Week and other Fox late games

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:15 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Charles Davis)

Sunday Night Football

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

Monday Night Football

Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Some Person)

NFL Week 15 Live Blog

2011-12-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Eagles 2011 Season is now in the hands of the Redskins and the Raiders. This can't end well.

NFL Week 15 Live Blog

NFL Week 15 Schedule

2011-12-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

Nothing left to do now but hope that by the time 4:15 rolls around on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles still have a chance. Go Buccaneers! Go Redskins! In case one of the Sunday afternoon games is a blowout, hurray for me being home for the next month and hurray my brother being a Vikings fan and forcing my family to shell out way too much money for Sunday Ticket!

Thursday Night Football

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

A Special Saturday Night Edition Of Thursday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Maps of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)

Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)

New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)

Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Charles Davis)

Detroit Lions vs. Oakland Raiders 4:05 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)

CBS early games

Cincinnati Bengals vs. St. Louis Rams 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)

Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

America's Game Of The Week and other CBS late games

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos 4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)

New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles 4:15 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)

Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:15 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

Sunday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Diego Chargers 8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: John Sutcliffe)

Fun With NFC East Pythagenport Records

2011-12-12T18:02:00.001-05:00

(Originally published, for better or worse, at Bleeding Green Nation)

Those who are familiar with baseball and The Good Phight are no doubt familiar with the concept known as Pythagorean records. In short, it is a formula invented by Bill James serving as a means of predicting a baseball team's record based off runs scored and runs allowed. A few years ago, a writer at Baseball Prospectus named Clay Davenport figured out that because the offensive environment of the league changes with time, the exponent used in the formula should be changed as well to reflect that. Hence the name in the title, Pythagenport records. And if one seeks to be even more accurate, one can derive an exponent for each individual team as each individual team plays in a slightly different offensive environment. While Baseball Prospectus calls this Pythagenpat records, in their Week 13 DVOA column from which this little exercise is derived from, Football Outsiders continue to use the term Pythagenport. For the sake of consistency, I will use the term "Pythagenport" throughout the rest of this column.

The same principles invented by Bill James can also be applied to NFL football. Now I know the question of how this is relevant will eventually come up, so I will answer it before we get into the numbers, so you understand right away what you are looking at. Football Outsiders did the math on this in the above linked column, and on a scale of 1 to -1 with 1 being the two variables are a perfect positive relationship on each other, 0 being the variables are completely independent of each other, and -1 being a perfect negative relationship, the correlation between Pythagenport wins and actual wins from 1990-2010, according to Football Outsiders, is .9134. This is a very strong correlation and the numbers that you are about to see below are relevant and will tell us about the 4-teams in the NFC East.

The formulas used in this column are as follows.

Exponent = 1.5*log ((Points scored + Points allowed) / number of games)
Pythagenport win percentage = Points scored^exponent / (Points scored^exponent + Points allowed^exponent)

As a baseline, here is each NFC East team's actual win percentage rounded to the nearest thousandth.

New York Giants: .538
Dallas Cowboys: .538
Philadelphia Eagles: .385
Washington Redskins: .308

And now each team's Pythagenport win percentage:

Dallas Cowboys: .575
Philadelphia Eagles: .511
New York Giants: .452
Washington Redskins: .284

What Does This Mean?

First of all, in case you have not yet figured it out, the NFC East is a bumbling pile of mediocrity plus the abysmal Washington Redskins. The best team in the division, the Dallas Cowboys, are somewhere between a 7-6 team and an 8-5 team when you convert the three-digit percentage number into actual wins.

Perhaps what may be startling to some but less so to folks who have been paying attention close attention to the Eagles' point differential, the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles are not all that bad of a football team. Certainly not as bad as their 5-8 record would lead you to believe. Now a record hovering around .500 is certainly not what many people, Eagles fans included expected out of the Eagles coming into the 2011 campaign, but it is certainly better than the Eagles' actual 5-8 record and enough to have the Eagles right in the middle of the NFC East title race without having to rely on some sort of miracle as they currently do.

So why is there a such a discrepancy between the Eagles' actual win percentage and Pythagenport win percentage?

A very good question, and the answer probably is not what people want to hear and/or believe, although it is true. In one word: luck. In two words: bad luck*.

*Addendum: In this context, I am attributing luck to the reasons why the Eagles are 5-8 and not hovering around .500. I am not suggesting luck is the reason the Eagles are not 10-3 or better and right in the midst of a race for a 1st round bye with San Francisco and New Orleans. This is also not to say the Eagles do not have flaws. Clearly, this is not a perfect team. However, they are not as bad as a 5-8 record (.385 win percentage) would suggest.

A basic theory of football is there is the ability to win close football games (with close football game being defined as games where the final margin of victory is 7 points or less) is not an actual ability. Some might define this perceived ability as being "clutch." But alas, no coach/QB/team hold an ability to consistently win/lose close football games. Over the course of a season, teams will tend to hover around the .500 league median. In his article last Friday, Bill Barnwell elaborates on this general point further with Tim Tebow's performance being the subject of the post. To go back to the Eagles, the Eagles are 2-5 this season in games where the final margin of victory is 7 points or less. The bad luck the Eagles have seen in these close games is a major reason why the Eagles' actual win percentage is as far below the Eagles' Pythagenport win percentage as it is. The fact that over 50% of the Eagles games have been decided by a touchdown or less is part of the reason their Pythagenport win percentage hovers around the .500 mark.

Conclusion

Barring a near miraculous final three weeks of the season, the narrative of the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles will be written as followed: "A team with all sorts of talent but no heart and a coach that lost the locker room. (Insert bad Dream Team pun here)." Unfortunately for many in the media, that narrative does not match with the reality. Barring a drastic turn of events in the final three games of the season, the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles were a team whose actual record fell well below that of what it should have been, according to Pythagenport win percentage, a metric whose that correlates very strongly (.9134) with actual win percentage. The Eagles Pythagenport win percentage (.511) is by no means great, however, in a watered down NFC East where mediocrity reigns supreme, is good enough to have the Eagles in line to contend for the division title. However, thanks to a couple unfortunate losses early in the season, the Eagles are only hanging on by a thread and would need everything to fall just perfectly into place in the final three weeks of the season to have a chance at winning an NFC East championship.

NFL Week 14 Live Blog

2011-12-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Because the question of whether or not the Eagles fans are rooting for a win tomorrow, my answer tomorrow is yes, I am rooting for the Eagles to defeat the Miami Dolphins. I understand the logic of wanting a better possible draft pick, and a loss against a team they are "competing" against would help them in landing a better pick, but the Eagles are not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. And even though the odds are hovering around 1% that they will make the playoffs, I just can't bring myself to root against them when the Eagles still have a chance, no matter how slim it may be. Until the Eagles are mathematically eliminated, I can't find it in my heart to root for them to lose and I won't root for them to lose.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=1289666492" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Week 14 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Week 14 Schedule

2011-12-08T16:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks to some rather hilarious ineptitude on the part of the Cowboys and Giants, the 4-8 Eagles still have a path to the playoffs that does not involve back-breaking mathematics. If in their last four games, the Eagles go 4-0, the Cowboys 1-3, and the Giants 2-2, the Eagles will (incredibly) be the 4-seed. Now mind you, the probability this actually happens is somewhere around 1%, but hey, on September 1, the Tampa Bay Rays had a .3% chance of winning the AL East. The point: This would not be the most statistically improbable comeback of the year. So on that desperate note, here is your Week 14 NFL Schedule! (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Thursday Night Football

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Maps of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

New Orleans Saints vs. Tennessee Titans 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington)

Chicago Bears vs. Denver Broncos 4:05 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:05 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

CBS early games

New England Patriots vs. Washington Redskins 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

America's Game Of The Week and other CBS late games

Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers 4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Buffalo Bills vs. San Diego Chargers 4:15 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

Sunday Night Football

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

Monday Night Football

St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Rachel Nichols)

2011-12 FBS Bowl Schedule

2011-12-04T23:48:00.001-05:00

As much as I do not like college football's ridiculous BCS system, or how some teams like Western Kentucky were not invited to a bowl game despite being eligible and as much as this whole thing is corruption and picking teams that best fill hotel rooms and the dollar pockets of rich executives, I still watch these bowl games with enjoyment anyway. I have no will power to create meaningful change as I won't be negatively impacting their ratings. So anyway, here is your schedule (complete with announcers already) for the Bowl games. Enjoy! (all times ET)

December 17
New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM): Wyoming vs. Temple 2:00 (ESPN - Clay Matvick and Brian Griese, SR: Jessica Mendoza)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID): Utah State vs. Ohio 5:30 (ESPN - Dave Flemming and Mike Bellotti, SR: Heather Cox)
New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA): Louisiana-Lafayette vs. San Diego State 9:00 (ESPN - Carter Blackburn and Brock Huard, SR: Shelley Smith)

December 20
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl (St. Petersburg, FL): Florida International vs. Marshall 8:00 (ESPN - Mike Patrick and Danny Kanell, SR: Jeannine Edwards)

December 21
Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, CA): TCU vs. Louisiana Tech 8:00 (ESPN - Joe Tessitore, Mark May, and Lou Holtz, SR: Samantha Steele)

December 22
Maaco Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, NV): Boise State vs. Arizona State 8:00 (ESPN - Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, SR: Tom Rinaldi)

December 24
Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu, HI): Southern Mississippi vs. Nevada 8:00 (ESPN - Mark Jones and Ed Cunningham, SR: Jessica Mendoza)

December 26
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA): Missouri vs. North Carolina 5:00 (ESPN2 - Rob Stone and Danny Kanell, SR: Allison Williams)

December 27
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Detroit, MI): Purdue vs. Western Michigan 4:30 (ESPN - Beth Mowins and Mike Bellotti, SR: Eamon McAnaney)
Belk Bowl (Charlotte, NC): North Carolina State vs. Louisville 8:00 (ESPN - Bob Wischusen and Brian Griese, SR: Shannon Spake)

December 28
Military Bowl (Washington, D.C.): Air Force vs. Toledo 4:30 (ESPN - Pam Ward and Dan Hawkins, SR: Jeannine Edwards)
Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA): Texas vs. California 8:00 (ESPN - Rece Davis and Jesse Palmer, SR: Jenn Brown)

December 29
Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, FL): Florida State vs. Notre Dame 5:30 (ESPN - Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore, SR: Holly Rowe)
Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX): Baylor vs. Washington 9:00 (ESPN - Dave Pasch and Chris Spielman, SR: Quint Kessenich)

December 30
Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas, TX): BYU vs. Tulsa 12:00 (ESPN - Dave Neal and Andre Ware, SR: Cara Capuano)
Pinstripe Bowl (New York City, NY): Rutgers vs. Iowa State 3:20 (ESPN - Chris Fowler and Jesse Palmer, SR: Tom Rinaldi)
Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN): Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State 6:40 (ESPN - Mark Jones and Ed Cunningham, SR: Jeannine Edwards)
Insight Bowl (Tempe, AZ): Oklahoma vs. Iowa 10:00 (ESPN - Sean McDonough and Matt Millen, SR: Heather Cox)

December 31
Meineke Car Care Bowl Of Texas (Houston, TX): Texas A&M vs. Northwestern 12:00 (ESPN - Bob Wischusen and Brian Griese, SR: Eamon McAnaney)
Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX): Georgia Tech vs. Utah 2:00 (CBS - Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, SR: Tracy Wolfson)
Liberty Bowl (Memphis, TN): Vanderbilt vs. Cincinnati 3:30 (ABC - Dave Lamont and Ray Bentley, SR: Quint Kessenich)
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (San Francisco, CA): UCLA vs. Illinois 3:30 (ESPN - Carter Blackburn and Brock Huard, SR: Shelley Smith)
Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, GA): Virginia vs. Auburn 7:30 (ESPN - Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge, SR: Holly Rowe)

January 2
TicketCity Bowl (Dallas, TX): Penn State vs. Houston 12:00 (ESPNU - Clay Matvick and Danny Kanell, SR: Allison Williams)
Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL): Georgia vs. Michigan State 1:00 (ABC - Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden, SR: Lisa Salters)
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL): Ohio State vs. Florida 1:00 (ESPN2 - Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham, SR: Jeannine Edwards)
Capital One Bowl (Orlando, FL): Nebraska vs. South Carolina 1:00 (ESPN - Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore, SR: Quint Kessenich)
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA): Oregon vs. Wisconsin 5:00 (ESPN - Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, SR: Erin Andrews)
Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ): Oklahoma State vs. Stanford 8:30 (ESPN - Sean McDonough and Matt Millen, SR: Heather Cox)

January 3
Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA): Michigan vs. Virginia Tech 8:30 (ESPN - Brad Nessler and Todd Blackledge, SR: Holly Rowe)

January 4
Orange Bowl (Miami, FL): Clemson vs. West Virginia 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Lisa Salters)

January 6
Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX): Kansas State vs. Arkansas 8:00 (Fox - Gus Johnson and Charles Davis, SA: Tim Brewster)

January 7
BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, AL): Pittsburgh vs. SMU 1:00 (ESPN - Mike Gleason and John Congemi, SR: Eamon McAnaney)

January 8
GoDaddy.com Bowl (Mobile, AL): Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas State 9:00 (ESPN - Rob Stone and Danny Kanell, SR: Cara Capuano)

January 9
BCS Championship Game (New Orleans, LA): LSU vs. Alabama 8:30 (ESPN - Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, SR: Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi)

NFL Week 13 Live Blog

2011-12-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

If tonight goes I think tonight is going to go, this is going to be one fucked up night of sports.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=27f3a6282f" &amp;gt;NFL Week 13 Live Blog&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

I Push My Fingers Into My Eyes

2011-12-02T00:18:00.001-05:00

NFL Week 13 Live Blog

2011-12-01T20:06:00.001-05:00

Eagles. Seahawks. Thursday Night Football. Mediocrity at its finest. Join us, why don't you?

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG

Why The Seattle Seahawks Will Beat The Philadelphia Eagles....And Why The Philadelphia Eagles Will Beat The Seattle Seahawks

2011-11-30T21:20:00.001-05:00

As incredible as it may seem, tomorrow night will be the first time since I started blogging* that my Philadelphia Eagles will play my internet friend Mookie's Seattle Seahawks. Earlier this week, Mookie reached out to me via email to ask if I wanted to join him in doing a series of posts, with me saying some words on why the Seahawks will beat the Eagles, and him writing a few words on why the Eagles will beat the Seahawks. The results of that are as follows.

*I started blogging after what is still the latest tie in the NFL. The Eagles last played the Seahawks a few weeks prior to that infamous game. I have no visual recollection of that Eagles win at Seattle in 2008. No amount of hard alcohol has been able to wash away the memories of the two Seahawks-Eagles games prior to that one.

Why the Seahawks will beat the Eagles, by Justin F.

The Eagles Defensive Coordinator is their old offensive line coach: The Eagles Defensive coordinator is their offensive line coach. It as worked out about as well as most imagined. It's imbarrassing. As much as I (and the Eagles players themselves) did not like Sean McDermott, the Eagles defense put up a respectable -11.0% DVOA last season. This season, the Eagles defensive DVOA (DVOA explained) is a sub-par 2.8% (in case you do not know or have not yet figured out, in terms of defense, a negative DVOA is better than a positive DVOA). That's right. The Eagles defense has actually regressed from last season.

The Eagles are traveling to Seattle on short rest: Some people like the idea of Thursday Night Football games. I am not one of those people. Each team has three days rest as compared to the standard six and in the case of the road teams, they have to spend one of those days travelling. There may be substance to this theory, as this season road teams playing on Thursday night are 2-4, with the two wins being the Raiders in San Diego and the Packers in Detroit. In the case of the Eagles, this week, they have to travel what is for them the farthest possible distance on short rest. And oh by the way, CenturyLink Field* is a notoriously difficult stadium for road teams.

*CenturyLink Field is nicknamed "The Clink." I'd laugh at how horrible of a nickname that is for a stadium, but I think I know where they got the inspiration for that one.

The Eagles have been bitten by the injury bug: Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin have been ruled out for Thursday while Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and LeSean McCoy are all at best questionable to play in Seattle. Vince Young, Riley Cooper (beautiful looks aside), and Brandon Hughes are hardly suitable replacements for the aforementioned Eagles. While Vince Young did throw for 400 yards, he did throw 48 passes against a not-so-great secondary, so that is not something that should be taken as a sign of things to come. While Pete Carroll probably has spent many a night rocking back-and-forth muttering the name "Vince Young" in between ear-piercing shrieks, he should really learn to relax. The Vince Young that tormented his soul in 2006 is not the same as the Vince Young of today. Just last week, with only Julian Edelman in the open field standing in the way between Vince Young and a first down, the 6'5 233 lb Young allowed himself to get tackled short of the marker by the 5'10 198 lb Edelman. Seriously. It was as embarrassing as it reads.

The Eagles Defensive Coordinator is their old offensive line coach: Enough said.

Why The Philadelphia Eagles Will Beat The Seattle Seahawks, by Mookie.

1.) Seattle’s injured, too. Sidney Rice was put on IR after suffering a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Washington Redskins. Tarvaris Jackson has played most of the season with a strained pectoral muscle. Marcus Trufant, Matt McCoy, Walter Thurmond III, and ST ace David Vobora are all on IR. It took a little bit longer than usual, but the Seahawks are getting their annual rush of injuries to key players. Tomorrow night CB Richard Sherman and LB David Hawthorne are questionable on the injury report, and they’re both starters. Seattle already has a terrible CB depth situation, having lost Trufant and Thurmond to injury. Sherman has been awesome and perhaps an improvement over Trufant, so you knew the honeymoon was too good to be true. David Hawthorne is arguably Seattle’s only good linebacker, another position Seattle completely scraped of depth by releasing Lofa Tatupu (which probably needed to be done), losing Will Herring to the Saints, and trading Aaron Curry to the Raiders. While the Eagles have the depth to handle injuries to key players, Seattle does not. Last weekend when DT Alan Branch could not play, the run defense completely blew chunks out there and gave up a 100 yard game to Roy Helu.

2.) Vince Young is the exact type of QB Seattle struggles with. The Seahawks have just 20 sacks and 8 of them are by Chris Clemons. What’s infuriating is they’ve played Rex Grossman, Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, Kevin Kolb, and Colt McCoy. I doubt these teams all have elite offensive lines, Seattle’s pass rush is just that bad. Vince Young is 6’4, 240 pounds, and is mobile as long as he doesn’t twist his ankle. He may not be the greatest thrower but you just know that if the pocket collapses, the Seahawks will leave about 15 yards of grass for him to run for a first down. Seattle’s worst defensive performances came against Ben Roethlisberger and Tony Romo, both very mobile. Hopefully Young doesn’t realize his strengths, but I’m not counting on that.

3.) Philadelphia has a pass rush. The Eagles have recorded 31 sacks and the Seahawks are tied for 30th in sacks allowed. Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t scramble very often and less so with the injury. The Seahawks also have a horrible right side of the offensive line. Carnage.

4.) LeSean McCoy is arguably the best running back in the NFL. Everyone knows this except Andy Reid, who basically abandoned him against one of the worst defenses in the NFL last Sunday. He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,060 yards and is only behind Matt Forte in runs of 20 yards or more. I don’t care how good Seattle’s run defense is, McCoy can make any team look amateurish. He’s like a better version of Brian Westbrook and he’s so fun to watch. I believe McCoy is at his most dangerous when he’s used in the screen passing plays, something the Seahawks have failed to consistently defend in three years. When he has the ball in his hands he’s got the speed to get past the secondary and is excellent at exploiting holes between the tackles. He is as complete a RB as there is, and Reid/Mornhinweg should be fired if they continue to lose games by not using him enough. Ten carries against the Patriots is deplorable.

5.) Seattle is an undisciplined bunch. The Seahawks have over 100 penalties and are only better than the Raiders in avoiding the yellow flag. Brandon Browner has 11 penalties in 11 weeks. God forbid he covers any Eagles receiver with speed as he’ll either get beat or he’ll get flagged because he got beat. Russell Okung has 9 penalties and James Carpenter had 9 before going to IR. They will hold, false start, illegally shift, intentionally ground, face mask, and rough the passer like no other team in football. It’s pure dirtbag play. You happy now, Jim Mora?

Well, there you have it. I will put up a link to Mookie's live blog tomorrow, where you can join us in commiserating the failure of the 2011 editions of our teams. You should join us as we torture ourselves tomorrow night!

NFL Week 13 Schedule

2011-11-29T20:49:00.001-05:00

Mookie and I have a surprise for you that should be up Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but until then, have fun and enjoy the Week 13 schedule.

Thursday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

CBS games

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
New York Jets vs. Washington Redskins 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots 1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 (CBS - Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein)

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns 4:05 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

Fox early games

Atlanta Falcons vs. Houston Texans 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

America's Game Of The Week and Fox late games

Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:15 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:15 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)

Sunday Night Football

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

Monday Night Football

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

ESPN: The World Wide Leader In Hypocrisy

2011-11-28T01:30:00.001-05:00

Hey, remember when a bunch of ESPN talking heads, including Michelle Beadle, Kirk Herbstreit, Jay Bilas, and Colin Cowherd went on a moral crusade against Joe Paterno for not doing more upon learning that Mike McQueary witnessed Jerry Sandusky in the shower behaving beyond inappropriately with a boy in the shower? Good times, wasn't it? Now, in a cruel twist of irony, the shoe is on the other foot, and then some. While we do not know what Jim Boeheim did or did not know in terms of the Bernie Fine allegations at Syracuse, but we do know who did know of these allegations back in 2003. That's right. The Worldwide Leader, themselves. ESPN knew.

ESPN did nothing.

What am I talking about, exactly? It goes back to the Syracuse allegations against Bernie Fine. Released today on Outside The Lines, a recorded telephone conversation former Syracuse ball boy Bobby Davis had with Bernie Fine's wife, Laurie in regards to Bernie Fine's behavior. Due to the disturbing nature of this conversation, I will not post any quotes here, but if you want to read it so you have, click here to read excerpts of the conversation between Davis and Laurie Fine.

One slightly major issue. The conversation in that transcript took place in 2002. ESPN obtained a copy of the audiotape of that conversation in 2003. Sporting News summarizes what ESPN did with the conversations (bold emphasis mine).

Davis, now 39, shared the tape with Syracuse police after Outside the Lines reported that allegations Nov. 17. He had given ESPN the tape of the recorded conversation in 2003, but ESPN did not report that accusations because it didn’t have enough information to back up Davis’ allegations.

At least Joe Paterno went to the AD and the head of police, even though all he had to off of was hearsay. ESPN had tapes from Bernie Fine's wife essentially implicating him in child molestation. ESPN sat on these tapes. They claim there was not enough evidence to go public, but they did not turn over the conversation to authorities for further investigation. Is this beginning to sound familiar to anyone?

Now this is likely something that Michelle Beadle, Kirk Herbstreit, and other ESPN talking heads knew nothing about, but, it is worth pointing out that they are not directing anger at their own company. Shocking. Beadle has turned from mud-flinging at Paterno to "Monsters are everywhere," and "Focus on cleaning up" abuse at universities. Amazing. I know.

But instead of continuing on my moral high horse on the hypocrisy of some at ESPN, I'll just ask one question.

Is this too a conspiracy of cowards?

NFL Week 12 Live Blog

2011-11-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

The only question I have is how bad is New English going to demolish a suddenly injury plagued Eagles team?

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=ffbb42c52a" &amp;gt;NFL Week 12 Live Blog&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Week 12 Schedule

2011-11-22T17:25:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving week! This year the games are.......actually quite good. This is certainly one of the better Thanksgiving slates of games I can remember in quite awhile, namely because the Lions are not the laughing stock of the NFL. But still, instead of the hapless Colts, they have been given the unbeaten Packers. Eagles host the Patriots in a game where I reckon the first team to 50 will win. (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Thanksgiving games

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions 12:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys 4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Maps of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons 1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Cardinals 1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington)

Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders 4:05 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Washington Redskins vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:05 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

CBS early games

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets 1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

America's Game Of The Week and other CBS late games

New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles 4:15 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers 4:15 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)

Sunday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Wendi Nix)

NFL Week 11/MLS Cup Final Live Blog

2011-11-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

I'm watching the Eagles game tonight. Against the Giants. With Vince Young starting for the Eagles. Yes, I am a masochist.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=61006641a4" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Week 11 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Fire Andy Reid? (A Link To) A Debate With Brian Solomon

2011-11-17T11:17:00.001-05:00

After posting my rebuttal to Phil Sheridan on Sunday night, Philadelphia Eagles blogger Brian Solomon sent me an email asking to debate him on whether or not Andy Reid should be fired. Having a great respect for Brian's wanting a chance to engage him in a fun debate, I accepted. You can read the debate for yourself at his site, McNabb Or Kolb.

The debate was his idea and for his blog, so I will not takeaway his pageviews by doing a straight re-post, but if you want to read the debate, you can CLICK HERE AND READ IT.

I thank Brian very much for this opportunity and hope all you will read his blog and follow him on Twitter.

Hypocrisy By Brooks

2011-11-15T17:17:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I feel like it is best to take a deep breath and just ignore Sports By Brooks. After all, he is nothing more than a sleazy sports gossip writer with about as much dignity as the people that feel the need to follow Lady Gaga everywhere she goes, including stalking the drainage system she empties her bodily waste in to examine her poop to see if the feces reveal anything about a sex scandal. And then sometimes it is best to stoop to that very level of depravity yourself just because, well, actually it is not for the best it is fun for me to expose how much of a hypocrite someone is.

I am not going to link any tweets, but if you take a look at Sports by Brooks's timeline you will see the sports gossip columnist has ceased to be a sports gossip columnist and has turned into a full time Penn State gossip columnist since the Penn State flattery. In this timeline, you will see a bunch of tweets about rumors, speculation that Jerry Sandusky will be acquitted by a jury of his peers in Centre County (?), and several tweets perched atop his moral high horse as he uses mental gymnastics of the amazing kind to equate a vote in support of Joe Paterno and Joe Paterno's legacy as a vote in support of child molestation and this tweet of what can only be described as pure insanity. Even if Sandusky does shockingly get acquitted, to suggest something of the nature this early on in the process is nothing short of insanity.

Here is the graphic, 23-page, grand jury report. This is what is known, both in terms of what Sandusky did and what McQueary and Paterno knew and did. You can try make heads or tails of comments and actions from the early 2000s to try and infer more about what was known and who knew it, but I won't get into that. If you choose to believe the interview Sandusky gave last night and the interview Mike McQueary is giving tonight then we know that too. But outside of that, everything else is opinion disguised as fact, or moral high horse rantings disguised as opinion. Rumors/reports from a gossip columnist are unfounded at best and trolling for followers/pageviews at worst.

But, SbB is indeed that. I said as much above, and I think Brooks might even say as much. It is his job to do this. But I am writing a post because there is a catch. The point of this post is not to chide someone for having an opinion. You do not need me to tell you that this Penn State scandal has elicited some violent opinions. Brooks is not the first person to espouse such opinions on this issue and he damn sure will not be the last. But what makes Brooks a special case is that everytime he tweets something from his moral high horse on the Penn State scandal, he is setting in a glass house, trying to throw stones. Now as far as we know, Brooks does not have a history of pedophilia, but I can confirm he has a perverted history of ephebophilia. Behold, the hypocrisy of Sports by Brooks!

Yes. You saw that link correctly. That is Brooks. Unabashedly ogling at a 17-year old's breasts.

The patron saint of Morality, everyone!

(h/t @AvalonBryan and the essential @zoowithroy)

NFL Week 11 Schedule

2011-11-15T16:08:00.001-05:00

I am working on something big that will hopefully appear later this week, but until then, here is your Week 11 schedule. Yes, I actually remembered to post this on Tuesday for once. I am as impressed as you are. (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Thursday Night Football

New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit Lions 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:05 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams 4:05 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)

CBS early games

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens 1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harland and Solomon Wilcots)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

America's Game Of The Week and other CBS late games

San Diego Chargers vs. Chicago Bears 4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons 4:15 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)

Sunday Night Football

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

Monday Night Football

Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

Phil Sheridan's Latest Column Is Slightly Mis-Informed

2011-11-13T21:31:00.001-05:00

There are some people that absolutely despite Phil Sheridan. Personally, I think there are worse columnists in the Philadelphia sports media than him (*cough*cough*Jack McCaffery *cough*cough*), but the column he wrote after the Eagles loss to the Cardinals is by far and away one of the most ridiculous pieces of writing I have ever written. Not that I am intentionally getting away from directly talking about the Eagles, okay, never mind, I am, I am intentionally getting away from directly talking about the Eagles second real all-round poor performance of the season, but as poor as the Eagles were today, this column from Phil Sheridan is worse. After the jump, a FJM style breakdown (Sheridan's words in italics).

With this, his Eagles' latest new low, the issue stops being whether Andy Reid should return for a 14th season as head coach. He should not.

Ignoring the awkward grammar, Sheridan says the issue should not be whether to return for a 14th season. And then he takes a stance on it. Okay. Normally when some says something stops being an issue, the focus goes elsewhere, not one side of the issue. But maybe I got different English lessons.

After blowing a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time, after falling to 3-6 with a roster full of expensive stars, after letting John Flipping Skelton outplay Michael Vick - after all that, the issue has become whether Reid can give owner Jeff Lurie even the flimsiest pretense for defying reason and bringing him back for 2012.

Uh, because of a decade of near consistent success, something almost impossible to do in the NFL? This is a bad year for the Eagles, and it certainly has not been Reid's best, but easy there, there is a "flimsiest pretense for defying reason and bringing him back for 2012."

We really are in end-of-the-line Ray Rhodes and Rich Kotite territory now. That is stupefying, given Reid's accomplishments from 2000 through 2008, but it is still true. This is what it looks like when the bottom falls out.

So we are ignoring the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles and the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom made the playoffs. Now I know someone's clever retort is going to be "But they lost in the wild card round both times!" to which my reply is the NFL Playoffs are largely a crapshoot (though not quite as much so as MLB) and one game should never be the basis of judging a coach's tenture. Not to mention in the past two-and-a half years, we have seen the evolution of Mike Vick into a top QB in the NFL. We'll talk much more about him in a moment.

This little episode with wide receiver DeSean Jackson lent an air of utter dysfunction to a season that had already become an embarrassment. Jackson is a grown man who should have been at his Saturday morning meeting, but that is hardly the point. Beginning with the decision to draft a guy everyone knew was as mercurial in temperament as in talent, the Eagles have managed this situation in such a way that this was inevitable.

It lent an air of dysfunction because he had a mental lapse and missed a meeting? DeSean Jackson is playing for a contract, he'd be mad to intentionally miss a meeting. And did Phil Sheridan just question the decision to draft DeSean Jackson? Sure, he has not had a great idea, but he has been vital to the Eagles offense since his drafting and as we'll see, even Mr. The Eagles Should Not Have Drafted DeSean agrees with this.

It's not exactly wrong of Reid to bench a player in order to set an example. But to bench this particular player, with all the issues surrounding his contract and how his production is affecting his value and how teammates like Steve Smith are earning scads more than he is? When some of these players clearly have quit on plays earlier in the season with no apparent consequence?

I do not have strong feelings one way or the other on benching players for not attending a meeting other than that a coach should keep it consistent. If Derek Landri or Colt Anderson missed a meeting, I would expect them to receive the same punishment/non-punishment. And if I know Andy Reid like I think I know him, I think he would be consistent should this same situation arise with another player, but that is conjecture and speculation on my part. And "quit on plays earlier in the season with no apparent consequence?" Does Sheridan have any evidence that players "quit" on plays? DRC had an effort mistake last Monday and Steve Smith had an effort mistake today, but it does not mean the players quit or have quit.

It just smells bad. And that stench carried over to Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, the latest in this season of shocking new lows.

Did Sheridan ever stop to think that maybe this putrid smell was just somebody farting? Who's to say Todd Herremans did not have some bad black bean soup last night?

This Arizona team was 2-6 on merit, traveling to the East Coast for a game that started before noon according to the players' body clocks. They were without Kevin Kolb, leaving a second-year man from Fordham to start at QB.

A team's W/L record is not always a merit-based statistic, especially in the NFL where a season is only 16 games long, although the Cardinals record is rightfully poor this season. And said second-year man from Fordham did not have a particularly strong game, either.

They were ranked among the worst teams in the league in pass defense. The biggest danger going in was that the Eagles could win without changing anyone's opinion of them.
Can you make sense of that last sentence?

But to lose? And to look utterly clueless on both sides of the ball? How does anyone explain that?

Explainable through the fact that, yes, the Eagles did play a bad football game today. Unfortunately for the Eagles, it just so happened to occur in the midst of a season where Lady Luck has been nothing short of Cruella De Vil in her spite of the Philadelphia football team. Consider this, at 3-6, the Eagles carry a +17 point differential, good for 2nd best in the NFC East.

"It's my responsibility to make sure that everybody is on the same page," Reid said. "Obviously, by this performance, that didn't look very good. That's my responsibility. I don't know about disconnects and those types of things, but I have to do a better job, along with my guys."

It drives fans crazy that Reid repeats such things after every loss. It sounds especially empty now. That's because the problems and failures this year are the direct results of Reid's decision making. The Eagles aren't losing because of injuries or bad luck or anything else. They are losing because of poor decisions that seemed obvious to anyone outside the Eagles' NovaCare bubble who was paying attention.

Now imagine this. The Philadelphia Eagles have a head coach who in post-game press conferences after losses, consistently singles out players for poor performances, blames the refs, and curses out the media at every opportunity he gets, i.e. someone the opposite of Andy Reid. Do you know what the reaction to said head coach would be? HE DOES NOT MAKE HIMSELF ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!!!! FIRE HIM NOW!!!! It is a double-edged sword where as a head coach, you can't win. If you always blame yourself in press conferences, you risk being too bland or repeating the same tired cliches ad nauseam with the media wanting every mistake Reid confessed to never happen again. But if you go the other way and don't blame yourself, you risk losing your locker room on the strange count that players do not like being thrown under the bus, and criticisms from not making yourself accountable for mistakes you made.

It was Reid who made Juan Castillo his defensive coordinator. One of the presumed candidates, Pittsburgh assistant Ray Horton, was hired by the Cardinals instead. That was his defense embarrassing Reid's offense all afternoon.

Ray Horton was a presumed candidate? Do a Google search. This comes up in a total of one report, which cited Ray Horton as an "interesting name that has not been mentioned as frequently" and "a name to keep in mind." Hardly a presumed candidacy. Do we know if the Eagles ever interviewed him?

It was Reid who married Jim Washburn's unique-for-a-reason defensive line approach to woefully mismatched linebackers and safeties.

Which is why you remedy this in the off-season by keeping Washburn and focusing on picking up (specifically) linebackers who can tackle.

It was Reid who threw money at Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, Jason Babin and Smith instead of Jackson, a player who had actually won games for him.

Howie Roseman is the Eagles' general manager, not Andy Reid. The problems here. Nnamdi is being used incorrectly by Juan Castillo, Vince Young was brought in to be a backup, Jason Babin is having a very solid season, having already recorded 9 sacks. And Steve Smith, well, there's one disappointment. But there is no long-term commitment to him as he is only a one year deal, so his signing is hardly something to completely crucify the front office for.

It was Reid who committed real gold to Vick based on a few fool's-gold games last season. In his last 16 games, Vick has thrown 18 interceptions. The Eagles are 7-9 in those games, with Vick failing on fourth-quarter drives in five of them.

The most interceptions Donovan McNabb ever threw in a 16-game season with the Eagles was 13.

As the Cardinals made clear, defenses have figured out how to limit this guy and, with him, this offense.

Well here it is. His critique of Mike Vick. What Phil Sheridan will not tell you is entering into this Sunday's game with Arizona, Mike Vick was 4th most accurate passer in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus's Accurate Percentage which takes completion percentage and modifies it to eliminate spikes, throwaways, and receiver drops. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to give you the accuracy percentage for Mike Vick's performance today, but I can tell you that from watching it, his throws were not crisp, he was missing receivers, and he did not have a lot of help from his receivers. My gut would tell me his accuracy percentage would decline after this, though because I have not done the work I cannot say for certain. But from observations, this most certainly appeared to be the worst game Vick has played this season. Also, 16/34 for 128 yards, no TDs and 2 INTs is ugly no matter how you slice it. Vick did have a bad game, but he has not had a bad season. While interceptions in the last 16 games may be alarming, if you go back and look at several of the interceptions he had in the beginning of the season, you will find that a sizable amount of them were tipped balls that can only be considered the product of luck. His 2 picks today were well deserved, but again, this was Vick's 1st all-round poor game of what has been a very solid season for him. Even if Phil Sheridan will never admit that.

"Our goal was to be really physical," former Eagles linebacker Stewart Bradley said. "The kind of blueprint that Chicago laid out [last week]. You can attack him with good old-fashioned physical football across the board. It wore on him."

Especially when, through benching Jackson and failing to give DeSean McCoy enough carries, Reid and his staff minimized two of the Eagles' best weapons.

"It made things a little easier not having to worry about that deep threat," Arizona cornerback A.J. Jefferson said.

While I believe LeSean McCoy should have gotten significantly more than 14 carries today (especially when it became obvious Vick was not having a good game) and Andy Reid erred in that situation, I have never seen DeSean McCoy play so I cannot give a proper analysis on whether or not he should have been any carries in today's game. Also, didn't Phil Sheridan just infer the Eagles should have never drafted DeSean Jackson? Now he is inferring he shouldn't have been benched? Strange logic.

But the Jackson benching reverberates even more off the field. It was almost quaint, Reid trying to set the tone the way he did early in his tenure.

That was a long time ago now. Reid has let his program drift away from the high-character standards he set early on. He now has a team that plays soft and that seems more interested in contracts than contact. His ship appears rudderless, and there's no one to blame but the captain.

Yeah. It's almost as if the Terrell Owens saga never happened. What we have here is the foundation of a future narrative that will soon read, "Reid started out strong on high-character guys, but then he became soft." Terrell Owens signed in 2004. The controversy played out in 2005. That was 6 years ago. If Reid ever drifted away from "high character guys," he did that a long time ago. But if you look at Reid's track records, Terrell Owens is the exception, not the rule for Andy Reid. Also, if Reid has gone soft on character, how does one explain the off-the-field transformation of Mike Vick? It could have all happened in prison, but by and large, Vick has stayed away from any meaningful trouble since joining the Eagles, something that could not be said about his time in Atlanta, even before the dog-fighting scandal.

It's funny. Phil Sheridan goes on and on and on and on about the Eagles' problems, but only once does Sheridan mention Juan Castillo, and that was just to say that Reid hired him. If you look at the deep pass to Larry Fitzgerald that set up the game-winning touchdown, you will see that Larry Fitzgerald was left to be covered one-on-one by........rookie safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, playing in only his 4th NFL game. Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel were both healthy and on the field for this play, and Jarrett's alone with Fitzgerald. Now all the credit in the world to Larry Fitzgerald who made a great catch there, but how do you have a rookie safety covering Larry Fitzgerald? One-on-one. Alone. On the outside. Up by 3 with 2:55 to go. Inexplicable scheme from Juan Castillo. That is what needs to change. Not Andy Reid. Even with his penchant for ignoring running backs no matter how good they may be, Andy Reid has been a consistently successful coach in the NFL. While some may associate Reid with Castillo by association for hiring him, it is very rare that a coordinator gets fired during the middle of a season. Let's see what happens in the off-season. The Eagles have had by-and-large an unlucky season with one game that could legitimately be considered terrible all the way around (Cardinals). Their true talent level is probably somewhere in the middle of the pack in the NFL this year. Last week's DVOA from Football Outsiders certainly seems to suggest that.

Despite what Phil Sheridan says, given history, both recent and not-so-recent, this season is hardly grounds for firing Andy Reid. And no, I do not believe a head coach should be fired because of one bad defensive coordinator hiring, especially if Reid relieves him of his duties in the off-season.

NFL Week 10 Live Blog

2011-11-13T03:26:00.001-05:00

Week 10 already? Wow. Season flies when your team struggles. Or something.

NFL Week 10 Live Blog

NFL Week 10 Schedule

2011-11-10T20:38:00.001-05:00

So I guess I should have gotten this up before Thursday Night Football started, eh? (games I get are in bold; all times ET)

Thursday Night Football

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers 8:20 (NFL Network - Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, SR: Alex Flanagan)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

CBS games

Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts 1:00 (CBS - Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein)

Baltimore Ravens vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Fox early games

New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Darly Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
St. Louis Rams vs. Cleveland Browns 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

America's Game Of The Week and Fox late games

New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears 4:15 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SA: Laura Okmin)

Sunday Night Football

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets 8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

The Flyers' Way To Combat Tampa's 1-3-1: Troll The High Hell Out Of It

2011-11-10T01:32:00.000-05:00

It sucked that the Flyers ultimately lost to the Lightning in overtime today, but this from the Flyers today should forever be remembered as one of the greatest troll jobs in hockey history. Behold, the Flyers attack of a 1-3-1 where the forward remains in the neutral zone!

Awesome. Amazing. Orgasmic. Hilarious. All adequate words to describe an effective trolling job. And yes, the Flyers do use the 1-3-1 at times, but at least when they use this rather less palatable defensive strategy, they at least have their forward employ some semblance of a forecheck. Brilliantly done by the Flyers. Brilliantly done.Such a shame they lost in overtime. This troll job needed to be complete with a Flyers win at the end. Oh well. Sometimes the trolling alone is enough of a win for one game. Epic.

Listen To My Appearance On The Brotherly Game Podcast

2011-11-10T00:33:00.003-05:00

If listening to me talk soccer with The Brotherly Game's founder and current managing editor is not enough to get you excited, listen for the first five minutes, where I break the news of Joe Paterno's firing to Kyle, Scott, and our listeners by reading the tweet of a Philadelphia Flyers beat writer for a southern New Jersey newspaper.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE RECORDED VERSION OF THE BROTHERLY GAME'S 2011 PHILADELPHIA UNION SEASON RECAP!

My Quick Thoughts On The Current State Of Affairs Of The Eagles

2011-11-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Eagles are like the Phillies in that every team that has beaten them has been equitable to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 Playoffs.

Much like in other sports, there is no known or quantifiable “clutch” skill in winning “close” football games, with close in this instance being defined as games where the final point separation is 7 points or less. In general, any given team can be expected to win about half of these games. The Eagles have had 4 games this season where the final point separation has been 7 points or less. They are 1-4 in those games. On the other side of the coin, the Giants are 4-0 in those games.

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles are a good football team that have been unbelievably unlucky. Vegas still loves the Eagles. The Eagles are tied for last in the NFC East despite having the best point differential in that division.

Vegas still loves the Eagles. They were 9-point favorites last night and the line for next week's game against Arizona opened with the Eagles as 14-point favorites.

There is hope for the Eagles. They have an easy schedule ahead, the Giants have a brutal schedule ahead. The Eagles meet the Giants one more time. The bad news is the Cowboys also have an easy schedule. And the Cowboys carry a 2-3 record in games where the point differential is 7-points or less. The good news is the Eagles also face the Cowboys one more time.

Is there enough time for the luck to even itself out and the Eagles to win the NFC East? I think it is doubtful at this point just because of what little time there is left and the leaps the Eagles will have to make both in the standings and in terms of luck, but the Eagles true talent level is not that of a 3-5 team, rather more likely a 4-4 team or a 5-3 team, which given the overall weakness of the NFC East this year, is just frustrating.

One last point before I go back to preparing preparing psychology presentations, creating Revolutionary War lessons, and reading colonial newspapers. Fire Reid? Absolutely, definitely not. Fire Juan Castillo? Let's wait to the end of the year to have this discussion.

Week 9 Monday Night Football Live Blog

2011-11-07T19:56:00.001-05:00

Week 9 Monday Night Football Live Blog

A Brief Word On The Penn State Scandal

2011-11-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

If you want to read the most horrifying thing you could ever hope to read, read the Penn State Grand Jury Report. If you can make it past Victim 1 and Victim 2, you have a stronger stomach than I. Actually, I could not even make it past Victim 1, I just willed myself through it to read the necessary details of Victim 2, which is what the big controversy is about.

Based off what has been alleged, we can safely say three people broke Pennsylvania law: Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley, and Gary Schultz. Everyone else that we know of followed Pennsylvania Law in this matter.

Now whether or not certain people not in violation of any law should have damned the law and done more to protect young kids from a monster who had way too much access is a moral argument I will not get into. I'm not saying said persons should have done more, I am not saying said persons should not have done more, just I am not going to make an argument around it. And honestly, I'm not even sure I know where I stand on it. All I know is people are making the story about said persons, and not about Sandusky, the eight victims, and Curley and Schultz, both of whom knowingly skirted the law and did not do as they should have. And that really should not be the case.

MLS Cup Final Schedule

2011-11-06T23:23:00.000-05:00

It may have been announced in May, but the Los Angeles Galaxy are hosting the 2011 MLS Cup Final this year. Don Garber announced Home Depot Center in Carson, California then, and lo and behold, the Los Angeles Galaxy are in playing in the MLS Cup Final. Their opponents, Houston Dynamo who likely will be without league MVP candidate Brad Davis. Let's see, Supporters' Shield winner playing at home against an Eastern Conference team likely without its best player? This will make lots of MLS fans grumpy. Here is the schedule (if you can call it that) for the game. (home team listed last; all times ET)

MLS Cup Final

November 20: Houston Dynamo vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 9:00 (ESPN - Ian Darke and John Harkes, SR: Rob Stone)

NFL Week 9/MLS Conference Finals Live Blog

2011-11-06T12:29:00.001-05:00

Man, what is it with all the crappy early games as of late? I mean, I guess Jets-Bills is sort of okay, but 49ers-Redskins? That the Redskins are so bad that I am getting Seahawks-Cowboys with Chris Myers? Ugh. Well, on the likely more exciting side of things, MLS Conference Finals are tonight.

Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City 5:30 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Brian Dunseth, SR: Allen Hopkins)

Real Salt Lake vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 9:00 (ESPN - Ian Darke and John Harkes, SR: Rob Stone)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 MLS Cup Conference Finals Schedule

2011-11-05T01:50:00.002-04:00

After a round of aggregate scoring, the Conference Finals will be like the wild card, one game, better side hosts, winner advances, loser goes home. In the event of a tie after 90 minutes, there will be 30 minutes extra time. If still tied after extra time, it will come down to a penalty shootout. (home team listed last; all times ET)

Eastern Conference Final

November 6: Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City 5:30 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Brian Dunseth, SR: Mark Rogondino)

Western Conference Final

November 6: Real Salt Lake vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 9:00 (ESPN - Ian Darke and John Harkes, SR: Rob Stone)

MLS Cup Conference Semifinals Leg 2 Day 2 Live Blog

2011-11-03T17:14:00.000-04:00

Leg 2: Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo 8:30 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and Taylor Twellman)

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

MLS Conference Semifinals Day 2 Game 2 Live Blog

An Incoherent Rambling From A Tired Philadelphia Sports Fan

2011-11-03T02:17:00.001-04:00

(Re-posted here from The Brotherly Game.)

It is 1 AM, I am tired, but I can't sleep. The Philadelphia Union kick off their potentially last game of the season in 19 and a half hours. This is a post that I probably should not be writing, however, I am a college student who has been swamped with work and I am desperate for something, anything to take my mind off that. This probably won't make much sense to you, but I feel like I need to express it. The quality of soccer of actual soccer content in this post will be little to non-existent. After the past few days I've had and the next couple of days I figure to have, I probably could not sufficiently analyze an upcoming soccer match even if I had to.

As a Philadelphia sports fan, the past year has been a particularly painful one. Well, maybe painful may not be the right word. After all, there are several sports cities in the United States that may envy the success Philadelphia has seen this year. Every major Philadelphia sports team has gotten into the playoffs this year. The only post-season experience Cleveland fans had this year was watching LeBron James falter in the NBA Finals.*

*Some Cleveland fans may point to the Lake Erie Monsters and say I am wrong. Most will read "Lake Erie Monsters" and have absolutely no idea who I am referencing. Also, after much research, they were the ONLY professional sports team remotely associated with Cleveland to qualify for anything resembling a post-season in 2011. As a final post-script on a team you likely have never heard of before and quite as likely barely hear of again, the Lake Erie Monsters' post-season came to an end in the first round. All things considered, they were probably showered with a parade anyway.

I sincerely apologize if this comes of wanting the cake and wanting to eat it too.* Maybe asking for this is wanting too much. After all, the Philadelphia Eagles had a miraculous 2010 season, capped off with a game that to this day still has its own Wikipedia page. The Philadelphia Flyers were the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs after an abysmal 2009-2010. The Philadelphia Phillies were a 102-win team and the undisputed best team in baseball.

*I told you this post would be incoherent.

But looking ahead to the end of 2011 and the current MLS Cup Playoffs, the last professional sports post-season of the calendar year, I still feel unfulfilled. The Eagles lost in the wild card round to the Green Bay Packers. The Philadelphia Flyers lost in the 2nd round to the Boston Bruins and then blew the team up. The Philadelphia 76ers lost in the first round. The Philadelphia Phillies lost in the 1st round. Agonizing loss, after agonizing loss, after agonizing loss, after agonizing loss.

A lot of luck is involved in the playoffs. After all, the Phillies lost Game 5 of the NLDS by five feet. But deserved or not, just once this year, I want something to go Philadelphia's way in the playoffs. I want to end a great year on a great note, to be able to say at the very least the 2-year old Philadelphia Union advanced to the Eastern Conference Final. I do not care if it ends up being deserved or not, I just want a win. Whether or not the Union play the best possible game is irrelevant if the Union win. Whether or not Peter Nowak manages the best possible game is irrelevant if the Union win. I have the utmost confidence the Union will do the best they can do. I have the utmost doubts Nowak will do the best he can do. I submit the first half of Leg 1 as evidence of these doubts.

Take a look at the MLS standings. The Philadelphia Union belong here. We are in the playoffs and we deserve that. This team is good enough. But many other Philadelphia teams said the same thing. They did not win. For 2011, the Philadelphia Union represent the Philadelphia's last chance. It may end tomorrow. If so, everyone and myself included will say how great a year the Union had and how they are set up well for the future. They will be right, of course. But that does not mean I don't want this anyway. Feelings of desperation crawl inside me saying "please, Union, please, give me something to celebrate in the playoffs in 2011." Those on the outside will likely see this as spoiled. They may be right, but something inside me just wants it badly. Maybe because the Phillies loss is not even a month old. Maybe it is because I want something to put that memory aside, if only for a brief while. Maybe because I do not want to endure that pain I had to go through less than a month ago.

The Philadelphia Union need a win tonight. A win by 1, and they force extra time. A win by two or more, and they are going to Kansas City.

I'm here, I'm now, I'm ready. Holding on tight, don't give away the end. The one thing that stays mine.

NFL Week 9 Schedule

2011-11-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

Sorry I could not get this up earlier. This week has been hell. It will get worse before it gets better.

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games.

CBS games

New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harland and Solomon Wilcots)

Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders 4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans 4:05 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)

Fox early games

San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys 1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Indianapolis Colts 1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

America's Game Of The Week and Fox late games

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Green Bay Packers vs. San Diego Chargers 4:15 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:15 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington)

Sunday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

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

MLS Conference Semifinals Leg 2 Day 1 Live Blog

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Leg 2: Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting Kansas City 8:00 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Brian Dunseth)

Leg 2: Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders 10:00 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and John Harkes) (TSN2)
&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a50c1e02da" &amp;amp;gt;MLS Conference Semifinals Leg 2 Day 1 Live Blog&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

NFL Week 8/MLS Conference Semifinals Live Blog

2011-10-30T13:23:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-29T20:10:00.002-04:00

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

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a98d53d4e2" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;MLS Western Conference Semifinal Leg 1 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 World Series Game 7 Live Blog

2011-10-28T15:52:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=aa9124c00e" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 World Series Game 7 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 MLS Cup Conference Semifinals Schedule

2011-10-28T03:47:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-27T16:51:00.002-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=71dc743459" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 World Series Game 6 Live Blog/October 27 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

I Think Jan Mucha Would Like To Have This One Back

2011-10-27T11:46:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-26T16:49:00.000-04:00

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)

October 26 MLS Cup Wild Card Live Blog

NFL Week 8 Schedule

2011-10-25T21:14:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-25T01:55:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

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 World Series Game 5 Live Blog

2011 MLS Cup Wild Card Schedule

2011-10-24T15:50:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-23T11:30:00.001-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=ada599a1b2" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Week 7/2011 World Series Game 4 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 World Series Game 3 Live Blog

2011-10-22T19:03:00.000-04:00

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"

2011-10-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-20T17:07:00.002-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=15ca159502" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 World Series Game 2 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Counting Is A Difficult Task For Tim McCarver

2011-10-20T00:26:00.000-04:00

I have nothing to add to this.

(Video from SportsGrid)

2011 World Series Game 1 Live Blog

2011-10-19T15:26:00.001-04:00

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

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a6efed26be" &amp;gt;2011 World Series Game 1 Live Blog&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Week 7 Schedule

2011-10-19T01:49:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-19T01:30:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-17T01:20:00.002-04:00

Essay after the jump.

NFL Week 6/2011 NLCS Game 6 Live Blog

2011-10-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

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

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9755a8b677" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL Week 6/2011 NLCS Game 6 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 ALCS Game 6 Live Blog

2011-10-15T17:32:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=82c85820a5" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 NLCS Game 5 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

NFL Week 6 Schedule

2011-10-13T17:42:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=b6db55d176" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 ALCS Game 5/NLCS Game 4 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 ALCS Game 4/NLCS Game 3 Live Blog

2011-10-12T15:51:00.003-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=2d7b0ef9ae" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 ALCS Game 4/NLCS Game 3 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 ALCS Game 3 Live Blog

2011-10-11T16:31:00.000-04:00

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

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=57216cb714" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 ALCS Game 3 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Journey

2011-10-10T19:15:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-10T15:23:00.003-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0dc5aa3bde" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 LCS Game 2 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Eagles Have A Problem

2011-10-09T23:13:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-08T19:44:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-08T19:36:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=43bd4b6cb8" &amp;gt;2011 NLDS Game 5 Live Blog&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2011 ALDS Game 5 Live Blog

2011-10-06T16:48:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=6d1a7aab16" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 ALDS Game 5 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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

2011-10-06T13:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-05T16:00:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d3b01c6b41" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 NLDS Game 4 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

A Tale Of Two Calls

2011-10-05T01:42:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-05T01:00:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-04T12:33:00.000-04:00

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)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9b6755dfa3" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2011 NLDS Game 3/ALDS Game 4 Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;