Congrats guys on setting a Fire Andy Reid Now! comments record. Not that it's really saying much considering this blog's only been around for a few months, but nonetheless, congrats.
Second half kickoff in a few, and if the Eagles can't come back, let's hope this half is at least entertaining. Second half after the break.
Rackers kick is taken by Buckhalter who takes it to the 39. McNabb's pass is tipped at the line and incomplete. McNabb under pressure, somehow gets away and finds Klecko who gets out of the back field, down the sidelines, and he has a first down! But it will come back on the holding call and it's 2nd and 20 after all that. McNabb finds Avant who makes a nice catch for 14 yards and this is a huge 3rd down! McNabb finds Jackson and he has the first down! Westbrook gets the carry and he gets a couple. McNabb overthrows a wideopen Kevin Curtis! That would have been the play they needed!
Another 3rd down for the Eagles. McNabb is SACKED! FUMBLE! RECOVERED BY THE CARDINALS!
And executives at NBC are jumping off cliffs as we speak. James turns a loss of 2 into a gain of 4. And I'm surprised Andy Reid did not challenge that fumble.
"That's why McNabb thought he would have his backside protected." - Troy Aikman
False start on the Cards will move them back 5. Edge stumbles for a couple. Warner on 3rd down misses a wide open receiver! He missed a chance to put this one on ice permanently. Graham's punt is fair caught by Jackson at the 10.
Eagles would still have a chance if they would pull their heads out of their a$$es. The Cards will definitely let their foot off the throttle, that's just who they are. I've been subjected to a lot of their games this year. (Andy)
Best analysis of the day. Westrbook gets 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb misses DeSean Jackson and it's 3rd down. Celek catches it on the underneath route and that's a gain of 7 and an Eagles first down. McNabb's pass is tipped and incomplete. Westbrook gets 8 on the carry.
"Good job of at least getting it into a pretty manageable 3rd down." - Troy Aikman
3rd down and 2 is more than just pretty manageable. Play action fake (Fire Andy Reid Now!) but McNabb's pass is caught by Celek for the first. Not quite sure what Reid/Mornhinweg was thinking but it worked, I guess. McNabb is SACKED FOR A LOSS OF 9! Baskett drops an easy repection and it's 3rd and 19 now for Philly.
McNabb just launches one over the middle on 3rd and long and IT'S SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY CURTIS! INSIDE THE 20! Jackson gets 4 on the catch. And wow, that catch by Curtis may have just saved the season for the time being. McNabb takes it off himself on the QB draw and he's at the 5! Eagles need more of that McNabb. As much as he wants to be a pocket passer, he is at his best when he is a threat to run the ball. Westbrook gets stuffed at the line.
2nd and goal, McNabb looks to the endzone and throws to CELEK WHO COMES DOWN WITH THE CATCH! TOUCHDOWN EAGLES! The extra point is good and it's 24-13 Arizona.
A running into the kicker penalty will in all likelhood the Cardinals will start this drive at their own 20 after a touchback (assuming the Eagles don't go with the surprise onside kick, that is).
It's amazing how many times you make a big play like that, it turns into something really positive." - Troy Aikman. (Via Secor314)
McNabb uses his legs on the run!" I prefer when he uses his elbows. (Via Rev)
Oh yeah, I forgot about the kickoff out of bounds. That's been one of the themes of the day thus far. Cards ball at the 40.
Wait, the 35? Did I miss something? Or is that a result of the penalty?
Akers funked that kick out of bounds. (Via Mal)
Joe Buck has a new word attached to his name. Warner misses his first two passes. 3rd down and KURT WARNER IS SACKED! LOSS OF 4 AND THAT'S A 3-AND-OUT!
Jackson takes the ball to the 38. Is it just me or does the Fox score graphic at the bottom of the screen that is shown before commercial look really awkward with the set up of the colors? That blue, green, red, and gray and gold do not look good together.
McNabb finds Curtis on the underneath route for a gain of 15. And this one is starting to have a different feel to it (*knocks on wood*). McNabb overthrows Curtis on the deep route. Westbrook gets the carry and picks up 4. Eagles need to convert here. McNabb finds DeSean Jackson for the first down! 10 yard completion and the Eagles are in field goal range, which is all they may need at this point. Westbrook gets 3. That little spot of sun at around the 40 yard line looks really weird, if for no other reason because the roof is closed.
Andy Reid blows his first timeout of the half. The only thing worse than Reid blowing that time out (Fire Andy Reid Now!) is that we get an extended shot of Joe "The Funk" Buck and Troy Aikman. McNabb throws it to Celek and HE MAKES THE CATCH AND RUNS INTO THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN PHILADELPHIA! The extra point is NO GOOD! A bad hold from Rocca who was unable to get the laces turned around and it's 24-19 Arizona.
I guess it's just like the Eagles went for 2 and missed, as that's probably what I would have done.
As an aside, you should have seen me jump 5 feet out of my seat as Celek made the catch and score the touchdown.
Kickoff is kneeled down in the endzone by Arrington for a touchback. James picks up 3 on the carry. Warner's pass is TIPPED RIGHT BACK INTO HIS OWN HANDS! WARNER MAKES THE CATCH AND PICKS UP 3 ON THE ENSUING RUN! Scramble for the ball ensues, but the refs rule he was down.
That's the end of the 3rd quarter and I think we all need to catch our breaths, 24-19 Cards in what's shaping up to be a thriller.
"A good play was made in the hole."--Joe Buck
Not the first time he's said that, I'm sure (Via Rev)
James makes the catch out of the backfield and picks up 16 for the first down! James gets 5 on the carry. Hightower is tripped up in the backfield by Dawkins and it's another critical 3rd down. The pass for Fitzgerald is incomplete! Fair catch by Jackson on the punt at the 14.
Buckhalter makes the catch and picks up 12! McNabb's pass to Avant picks up 9. It's getting harder and harder for me to just sit still and watch this. I feel like jumping. Handoff to Westbrook and he has a first down. McNabb's looking deep......DESEAN JACKSON MAKES THE CATCH OF A LIFETIME!!!!!!!! TOUCHDOWN EAGLES!!!!! Eagles are going for 2. No good, but there's a penalty down. Holding on the Eagles. 25-24 Eagles lead the Cards.
I am officially pumped for my laryngitis diagnosis later in the week.
Did Larry Fitzgerald get traded at halftime? Did David Copperfield show up and make the wrong the man disappear? (Via Secor314)
Kickoff is taken to the 28 by Breaston. James loses a yard on the carry. Warner finds Fitzgerald for a first down at the 41. Pople makes the completion at midfield. James gets stuffed at the line and it's 3rd and short. Hightower with the carry and oh my this is going to be close.
"The line is unofficial." - Joe Buck
Drink! HIGHTOWER'S SHORT! 4th and inches! Biasness aside, if I were a coach, I'd go for it. And the Cards are! HIGHTOWER BOUNCES IT TO THE OUTSIDE, ESCAPES A TACKLE, AND HAS A FIRST DOWN!
Does this stadium have some wild post-season games or what? Edge picks up a couple. Fitzgerald makes the catch and he has a first down at the 23! Edge gets a couple. Fitzgerald makes the catch and he gets 7 yards and is just short of the marker! 3rd and short coming up. Hightower with a first down inside the 10! Edge is stood up at the line for no gain. Hightower goes nowhere and the Eagles will call a timeout. 3rd and goal coming up.
Buck: "The new series that has lying down to a science."Like Joe Buck being #31 on the top sportscasters list? (Via RJBO)
Asante Samuel showing the world his anatomical impression of the Liberty Bell on that last tackle of Fitzgerald. (Via Secor314)
You guys crack me up. 3rd and goal coming up for the Cards. Warner from the gun, pumps, screen to Hightower, HIGHTOWER BREAKS FREE AND SCORES! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! Cards are going to try for 2 and make it a 7-point game. WARNER CONVERTS TO PATRICK! 32-25 Cardinals!
What a game.
Buck: "The Little Engine That Could, the Arizona Cardinals, keeps on chuggin." (Via RJBO)
Buck must love children's books. Demps takes a knee in the endzone for the touchback. And here we go. Chance for the Eagles to make something happen again. McNabb's pass is off the hands of Westbrook and incomplete. 2:46 to go. 2nd and 10. McNabb finds Jackson along the sidelines for a gain of 9. 3rd and 1, we've seen this before. McNabb finds Celek for the first down! Westbrook makes the catch and has a ton of room to run and he picks up 19! 2:09 to go. Ball at the AZ 47. McNabb's pass is incomplete for Baskett.
It's worth noting that the Eagles have not had a big 4th quarter comeback win this year. Just saying. McNabb's pass is too high for DeSean Jackson! 3rd and 10. 2:01 to go. McNabb's pass is incomplete for Baskett! 2-minute warning. 4th and 10 coming up after the break.
Are we headed for OT? Will McNabb drive for a TD in the last 3 minutes? If he does someone has to explain the playoff OT rules to Donovan, I'd love to hear that conversation. "Wait a minute, but you guys told me before that there was only one OT!" (Andy)
That would truly the season coming full circle. MCNABB UNDER PRESSUER, THROWS, HAS CURTIS BUT HE DROPPED IT! INCOMPLETE! CURTIS WANTS A FLAG BUT HE WON'T GET IT AND THE CARDS ARE A FIRST DOWN AWAY FROM A TRIP TO TAMPA!
Hightower gets 7. Eagles call a timeout. That's their last. Hightower is just short of the marker.
"Hightower...keeps chugging." - Joe Buck
Short of the marker. 3rd and NFC Title Game (sorry for that channeling of Matt Vagersian). Cards will let the clock wind down and then call a timeout. 59 seconds to go. Hightower slips and he's short of the marker! And the Eagles will have a shot at a Boise State miracle.
The punt goes out of bounds at the 7. 9 seconds to go. And for once, I won't fault Andy Reid for trying something funky here. Anything has a chance in this stadium.
The Eagles go with the laterals! Jackson downs the sideline! LATERALS IT INTO THE HANDS OF DARNELL DOCKETT AND THAT'S IT! THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! 32-25 is the final score in yet another memorable NFC title game and another crazy football postseason game in University of Phoenix Stadium.
My sincerest congrats to the Arizona Cardinals who have certainly worked for it. They weren't picked coming in, but time and time again they proved themselves in this post-season and Warner came through when they needed it the most.
32-25 Cardinals over the Eagles. The AFC title game is being live-blogged by SSR. I'll be there and I hope everyone else joins him. Thanks for all the hilarious comments today/tonight.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
NFC Championship Game Eagles @ Cardinals Live Blog 1st Half
All right, it's almost time for kickoff in Glendale. Here are the picks from the people at Fox.
Frank: Cardinals
Jimmy: Eagles
Michael: Eagles
Howie: Eagles
Terry: Cardinals
And all 5 of them went with Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. And yes, Curt just confirmed that TB is flying out to Glendale. And we also get the official unveiling of Lebron's "big announcement". Yay, State Farm commercial! (Not that we didn't know that already).
Joe and Troy are coming up after the break.
"One of these teams is 4 quarters away from the Super Bowl and a trip to Tampa, Florida." - Joe Buck stating the obvious.
Not a bad rendition from Jordin Sparks. A bit over the top toward the end, but alas, we've seen worse.
When Joe Buck calls games in Arizona, the road team wins.The Giants were officially the road team in the Super Bowl.The Vikings beat Arizona.I conclude that the Eagles will win. (Via SSR)
Don't forget Philly's record with Buck the past few months. He's done the last 5 Eagles games where the Eagles have a 4-1 record and he called the Phils winning the World Series.
Akers kick is downed in the endzone by Arrington and we are underway! Edge picks up a couple on first down. Warner completes to Boldin for 7. Warner on third down finds Fitzgerald over the middle for a first down and a big gain past the 45! Boldin catches a quick pass from Warner and picks up 9. Edge pushes the pile forward for a first down.
Inside Eagle territory at the 40, Warner hands off to James who bounces it to the outside and picks up 16! James again with another carry and another first down inside the 20! Hightower picks up 4.
"How can a football blow off a tee in a dome? Maybe the noise knocked it off." - Joe Buck before the kickoff. (Via James Craven and Mal)
Kurt Warner finds Fitzgerald over the middle! Fitzgerald breaks a tackle! BREAKS ANOTHER TACKLE AND HE'S IN! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! The extra point is good and the Cardinals lead 7-0.
Can I get a "FIRE ANDY REID NOW!" please? (Via James Craven)
FIRE ANDY REID NOW! The kickoff goes out of bounds and the Eagles will have the ball at their own 40. How do you have a kickoff out of bounds in a dome? McNabb on first down is under pressure but he'll take off down the field for a big gain of over 20! That's the McNabb the Eagles need! Penalty was for an offsides on the Cards. Westbrook gets 4 on the carry. And yes, SSR, I think that tight end may be a traitor....
McNabb finds Celek on the completion but Celek gets walloped at the line and Joe Buck is being kind by giving him a yard on that completion. McNabb on 3rd down with all day and he finds Westbrook for 6 and a first down! Good grief! Is this an NFC title game or practice?
Toss to Westbrook gets a couple. LJ Smith catches it in the backfield and breaks a tackle and makes a nice play to turn what looked like a sure loss into a gain of 5. 3rd down and 4 becomes 3rd and 9 on the false start.
"Cardinals are coming." - Joe Buck.
Eww. McNabb has his pass batted down and that will bring up 4th come and on will come Akers to try a 45-yard and make it 18-straight post season field goals. Akers kick is up...AND GOOD! He killed that thing. 7-3 Cardinals still lead.
Joe B on Akers kick: "absolutely funked". (Via Mal
Mal, that came from Mr. Slamma Lamma Ding Dong himself (JamesCraven)
I was wondering what that second word was. Especially when I first heard it, I thought he said it was "absolutely fuc...." The kickoff is taken by Arrington to the 24.
"Eagles and Cardinals banging into each other today." - Joe Buck who clearly has his mind in the gutter today.
Handoff to James goes for a yard. Warner's pass on 2nd down is incomplete. 3rd down, and Warner finds Fitzgerald for 8. The punt by Graham goes 34 yards before going out of bounds.
McNabb can't connect with a wide-open DeSean Jackson on first down. Westbrook is stopped at the line as it seemed like Joe Buck had problems identifying the line of scrimmage. McNabb on 3rd down throws it up and it's TIPPED AND INTERCEPTED BY FRANCISCO! FRANCISCO DOWN THE SIDELINES AND HE LOSES THE BALL! EAGLES RECOVER AND HAVE A NEW SET OF DOWNS! INCREDIBLE!
McNabb on 1st down GOES DEEP FOR LEWIS WHO DROPS IT! Ex-Eagle Roderick Hood makes the play. Thanks for nothing Rod! McNabb puts the buscuit in the Baskett on 2nd down for the 1st and Kendra's happy. Westbrook busts one up the middle for a gain of 14 and into Cardinal territory! Buckhalter takes it and reverses field for a nice gain of 9. Buckhalter takes the carry and has the 1st down at the 35.
Well, that was a fun little quarter of football, wasn't it? 7-3 Arizona after 1.
"And he just tried squeeeezin' one in there." (Via David) Was that Aikman?
Troy, after the INT/Fumble: "good things happen around the football". Not really sure what that means and I don't think he does either (Via Mal)
Westbrook gets nothing. As Joe tells us the Eagles have done an incredible feat of running 4 straight running plays. McNabb's pass is incomplete. 3rd and 10 from the 35, McNabb has alld day dumps it off to Celek, tries to leap over the defender!...and gets taken down for a gain of 5.
Here comes Akers from 47-yards...NO GOOD! Akers streak is over and it's still 7-3 Arizona.
Warner on first down fires one deep down the field that is CAUGHT BY FITZGERALD WHO WALKS IN FOR THE EASY TOUCHDOWN! The penalty is roughing the passer and the PAT is good and it's 14-3 Arizona.
I'm not sure who...but somebody got absolutely funked on that play. (Via Mal)
There was definitley some funking going on on that play. And kudos to SSR for calling that play. We'd love to have you as our head coach in waiting in Philly.
Buckhalter gets 3 on the carry.
"Sold out this game in 6-minutes." - Joe Buck
That's a far cry from struggling to sell the place out for the wild card game against Atlanta. False start sends the Eagles back 5, but McNabb finds Curtis for 11. 3rd down and McNabb is SACKED! But holding on Arizona gives the Eagles a first down. McNabb finds Curtis over the middle! Curtis bounces it to the outside and he gets 47, all the way to the Cardinal 19!
Buckhalter picks up 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb's pass for Lewis loses a couple and I have a feeling he won't be back next year. McNabb's 3rd down pass is incomplete and once again we'll see Akers.
Akers kick is up.....IT'S GOOD! No problem on that one and it's 14-6 Arizona.
Eagles may be losing, but I must say, this has been an entertaining game up to this point.
"You can bang them"-Aikman talking about what you can and can't do with the players involved in that defensive holding play. (Via Yet Another Idiot With A Music Blog)
Nice to see the NFL does not discriminate based on sexuality. Arrington takes the kick to the 27. James gets a big gain to the 47! Gain of 5 by Hightower.
"And here's Digger!" - Joe Buck
Arrington catches the pass and gets 17! From the 29, Hightower gets 3 on the carry. Pope makes the catch and he gets 15! Damn, Warner is lighting it up today. From the 14, James gets nothing.
And now a random fact that I just thought of. The Eagles have played 2-road NFC title games. Kurt Warner was the opposing QB in both of those games. Breston makes the completion for the first down by half of a football. 1st and goal from the 4, Arrington gets a yard. If there was ever time for a goal line stand, this is it. 2nd and goal, Warner's pass is incomplete but there's a flag down and that's pass interference and 1st and goal from the 1.
Warner on 1st and goal fires the FADE FOR FITZGERALD AND IT'S CAUGHT IN THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS! The PAT is up and good and it's 21-6 Cardinals.
What on earth did Buck say after the touchdown? It sounded like "Double-Double!"
Snap it McNabb, snap it! That ball was not out of bounds! FUCK! THEY'RE CHALLENGING! (End moment of homerism)
Oh. My. God. Kickoff out of bounds is a dead ball and that's Eagle ball at the 40. What a break for Philadelphia, and as an Eagle fan, I'll admit, that's not what happened.
Oh, they rule it touched Abiamiri. Anyway, that probably should be Cardinal ball ao I'm sure the Eagles will take it regardless. Celek picks up 8 on the completion. McNabb again to Celek and that's a first down. McNabb drops back and throws it to no one and gets called for intentional grounding.
Buck: "Play over, even if the call may not be correct." Ed Hochuli agrees. (Via RJBO)
Great way to officiate. Celek gets 8 on the completion and it's 3rd and 14. McNabb tries to launch one down the field for Avant who can't come up with it. Frankly, I'm just glad that it was not picked off. There were red jersies everywhere. Good punt from Rocca and the Cardinals are pinned inside their own 20. Boldin gets 5 on the completion and there's a penalty on Demps for unnecessary roughness.
Fringe. Sounds like a bad story about the New York Giants offense. (JamesCraven)
Hilarious! Warner fires and it's TIPPED BY MIKELL AND SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY BOLDIN! That ball did hit the ground though. The booth is reviewing it and this one should come back.
The call is reversed and there's not much of a reaction from the Cardinal crowd, which tells you exactly how obvious that one was on replay. Kudos to Boldin though for actually nearly catching it. It's 2nd and 10 form the 36. Arrington loses 6 on the carry and the Eagles call time out.
"Warner and Arrington banged into each other." - Joe Buck
Thank goodness he said "into". 3rd and 15, Warner finds Urban for 18 yards and a first down! Wow. Fitzgerald all alone makes the catch for 14. Warner throws it out of bounds.
"There's some history between these 2. If you go back to 1947...." - Joe Buck
Yeah, I don't think anyone playing this game was alive then. Warner is SACKED! 3rd and 17 and we've seen this before. Warner dumps it to Boldin who gets it to the 40. And on will come Rackers to attempt a field goal and maybe a dagger if this becomes a 3-score game.
From 49-yards out, Rackers kick is up.......IT'S GOOD! That may be a dagger. 24-6 Cardinals at the half.
I'll see you guys in the 2nd half thread.
Frank: Cardinals
Jimmy: Eagles
Michael: Eagles
Howie: Eagles
Terry: Cardinals
And all 5 of them went with Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. And yes, Curt just confirmed that TB is flying out to Glendale. And we also get the official unveiling of Lebron's "big announcement". Yay, State Farm commercial! (Not that we didn't know that already).
Joe and Troy are coming up after the break.
"One of these teams is 4 quarters away from the Super Bowl and a trip to Tampa, Florida." - Joe Buck stating the obvious.
Not a bad rendition from Jordin Sparks. A bit over the top toward the end, but alas, we've seen worse.
When Joe Buck calls games in Arizona, the road team wins.The Giants were officially the road team in the Super Bowl.The Vikings beat Arizona.I conclude that the Eagles will win. (Via SSR)
Don't forget Philly's record with Buck the past few months. He's done the last 5 Eagles games where the Eagles have a 4-1 record and he called the Phils winning the World Series.
Akers kick is downed in the endzone by Arrington and we are underway! Edge picks up a couple on first down. Warner completes to Boldin for 7. Warner on third down finds Fitzgerald over the middle for a first down and a big gain past the 45! Boldin catches a quick pass from Warner and picks up 9. Edge pushes the pile forward for a first down.
Inside Eagle territory at the 40, Warner hands off to James who bounces it to the outside and picks up 16! James again with another carry and another first down inside the 20! Hightower picks up 4.
"How can a football blow off a tee in a dome? Maybe the noise knocked it off." - Joe Buck before the kickoff. (Via James Craven and Mal)
Kurt Warner finds Fitzgerald over the middle! Fitzgerald breaks a tackle! BREAKS ANOTHER TACKLE AND HE'S IN! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! The extra point is good and the Cardinals lead 7-0.
Can I get a "FIRE ANDY REID NOW!" please? (Via James Craven)
FIRE ANDY REID NOW! The kickoff goes out of bounds and the Eagles will have the ball at their own 40. How do you have a kickoff out of bounds in a dome? McNabb on first down is under pressure but he'll take off down the field for a big gain of over 20! That's the McNabb the Eagles need! Penalty was for an offsides on the Cards. Westbrook gets 4 on the carry. And yes, SSR, I think that tight end may be a traitor....
McNabb finds Celek on the completion but Celek gets walloped at the line and Joe Buck is being kind by giving him a yard on that completion. McNabb on 3rd down with all day and he finds Westbrook for 6 and a first down! Good grief! Is this an NFC title game or practice?
Toss to Westbrook gets a couple. LJ Smith catches it in the backfield and breaks a tackle and makes a nice play to turn what looked like a sure loss into a gain of 5. 3rd down and 4 becomes 3rd and 9 on the false start.
"Cardinals are coming." - Joe Buck.
Eww. McNabb has his pass batted down and that will bring up 4th come and on will come Akers to try a 45-yard and make it 18-straight post season field goals. Akers kick is up...AND GOOD! He killed that thing. 7-3 Cardinals still lead.
Joe B on Akers kick: "absolutely funked". (Via Mal
Mal, that came from Mr. Slamma Lamma Ding Dong himself (JamesCraven)
I was wondering what that second word was. Especially when I first heard it, I thought he said it was "absolutely fuc...." The kickoff is taken by Arrington to the 24.
"Eagles and Cardinals banging into each other today." - Joe Buck who clearly has his mind in the gutter today.
Handoff to James goes for a yard. Warner's pass on 2nd down is incomplete. 3rd down, and Warner finds Fitzgerald for 8. The punt by Graham goes 34 yards before going out of bounds.
McNabb can't connect with a wide-open DeSean Jackson on first down. Westbrook is stopped at the line as it seemed like Joe Buck had problems identifying the line of scrimmage. McNabb on 3rd down throws it up and it's TIPPED AND INTERCEPTED BY FRANCISCO! FRANCISCO DOWN THE SIDELINES AND HE LOSES THE BALL! EAGLES RECOVER AND HAVE A NEW SET OF DOWNS! INCREDIBLE!
McNabb on 1st down GOES DEEP FOR LEWIS WHO DROPS IT! Ex-Eagle Roderick Hood makes the play. Thanks for nothing Rod! McNabb puts the buscuit in the Baskett on 2nd down for the 1st and Kendra's happy. Westbrook busts one up the middle for a gain of 14 and into Cardinal territory! Buckhalter takes it and reverses field for a nice gain of 9. Buckhalter takes the carry and has the 1st down at the 35.
Well, that was a fun little quarter of football, wasn't it? 7-3 Arizona after 1.
"And he just tried squeeeezin' one in there." (Via David) Was that Aikman?
Troy, after the INT/Fumble: "good things happen around the football". Not really sure what that means and I don't think he does either (Via Mal)
Westbrook gets nothing. As Joe tells us the Eagles have done an incredible feat of running 4 straight running plays. McNabb's pass is incomplete. 3rd and 10 from the 35, McNabb has alld day dumps it off to Celek, tries to leap over the defender!...and gets taken down for a gain of 5.
Here comes Akers from 47-yards...NO GOOD! Akers streak is over and it's still 7-3 Arizona.
Warner on first down fires one deep down the field that is CAUGHT BY FITZGERALD WHO WALKS IN FOR THE EASY TOUCHDOWN! The penalty is roughing the passer and the PAT is good and it's 14-3 Arizona.
I'm not sure who...but somebody got absolutely funked on that play. (Via Mal)
There was definitley some funking going on on that play. And kudos to SSR for calling that play. We'd love to have you as our head coach in waiting in Philly.
Buckhalter gets 3 on the carry.
"Sold out this game in 6-minutes." - Joe Buck
That's a far cry from struggling to sell the place out for the wild card game against Atlanta. False start sends the Eagles back 5, but McNabb finds Curtis for 11. 3rd down and McNabb is SACKED! But holding on Arizona gives the Eagles a first down. McNabb finds Curtis over the middle! Curtis bounces it to the outside and he gets 47, all the way to the Cardinal 19!
Buckhalter picks up 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb's pass for Lewis loses a couple and I have a feeling he won't be back next year. McNabb's 3rd down pass is incomplete and once again we'll see Akers.
Akers kick is up.....IT'S GOOD! No problem on that one and it's 14-6 Arizona.
Eagles may be losing, but I must say, this has been an entertaining game up to this point.
"You can bang them"-Aikman talking about what you can and can't do with the players involved in that defensive holding play. (Via Yet Another Idiot With A Music Blog)
Nice to see the NFL does not discriminate based on sexuality. Arrington takes the kick to the 27. James gets a big gain to the 47! Gain of 5 by Hightower.
"And here's Digger!" - Joe Buck
Arrington catches the pass and gets 17! From the 29, Hightower gets 3 on the carry. Pope makes the catch and he gets 15! Damn, Warner is lighting it up today. From the 14, James gets nothing.
And now a random fact that I just thought of. The Eagles have played 2-road NFC title games. Kurt Warner was the opposing QB in both of those games. Breston makes the completion for the first down by half of a football. 1st and goal from the 4, Arrington gets a yard. If there was ever time for a goal line stand, this is it. 2nd and goal, Warner's pass is incomplete but there's a flag down and that's pass interference and 1st and goal from the 1.
Warner on 1st and goal fires the FADE FOR FITZGERALD AND IT'S CAUGHT IN THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS! The PAT is up and good and it's 21-6 Cardinals.
What on earth did Buck say after the touchdown? It sounded like "Double-Double!"
Snap it McNabb, snap it! That ball was not out of bounds! FUCK! THEY'RE CHALLENGING! (End moment of homerism)
Oh. My. God. Kickoff out of bounds is a dead ball and that's Eagle ball at the 40. What a break for Philadelphia, and as an Eagle fan, I'll admit, that's not what happened.
Oh, they rule it touched Abiamiri. Anyway, that probably should be Cardinal ball ao I'm sure the Eagles will take it regardless. Celek picks up 8 on the completion. McNabb again to Celek and that's a first down. McNabb drops back and throws it to no one and gets called for intentional grounding.
Buck: "Play over, even if the call may not be correct." Ed Hochuli agrees. (Via RJBO)
Great way to officiate. Celek gets 8 on the completion and it's 3rd and 14. McNabb tries to launch one down the field for Avant who can't come up with it. Frankly, I'm just glad that it was not picked off. There were red jersies everywhere. Good punt from Rocca and the Cardinals are pinned inside their own 20. Boldin gets 5 on the completion and there's a penalty on Demps for unnecessary roughness.
Fringe. Sounds like a bad story about the New York Giants offense. (JamesCraven)
Hilarious! Warner fires and it's TIPPED BY MIKELL AND SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY BOLDIN! That ball did hit the ground though. The booth is reviewing it and this one should come back.
The call is reversed and there's not much of a reaction from the Cardinal crowd, which tells you exactly how obvious that one was on replay. Kudos to Boldin though for actually nearly catching it. It's 2nd and 10 form the 36. Arrington loses 6 on the carry and the Eagles call time out.
"Warner and Arrington banged into each other." - Joe Buck
Thank goodness he said "into". 3rd and 15, Warner finds Urban for 18 yards and a first down! Wow. Fitzgerald all alone makes the catch for 14. Warner throws it out of bounds.
"There's some history between these 2. If you go back to 1947...." - Joe Buck
Yeah, I don't think anyone playing this game was alive then. Warner is SACKED! 3rd and 17 and we've seen this before. Warner dumps it to Boldin who gets it to the 40. And on will come Rackers to attempt a field goal and maybe a dagger if this becomes a 3-score game.
From 49-yards out, Rackers kick is up.......IT'S GOOD! That may be a dagger. 24-6 Cardinals at the half.
I'll see you guys in the 2nd half thread.
NFC Championship Game Live Blog Pregame
It looks more likely than not that SSR and I are splitting the live blogs with me in the afternoon cap and SSR in the night cap. That being said, use this as your pregame open thread. Post your thoughts and predictions on the game here and we'll get the live blog kicked off when Joe and Troy come on the air.
JFein's pick: Eagles 31, Cardinals 27
P.S. Yes, this is (mainly) an Eagles blog but I will be running things in an unbiased as possible manner.
JFein's pick: Eagles 31, Cardinals 27
P.S. Yes, this is (mainly) an Eagles blog but I will be running things in an unbiased as possible manner.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Site Announcement Regarding Tomorrow's Live Blogs
I'm not sure what's going on tomorrow in terms of AA tomorrow, seeing as S2N is not going to be there, but if AA does not show up SSR and myself have set up a back-up plan. If AA does not show up, I will be live blogging the Eagles-Cardinals game here and SSR will be doing the Ravens-Steelers game at his site.
I'm going to try to get in contact with AA so that we have some certainty for tomorrow.
Update: I just sent AA an email asking about the live blog. I had tried to email him earlier but I had a typo in the address and my computer did not kick it back to me until 6-hours later (If I could, I'd kill Comcast). I'll post a second update once I know for sure what's going on, whether SSR and I are splitting the live blogs, or if AA is doing them, or if something else is going on.
I'm going to try to get in contact with AA so that we have some certainty for tomorrow.
Update: I just sent AA an email asking about the live blog. I had tried to email him earlier but I had a typo in the address and my computer did not kick it back to me until 6-hours later (If I could, I'd kill Comcast). I'll post a second update once I know for sure what's going on, whether SSR and I are splitting the live blogs, or if AA is doing them, or if something else is going on.
AFC Championship Game Preview
What: A re-match of Walt Coleman's latest gaffe
Who: The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
When: 6:30 EST
What Channel: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Announcers' Talking Point of the Game: After losing two heart breakers to the Steelers, can the Ravens finally beat the Steelers?
Weather Forecast: 60% chance of snow showers, 25 degrees
Regular Season Meetings: Week 4: Steelers 23, Ravens 20; Week 15: Steelers 13, Ravens 9
Analysis: I don't know much about Ed Reed's religion, but one thing is for sure. God worships Ed Reed. Reed is a complete beast and he is everywhere and anywhere on the football field every and any play. There's a reason the Raven defense is once again one of the best in the league and a whle heck of a lot of it has to do with the play of Reed and Ray Lewis.
Wait a minute, great defense? Well how about the Steelers? They're the #1 defense in the NFL! This game is a battle of the top 2 defenses in the NFL (the Eagles are #3) and it should be one heck of a dandy, especially if the regular season games are signs of things to come.
Well, we know that both defense are going to do their thing, so let's look at the offensive side of the ball. The Steelers are led by veteran quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, who while not having the best year of his career, has come through in the most clutch moments for the Steelers this season, with one of the most notable being Week 15 at Baltimore. The Steelers running back, Willie Parker, is the engine that makes this offense go. If the Steelers can't establish the running game, they can find themselves in trouble. However, if they can, they will definitley be in the game and most likely leading.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Raven offense is led by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Although nowhere near dazzling, Flacco has in no way hurt his team, something which the Ravens struggled with under Kyle Boller and Steve McNair. The rookie has done a real solid job and while his short and intermediate passes may need some work, the man knows how to throw a beautiful deep ball. The Ravens also have a running game that is the key to the offense, led by Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. And much like the Steelers, this Ravens offense will go as the running game goes.
With two evenly matched teams, I see 2 x-factors in this game. The weather (remember, there is a chance of snow) and special teams. The team that makes the most big plays on special teams likely will come away victorious in this one.
Prediction: I subscribe to a theory that it is very difficult for a team in the NFL to go up to a team that it is evenly matched up with and beat them 3-times in a season. And that is exactly what the Steelers are up against, having beat the Ravens twice in the regular season in the final minute. However, Heinz Field in the snow is a tough place for any road team to win, regardless of time of year and stakes of the game. You know the Pittsburgh faithful are going to show up in full force and they will be determined to force Flacco and co. into false starts and making mistakes (as if the Pittsburgh defense is not enough). But in the end, I see the Ravens finally getting the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game that means the most. Ravens 13, Steelers 10.
Friday, January 16, 2009
NFC Championship Game Preview
What: A conference championship game that no one saw coming.
Who: The Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
When: 3:00 EST
What Channel: Fox
Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman with Pam Oliver and the ubiquitous Chirs Myers working on the sidelines
Announcers' Talking Point of the Game: How will the Eagles secondary fare against these dynamic Cardinal receivers?
Weather Forecast: Sunny, 77 degrees
Regular Season Meeting: Eagles 48, Cardinals 20
Analysis: Well then! No one saw this coming a month ago. But alas, it's the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game and the executives at Fox are jumping off cliffs as we speak. And while it is certainly a most unappealing matchup (no offense to Cardinals fans, but very few people outside of the Phoenix/Glendale/Arizona market care about this team), this actually has the potential to be a very good game.
The Philadephia Eagles are about as red hot as anyone, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Ever since the loss to the New York Giants in Week 11, this defense has played lights out. And yes, I know the Baltimore game was a blowout, but not many of those points were the sole fault of the defense. However this game will pose a different test to the Eagles' defense. The past two games it has been about the Eagles' run defense. This game will focus more on the Eagles' secondary and can they stop when of the best receivers in the NFL, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals run game has come alive in the past few weeks thanks in large part to the re-emergence of Edgerrin James, however, the Eagles faced a lot worse the past few weeks with the Purple Jesus of Minnesota and Earth, Wind, and Fire in New York. It is worth noting that none of those teams were really threatening through the air. But what about Eli Manning, JFein? Well, it was quickly established in that game last week that Eli would not be able to throw in the wind at his own stadium. And minus a big play-making receiver on the New York side, there was just no way that Eli would beat the Eagles and Jim Johnson noticed that and spent all of his defensive resources, if you will, to stop the run.
Enough with the digression, though. Point being is that Arizona is a different animal. And it will definitley be to their advantage that this game is in the desert. Could you imagine if they played in Philly today? For those that don't know, it is currently the coldest here that it has been in years with temperatures in the single digits now, and a high that won't come close to 20. Oy, another digression. Anyway, the Kurt Warner is thanking his lucky stars that the game is Sunday in the desert (here it's going to be slightly warmer than it is now, but a chance of snow exists). And so maybe the Eagles. The Eagles play in a cold-weather city, but they are not necessarily a grind it out cold-weather team. Even though Andy Reid has been relying on the run a whole lot more than he ususally does (I'm just as shocked as you are, this maybe the best I've ever seen him with McNabb at QB). So this Eagle offense should not have any problems moving the ball. The temperature is going to be fairly comfortable, roof open or closed, the Cardinal defense is nowhere near the threat of Minnesota's and New York's defense, and oh yeah, the Eagles lit them up for 48 on Thanksgiving day to end their mid-season cold streak.
Prediction: I have picked the Cardinals to be blown out in each of the last two weeks. Look at how that's turned out for me. However, I may be stupid, but I'm doing it again. Except I don't think that this is going to be a blowout. The Eagles defense is awesome, yes, but the Cardinals have momentum and they have a fan base now that has NEVER been this excited about Cardinal football. Regardless of who wins, the winner of this game will cement themselves as one of the most unlikely Super Bowl contenders of all time, and that unlikely contender will be the Philadelphia Eagles, the same team that was left for dead at 1:00 PM on Week 17 of the NFL season, will be going to the Super Bowl, beating the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 31-27.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Fantasy World Series Game 3: 1980 Phillies vs. 2008 Phillies
Well, let's hope this game actually has a little bit of drama in it. Drama makes everything funner. Once again, credit to WhatIfSports. The winner of this game will cement their role as the best Phillies team ever. The 1980 Phillies won Game 1, 4-1. The 2008 Phillies won Game 2, 5-2. Let's get into Game 3.
From Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching Match-up: Bob Walk (ERA 4.57) vs. Jamie Moyer (ERA 3.71)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox starts the game out by grounding to short. Up next is Pete Rose and he will send one a mile high into left center that is easily handled. Mike Schmidt is up next. SCHMIDT SMOKES IT! DEEP TO CENTER.....IS IT ENOUGH?......IT'S GONE! Mike Schmidt hits one that barely clears the wall at center and it's 1-0 1980 Phillies. Ryan Howard catches Bake McBride's liner to end the inning. 1-0 '80 Phils thanks to Mike Schmidt's solo shot.
Bottom of the First Inning
Jimmy Rollins starts things out for the '08 Phillies by grounding out to first. Jayson Werth is up next and he hits a single to left center! Utley and Howard both draw walks and it's bases loaded for Pat Burrell who also walks! That bases-loaded walk ties it at 1! Victorino is up next and he hits one that bounces off the mound into center field! Utley and Howard both score and the '08 Phils lead 3-1 on Victorino's single! Pedro Feliz is up next and he pops out to short. Ruiz hits a fly ball to right center and that will end the inning. 3-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Second Inning
Luzinski pops out to Feliz. Manny Trillo gets out on a grounder to short. Boone is up next and he pops one up that lands in the hole! Single for Boone. Bowa does not do him any favors by lining out to J-Roll and ending the inning. 3-1 '08 Philllies.
Bottom of the Second Inning
On comes Jamie Moyer and he hits a line drive!....that's caught easily by Manny Trillo. J-Roll draws a walk. On comes Jayson Werth but look out! Rollins steals 2nd! WERTH!...DEEP!.....GONE! That 2-run shot puts the 2008 Phillies up 5-1! Utley is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE DEEP! AT THE WALL THE CATCH IS MADE BY McBRIDE! Howard steps up to the plate and he singles to center. Burrell lines out to McBride. Victorino is up next and he ends the inning by striking out. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Third Inning
Walk is first up and he flies out to deep left. Garry Maddox and he too lets one soar that is caught by Burrell. On comes Pete Rose and he pops one up but it falls through for the single. Schmidt lines out to J-Roll to end the inning.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz starts the inning by uncorking a popper to McBride. Ruiz comes in and he draws a walk. Moyer again makes contact but he hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice. J-Roll is next and he takes a walk. Up next is Jayson Werth who last time at the plate hit a homerun. This time he waves at a ball outside of the zone. 5-1 '08 Phillies
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bake McBride starts the inning with a walk. Luzinski comes up to bat and meanwhile McBride is trying to steal second! OUT! Luzinski waves at strike 3 out of the strike zone. Trillo ends the inning by grounding out to Howard. Still 5-1.
Bottom of the Fourth
Utley starts the inning by sending a flyball into the hole! Ryan Howard pops one up to McBride. Pat Burrell comes up and he sends one deep to right that's caught by Maddox. Victorino flies out to Luzinski and that'll end the inning. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Boone starts the inning off with a line drive to center! And the '80 Phillies start with a double. Bowa comes up next and he singles to center! 1st and 3rd with nobody out as Lonnie Smith will pinch-hit for the pitcher, Walk. Smith hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allows Boone to score! 5-2. On comes Garry Maddox. Smith is running! He's got second! Here comes the next pitch, and Smith is going again! He's got third! Maddox flies one down the left-field line! Smith scores easily on Maddox's double and it's 5-3! Rose hits an infield single to short which leaves runners on 1st and 3rd for Schmidt. Schmidt hits into a 3-6 fielder's choice! Maddox SCORES FROM 3RD! And it's 5-4! And it's pitching change time. Durbin is replacing Moyer. McBride with a line drive single! 1st and 2nd for Luzinski who strikes out to end the inning. And this one is interesting, 5-4 '08 Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
On will come Dickie Noles to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Feliz will lead off the inning by grounding out to short. Ruiz grounds out to Trillol Durbin with a swing and a miss ends the inning. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Trillo leads off by grounding out to Howard. Boone pops out to Werth. Larry Bowa grounds out to Howard and it's an easy 1-2-3 inning for Durbin. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Jimmy Rollins leads off the inning by popping out to first base man, Pete Rose. Werth comes up next and he connects with a line drive single to left! Utley strikes out. On comes Ryan Howard and he walks. Men on 1st and 2nd for Burrell. Burrell bloops one to left-center! The outfield is late getting to the ball! Werth scores from second easily! AND HOWARD'S TRYING FOR HOME AS WELL! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! Howard scores and it's 7-4 '08 Phillies on the bloop double by Burrell. Ron Reed is coming on to pitch to Victorino. Flyball to center falls in the hole! Burrell will round 3rd and score! 8-4 '08 Phillies, and it's once again a 4-run game! 2-0ut with Victorino on 2nd and a wild pitch to Feliz sends Victorino to 3rd! Feliz, however strikes out and that'll end the inning. 8-4 '08 Phillies and this one is getting ugly again.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed leads off the inning by grounding to short. Maddox is up next and he uncorks one to left for a single. Rose flies out to left cinter. Schmidt bloops one to right-center that sends Maddox all the way to 3rd! 1st and 3rd with 2 out for McBride. McBride lines one to left! Maddox scores and it's 8-5! J.C. Romero comes in to pitch to Greg Luzinski. Luzinski bloops one to left-center! Schmidt scores easily from 2nd! McBride is going to try to score from 1st! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! '80 PHILLIES ARE WITHIN 1 RUN AGAIN! Trillo flies out to left-center to end the inning. A 2-out rally from the 1980 Philles have them once again within 1. 8-7 in favor of the 2008 Phillies but the old-timers are not going easily into the Philly night.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ruiz starts things off by fling out to left-center. Up next is J.C. Romero. ROMERO LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! MADDOX OVERPLAYED IT! ROMERO HAS A TRIPLE! INCREDIBLE! J-Roll draws the walk. Jayson Werth is next to bat and Werth flies one deep down the left field line. It's caught by McBride but Romero scores easily and it's 9-7 for the 2008 Phillies! Oh my, here we go again. Here comes Chase Utley. And here we go again, indeed! J-Roll steals second! Okay, maybe not again as Utley grounds out. The 2008 Phillies have tacked on another, leading 9-7.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Bob Boone leads off the top of the eighth inning with a flyout to Pat Burrell. Bowa grounds out to first. George Vukovich comes into pinch hit for the pitcher, Reed and he flies out to right center field. 9-7 2008 Phillies.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier comes into pitch for the 1980 Phillies. Howard grounds out to first. Pat Burrell takes ball 4 and walks. Up next is the Flyin' Hawaiian. OUCH! Victorino is hit by a pitch and it's 1st and 2nd with two out for Pedro Feliz. Feliz grounds it to 2nd.....DOUBLE PLAY! 4-6-3 and that ends the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the 2008 Phillies have a 2-run lead and are 3-outs away from being considered the best team in Phillies history.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Here we go. Can the 1980 Phillies come back, or will the 2008 Phillies win the series? You can cut the tension with a knife, folks. The 1980 Phillies have the top of their line-up at the plate and here is Garry Maddox with Brad Lidge now on the mound for the '08 Phillies. Maddox is hit in the leg! The tying run is now at the plate with nobody out! Pete Rose takes the plate and he gets hit by a pitch! 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the 1980 Phillies! Mike Schmidt comes up and he strikes out! Here comes Bake McBride to the plate! GROUNDBALL TO 3RD! McBride is out but the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Two out. On comes Luzinski. GROUNDBALL DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE! MADDOX SCORES! The 1980 Phillies are now within 1! 9-8. Runners at 1st and 3rd. 2 0ut. Tying run 90 feet way. Trillo at the plate. TRILLO SMOKES A LINER TO RIGHT! MADDOX SCORES FROM 3RD AND THIS GAME IS TIED! UNBELIEVEABLE! 9-9 in the top of the ninth! After not blowing a save all year, Lidge has blown one here. On will come Clay Condrey to pitch with Bob Boone at the plate. Boone walks! Bases loaded, top of the ninth, 2 out, 9-9 game, and on comes Larry Bowa. LARRY BOWA SINGLES TO RIGHT! LUZINSKI SCORES! TRILLO SCORES! THE 1980 PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Absolutely incredible. 1st and 2nd with 2 out for Keith Moreland pinch hitting for Kevin Saucier. Moreland sends to through the hole at left-center! BOONE IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE FROM 2ND! HE'S SAFE! 3-RUN LEAD FOR THE 1980 PHILLIES! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What a turnaround! From trailing by 2 to now leading by 3, the 1980 Phillies have completely taken control here in the 9th, 12-9. Tom Gordon now comes on to pitch for the 2008 Phillies. Maddox is back up to the plate, he got things started by taking a pitch in the leg. This time he grounds out to first and that finally ends the inning. Another remarkable 2-out rally have put the 1980 Phillies ahead, 12-9. Unbelieveable.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
Who says we can't have another rally? The 2008 Phillies look as dejected as they have ever looked, but you never know. Tug McGraw comes into pitch. Ruiz is first to bat. Ruiz grounds one to left and reaches on the single! Greg Dobbs is coming into the game to pinch-hit for Tom Gordon. The Phillies need something from Dobbs. And Dobbs delivers! THAT ONE IS HIT TO LEFT CENTER FIELD AND THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE! A 2-RUN HOMER AND THE 2008 PHILLIES ARE SUDDENLY WITHIN 1! And on top of all that, there's no one out with the top of the line up at the plate. Jimmy Rollins comes in and he grounds out to first. 1 away. Werth is up and he sends one through the hole to left field for the single! The trying run is at first. The winning run is at the plate. Chase Utley walks! Howard gets intentionally walked and the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth! On comes Pat Burrell. High popper to right-center! Maddox catches the popper! WERTH TAKES OFF! MADDOX HAS A CHANCE WITH THE THROW! THE THROW TO BOONE IS TOO HIGH! WERTH SCORES! WE'RE TIED! AGAIN! 12-12! How's this for an exciting finish? Good lord. Anyway, here comes Victorino to the plate. A chance to win the game for the Phillies with runners at 2nd and 3rd 2-out. Lerrin Lagrow comes into pitch, replacing Tug McGraw. And here's the Flyin' Hawaiian. VICTORINO SINGLES TO RIGHT CENTER! NO CHANCE AT THE PLATE! UTLEY SCORES! 2008 PHILLIES WIN! 13-12! WHAT A COMEBACK! WHAT A GAME!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 12 runs, 16 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 13 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors
Well then, can you imagine if that were a real game? It'd be the game of the year in baseball. And I swear that's how WhatIfSports simulated it. Yeah, that was incredible.
That was fun. I hope you were entertained by reading my narrations of the play-by-play of these simulated games. I'll probably have some more simulations in the football offseason, when things are kind of slow.
From Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching Match-up: Bob Walk (ERA 4.57) vs. Jamie Moyer (ERA 3.71)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox starts the game out by grounding to short. Up next is Pete Rose and he will send one a mile high into left center that is easily handled. Mike Schmidt is up next. SCHMIDT SMOKES IT! DEEP TO CENTER.....IS IT ENOUGH?......IT'S GONE! Mike Schmidt hits one that barely clears the wall at center and it's 1-0 1980 Phillies. Ryan Howard catches Bake McBride's liner to end the inning. 1-0 '80 Phils thanks to Mike Schmidt's solo shot.
Bottom of the First Inning
Jimmy Rollins starts things out for the '08 Phillies by grounding out to first. Jayson Werth is up next and he hits a single to left center! Utley and Howard both draw walks and it's bases loaded for Pat Burrell who also walks! That bases-loaded walk ties it at 1! Victorino is up next and he hits one that bounces off the mound into center field! Utley and Howard both score and the '08 Phils lead 3-1 on Victorino's single! Pedro Feliz is up next and he pops out to short. Ruiz hits a fly ball to right center and that will end the inning. 3-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Second Inning
Luzinski pops out to Feliz. Manny Trillo gets out on a grounder to short. Boone is up next and he pops one up that lands in the hole! Single for Boone. Bowa does not do him any favors by lining out to J-Roll and ending the inning. 3-1 '08 Philllies.
Bottom of the Second Inning
On comes Jamie Moyer and he hits a line drive!....that's caught easily by Manny Trillo. J-Roll draws a walk. On comes Jayson Werth but look out! Rollins steals 2nd! WERTH!...DEEP!.....GONE! That 2-run shot puts the 2008 Phillies up 5-1! Utley is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE DEEP! AT THE WALL THE CATCH IS MADE BY McBRIDE! Howard steps up to the plate and he singles to center. Burrell lines out to McBride. Victorino is up next and he ends the inning by striking out. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Third Inning
Walk is first up and he flies out to deep left. Garry Maddox and he too lets one soar that is caught by Burrell. On comes Pete Rose and he pops one up but it falls through for the single. Schmidt lines out to J-Roll to end the inning.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz starts the inning by uncorking a popper to McBride. Ruiz comes in and he draws a walk. Moyer again makes contact but he hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice. J-Roll is next and he takes a walk. Up next is Jayson Werth who last time at the plate hit a homerun. This time he waves at a ball outside of the zone. 5-1 '08 Phillies
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bake McBride starts the inning with a walk. Luzinski comes up to bat and meanwhile McBride is trying to steal second! OUT! Luzinski waves at strike 3 out of the strike zone. Trillo ends the inning by grounding out to Howard. Still 5-1.
Bottom of the Fourth
Utley starts the inning by sending a flyball into the hole! Ryan Howard pops one up to McBride. Pat Burrell comes up and he sends one deep to right that's caught by Maddox. Victorino flies out to Luzinski and that'll end the inning. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Boone starts the inning off with a line drive to center! And the '80 Phillies start with a double. Bowa comes up next and he singles to center! 1st and 3rd with nobody out as Lonnie Smith will pinch-hit for the pitcher, Walk. Smith hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allows Boone to score! 5-2. On comes Garry Maddox. Smith is running! He's got second! Here comes the next pitch, and Smith is going again! He's got third! Maddox flies one down the left-field line! Smith scores easily on Maddox's double and it's 5-3! Rose hits an infield single to short which leaves runners on 1st and 3rd for Schmidt. Schmidt hits into a 3-6 fielder's choice! Maddox SCORES FROM 3RD! And it's 5-4! And it's pitching change time. Durbin is replacing Moyer. McBride with a line drive single! 1st and 2nd for Luzinski who strikes out to end the inning. And this one is interesting, 5-4 '08 Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
On will come Dickie Noles to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Feliz will lead off the inning by grounding out to short. Ruiz grounds out to Trillol Durbin with a swing and a miss ends the inning. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Trillo leads off by grounding out to Howard. Boone pops out to Werth. Larry Bowa grounds out to Howard and it's an easy 1-2-3 inning for Durbin. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Jimmy Rollins leads off the inning by popping out to first base man, Pete Rose. Werth comes up next and he connects with a line drive single to left! Utley strikes out. On comes Ryan Howard and he walks. Men on 1st and 2nd for Burrell. Burrell bloops one to left-center! The outfield is late getting to the ball! Werth scores from second easily! AND HOWARD'S TRYING FOR HOME AS WELL! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! Howard scores and it's 7-4 '08 Phillies on the bloop double by Burrell. Ron Reed is coming on to pitch to Victorino. Flyball to center falls in the hole! Burrell will round 3rd and score! 8-4 '08 Phillies, and it's once again a 4-run game! 2-0ut with Victorino on 2nd and a wild pitch to Feliz sends Victorino to 3rd! Feliz, however strikes out and that'll end the inning. 8-4 '08 Phillies and this one is getting ugly again.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed leads off the inning by grounding to short. Maddox is up next and he uncorks one to left for a single. Rose flies out to left cinter. Schmidt bloops one to right-center that sends Maddox all the way to 3rd! 1st and 3rd with 2 out for McBride. McBride lines one to left! Maddox scores and it's 8-5! J.C. Romero comes in to pitch to Greg Luzinski. Luzinski bloops one to left-center! Schmidt scores easily from 2nd! McBride is going to try to score from 1st! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! '80 PHILLIES ARE WITHIN 1 RUN AGAIN! Trillo flies out to left-center to end the inning. A 2-out rally from the 1980 Philles have them once again within 1. 8-7 in favor of the 2008 Phillies but the old-timers are not going easily into the Philly night.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ruiz starts things off by fling out to left-center. Up next is J.C. Romero. ROMERO LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! MADDOX OVERPLAYED IT! ROMERO HAS A TRIPLE! INCREDIBLE! J-Roll draws the walk. Jayson Werth is next to bat and Werth flies one deep down the left field line. It's caught by McBride but Romero scores easily and it's 9-7 for the 2008 Phillies! Oh my, here we go again. Here comes Chase Utley. And here we go again, indeed! J-Roll steals second! Okay, maybe not again as Utley grounds out. The 2008 Phillies have tacked on another, leading 9-7.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Bob Boone leads off the top of the eighth inning with a flyout to Pat Burrell. Bowa grounds out to first. George Vukovich comes into pinch hit for the pitcher, Reed and he flies out to right center field. 9-7 2008 Phillies.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier comes into pitch for the 1980 Phillies. Howard grounds out to first. Pat Burrell takes ball 4 and walks. Up next is the Flyin' Hawaiian. OUCH! Victorino is hit by a pitch and it's 1st and 2nd with two out for Pedro Feliz. Feliz grounds it to 2nd.....DOUBLE PLAY! 4-6-3 and that ends the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the 2008 Phillies have a 2-run lead and are 3-outs away from being considered the best team in Phillies history.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Here we go. Can the 1980 Phillies come back, or will the 2008 Phillies win the series? You can cut the tension with a knife, folks. The 1980 Phillies have the top of their line-up at the plate and here is Garry Maddox with Brad Lidge now on the mound for the '08 Phillies. Maddox is hit in the leg! The tying run is now at the plate with nobody out! Pete Rose takes the plate and he gets hit by a pitch! 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the 1980 Phillies! Mike Schmidt comes up and he strikes out! Here comes Bake McBride to the plate! GROUNDBALL TO 3RD! McBride is out but the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Two out. On comes Luzinski. GROUNDBALL DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE! MADDOX SCORES! The 1980 Phillies are now within 1! 9-8. Runners at 1st and 3rd. 2 0ut. Tying run 90 feet way. Trillo at the plate. TRILLO SMOKES A LINER TO RIGHT! MADDOX SCORES FROM 3RD AND THIS GAME IS TIED! UNBELIEVEABLE! 9-9 in the top of the ninth! After not blowing a save all year, Lidge has blown one here. On will come Clay Condrey to pitch with Bob Boone at the plate. Boone walks! Bases loaded, top of the ninth, 2 out, 9-9 game, and on comes Larry Bowa. LARRY BOWA SINGLES TO RIGHT! LUZINSKI SCORES! TRILLO SCORES! THE 1980 PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Absolutely incredible. 1st and 2nd with 2 out for Keith Moreland pinch hitting for Kevin Saucier. Moreland sends to through the hole at left-center! BOONE IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE FROM 2ND! HE'S SAFE! 3-RUN LEAD FOR THE 1980 PHILLIES! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What a turnaround! From trailing by 2 to now leading by 3, the 1980 Phillies have completely taken control here in the 9th, 12-9. Tom Gordon now comes on to pitch for the 2008 Phillies. Maddox is back up to the plate, he got things started by taking a pitch in the leg. This time he grounds out to first and that finally ends the inning. Another remarkable 2-out rally have put the 1980 Phillies ahead, 12-9. Unbelieveable.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
Who says we can't have another rally? The 2008 Phillies look as dejected as they have ever looked, but you never know. Tug McGraw comes into pitch. Ruiz is first to bat. Ruiz grounds one to left and reaches on the single! Greg Dobbs is coming into the game to pinch-hit for Tom Gordon. The Phillies need something from Dobbs. And Dobbs delivers! THAT ONE IS HIT TO LEFT CENTER FIELD AND THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE! A 2-RUN HOMER AND THE 2008 PHILLIES ARE SUDDENLY WITHIN 1! And on top of all that, there's no one out with the top of the line up at the plate. Jimmy Rollins comes in and he grounds out to first. 1 away. Werth is up and he sends one through the hole to left field for the single! The trying run is at first. The winning run is at the plate. Chase Utley walks! Howard gets intentionally walked and the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth! On comes Pat Burrell. High popper to right-center! Maddox catches the popper! WERTH TAKES OFF! MADDOX HAS A CHANCE WITH THE THROW! THE THROW TO BOONE IS TOO HIGH! WERTH SCORES! WE'RE TIED! AGAIN! 12-12! How's this for an exciting finish? Good lord. Anyway, here comes Victorino to the plate. A chance to win the game for the Phillies with runners at 2nd and 3rd 2-out. Lerrin Lagrow comes into pitch, replacing Tug McGraw. And here's the Flyin' Hawaiian. VICTORINO SINGLES TO RIGHT CENTER! NO CHANCE AT THE PLATE! UTLEY SCORES! 2008 PHILLIES WIN! 13-12! WHAT A COMEBACK! WHAT A GAME!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 12 runs, 16 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 13 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors
Well then, can you imagine if that were a real game? It'd be the game of the year in baseball. And I swear that's how WhatIfSports simulated it. Yeah, that was incredible.
That was fun. I hope you were entertained by reading my narrations of the play-by-play of these simulated games. I'll probably have some more simulations in the football offseason, when things are kind of slow.
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