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

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.

NFL Week 13 Schedule

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

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

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

NFL Week 12 Schedule

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

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

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

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.