The Eagles Are The Frontrunners To Get The Unavailable Anquan Boldin

I'm seriously beginning to think that this saga won't go away until Anquan Boldin is either a). traded or b). the tradeline in October comes and goes. The good news, Philly fans (and Cardinal-haters): The Eagles are the frontrunners to trade for Anquan Boldin! The bad news: Anquan Boldin is not going to be traded. So, if Boldin is not available, what on earth makes the Eagles the frontrunners? Wouldn't the Cardinals then be the frontrunners to keep him. Sigh...here's the article from ALL THINGS PHILLY SPORTS.

Two reports have come out in recent days regarding Anquan Boldin and the Eagles continuing search for a top wide receiver. The reports aren't earth-shattering, it's the typical information and misinformation we have been hearing all along.

The first report is encouraging to Birds fans. According to John Clayton of ESPN, the Eagles are the frontrunners to acquire Anquan Boldin with the Giants the next team in line. Clayton believes it would take a 1st and 3rd rounder to get Boldin, certainly a reasonable price for the Eagles since they have that extra first round pick to dangle.

The second report is not as promising. According to ProFootballTalk.com, the Cardinals have no interest in trading Boldin. Boldin is under contract for 2 more years so Arizona doesn't feel any pressure to move him right now. Despite his requests for a trade, the Cards want to hold on to the disgruntled receiver, much like the Bengals held onto to Chad Johnson despite his many trade demands. Boldin may just have to wait it out and play for his measly 2.75 million next season. He won't have any leverage to leave town unless he holds out during training camp.

Does your head hurt yet? I guess it's pretty straight-forward what's going on here, but all of the reports that are flying out on this story are enough to make you stop and think, "what the hell is really going on here?"

There's certainly no lack of trying on the Eagles' part to get that big name receiver. Last off-season, they waved more money in front of Randy Moss than he ended up signing for with New England and the Eagles continously waved Lito Sheppard in front of the Cardinals in hopes of trading for Larry Fitzgerald. That, was, of course, when Lito was still considered to be a potential starting cornerback.

Now what's really interesting here is what would happen should the Eagles trade for Anquan Boldin. The Eagles have 2 1st round picks this year, surely they would have to give up one of them (and most likely as the article above mentioned, a later draft pick), which puts them in a tough bind. The Eagles have two pressing needs in the early part of the draft and that's running back and offensive tackle. The question becomes which pick would they give up? Personally, I'd rather them lose their 28th pick because I think they need to get Beanie Wells. There is a better chance, in my view, at least, of drafting a future Pro Bowl offensive lineman in the later stages of the draft than a running back. But we all know Andy Reid. He goes after those linemen early in the draft as if they were a Philly cheesesteak. We'll see what happens, but if the Eagles trade for Anquan Boldin (which would be great, no doubt about that), the odds that Beanie Wells becomes an Eagle decrease dramatically to slim to none, and I'm pretty sure slim just left town.

FredEx May Be FedExed To The Pokey

Thanks to 49er16 for the link on this one. I could bore you with my take on the Brett Favre retirement story (he's done for good, I think), but there is not anything that I can say that you can't get from watching 30 seconds of ESPN. Instead, here's an interesting little peace on Ex-Eagle Freddie Mitchell from Pro Football Talk. Apparently the Ex-Eagle may be spending some time in jail for possessing marijuana.

Former Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell, a 2001 first-round pick whose career flamed out a few years back, could be spending a few years in prison.

He’s reportedly under investigation for accepting a package allegedly containing more than seven pounds of marijuana.

Mitchell reportedly was cuffed briefly but not arrested after signing for the package last week at his Lakeland, Florida restaurant.

This is officially less surprising than Brett Favre's second retirement. Freddie Mitchell is one man an ego that is still in Philadelphia and the date is still January 11, 2004. For that day was both the birth and the death of his career. He was a nobody before it and he was a nobody after it. What was that big day, you ask? I now take you back to January 11, 2004 at Lincoln Financial Field. It's the divisional playoffs against the Green Bay Packers with 1:12 to, the Eagles are trailing by 3 and the down is 4th and 26.



Good times.....gooood times. And as far as Joe Buck's call goes, David Tyree feels Freddie Mitchell's pain.

Marquette @ Villanova Live Blog

What better way to celebrate my 100th blog post then a live blog of a big game between #12 Marquette and #13 Villanova. And while this really is not a rivalry, per se, it still should be a lot of fun.

1st Interactive Tuesday question of the night. Who should be the Big East player of the year? Go to ESPN.com and cast your votes, stat!

Marquette wins the tip. James misses a shot but Nova tipped it out of bounds. Hayward from 3 BURIES IT! Marquette jumps on top early. Nova struggles to keep possession of it but Reynolds gets it, gives it to Clark who DRAINS ONE FROM 3!

ANOTHER 3 BY MATTHEWS OF MARQUETTE! I hope you took the over. Nova inbounds, Reynolds takes one from 3 and ANOTHER 3! THIS ONE FROM REYNOLDS! Good grief! Marquette struggles with the ball and Nova gets a turnover. Anderson misses a 3, but Anderson gets it back and hits a 2. DOMINIQUE JAMES ALLEY-OOPS IT FOR MARQUETTE!

"We've got so many athletes out here." - Len Elmore

Thanks Captain Obvous! Burke tips one in for Marquette off the rebound. Redding misses a 3 for Nova. Missed 3 by McNeal and we have a timeout as Clark is shaking up.

"Nova can't hang with Marquette's guards." - Interactive Tuesday poster

Foul on Anderson and Marquette will shoot 2. THey make 1. Fisher misses the layup but Nova gets the tip in. Nova gets the ball back and Reynolds is fouled.

10-9 Villanova at the media timeout.

DeJuan Blair from Pittsburgh is our poll winner. Reynolds makes 1 out of 2. Butler rebounds Redding's miss. 3-shot from Marquette goes out of bounds and Nova takes over. ANDERSON IS SMOKING HOT! ANOTHER 3! Hayward connects with a basket. Cunningham gets his first of the day and a foul on Villanova at the other end.

After 2 Marquette free-throws, Anderson makes a great 2-pointer for Villanova as Dave Pasch goes crazy! Cunningham gets called for a travel as he stumbled to the ground.

Next question. What title team was a better Cinderella story? 77 Marquette or 85 Villanova?

James of Marquette makes somewhat of an underhanded basket! That was interesting to look at. Cunningham gets a basket after a pair of Nova misses. HAYWARD DRILLS ONE FROM 3! Reynolds from Marquette can't connect. MCNEAL GETS HIS FIRST BASKET OF THE GAME AND IT'S A 3! Timeout Villanova.

Does it get any more boring than Len Elmore? (SSReporters)

No, not really. Although he is not that bad of an analyst, I just would never want him to teach a physics class.

James airballs a free throw. How on earth do you do that? The next one is off the rim. JAMES ATONES FOR IT WITH A 3! Marquette knocks it out of bounds. Reynolds gets fouled as he tried to split the defense.

Anyone watching Duke-UNC tomorrow?

MATTHEWS WITH A 3! COREY FISHER ANSWERS FROM 3 AT THE OTHER END! Travelling on Marquette. JAMES HITS A 3! Marquette has hit 9 in a row. Reynolds was stripped but Nova was able to recover. Anderson misses. McNeal misses from 3! He should be benched immediately.

35-27 Marquette

Anderson gets one out of the 1-and-1. Foul on Anderson, as he picks up his 2nd and the 4th for the Wildcats. James connects with a basket. FISHER FROM 3! 2-straight misses for Marquette and Nova has a chance to get back in it.

Redding misses a wide open 3. McNeal misses a 3 at the other end and Redding comes in 1-on-2 and gets called for an offensive foul! Can't say I disagree though.

"New record coming tonight for most 3's ever." -Some poster

Although he may not be too far off as Cunningham connects! Badly missed shot and it goes out of bounds off Nova. Can't say that I agree with that one.

Both sides miss as Reynolds connects with a beautiful layup as he slips and he gets fouled! And-1! Timeout Marquette.

Nice to see Nova staying in the game and not giving up(see Norte Dame). (49er16)

Reynolds misses his free throw. There's a foul at the other end and Matthews makes 1 of 2. REYNOLDS TIES IT WITH A 3! Out of bounds at the other end, last touched by Fisher. Easy basket on the inbounds as I think a few Wildcats fell asleep. Basket by Nova, miss by McNeal, and a few shots for Nova and they can't get it to fall. Foul on Villanova.

We're tied at 40 at the media timeout.

I missed who said it, but someone just said that Digger Phelps would be the next coach to 1,000 wins.

Next poll: Who will win Carolina-Duke? (I knew this one was coming).

Marquette makes a free throw as they follow it up by swatting a Villanova pass out of bounds. Cunningham has given Nova the lead with that jumper! McNeal gives Marquette the lead right back with his jumper. Fisher is fouled as he shoots from 3! It's James' first foul of the evening.

Fisher goes 3-for-3 from the line! 2-point lead for the Wildcats. A wideopen lay up by James ties it up. They get the ball back but turn it over. FISHER CONNECTS DEEP FROM 3-LAND!

I think we may reach my final predicted score by halftime. Offensive foul on McNeal! 57.4 seconds to go in the half. Reynolds from 3 is short and Hayward rebounds it nicely. James loses it! Loose ball scramble and it's out of bounds on Marquette! 10-seconds to go. Cunningham loses the ball but it goes off a Marquette player and with 4.5 to go the Wildcats wil have a nother chance. Fisher finds STOKES WHO DRILLS IT FROM 3 TO END THE HALF!

50-45 Villanova at the half. I'll see you in this thread at the other side of the break.

Ooh! A special halftime question. Who will be the next coach to reach 1,000 wins? Coach K, Jim Boehiem, Jim Calhoun, or Bob Knight? If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Coach K.

Nova starts the half with the ball and Cunningham sinks a jumper. McNeal misses and there's a whistle as Anderson is down. Turnover for the Wildcats. James misses one behind the backboard as he claims he was fouled. Steal by James, pass to McNeal who connects with a beautiful layup! Cunningham takes a jumper and he just makes that shot look easy! Hayward is a house of fire, connecting with another jumper, this time from 2-land.

Cunningham to Reynolds to the hoop. If only every basketball game was like this. This is fun to watch. Fisher has his shot blocked. Missed hook shot by Marquette and Redding at the other end misses a wide open 3-shot!

America agrees with me in that Coach K will get 1,000 wins next. REYNOLDS HITS A 3! 10-POINT LEAD FOR THE WILDCATS!

Wes Matthews gets 2 back but Reynolds takes that one away with 2, giving him a game high of 20. Timeout Marquette.

Some Poster: "MU is going to run these guys out of the gym." Yeah, that's why they are down by seven. (49er16)

I love it when posters like that get pwned. And now the question is who is the best dressed coach in college b-ball and I'm just shocked that Bruce Pearl is not an option. Reynolds picks up a foul.

Media timeout, 61-51 Wildcats.

Big East basketball game = 50-45 at the half. Big Ten basketball game with 3:22 left in the game = 45-38 (Via SSR)

It's always good to know there are absolutely no differences between Big 10 football and Big 10 basketball. Matthews makes both free-throws. Pena with a beautiful hook over Hayward. Foul called on Shane Clark. Another foul on the inbound we've got double Ts on Pena and Hayward, respectively, as a hockey match has broken out. And now they are saying team those are team Technicals.

Foul on Cunningham after the free throw. Hayward makes one from 2 as Marquette is trying to creep back into it. Fisher misses from downtown. Foul on Fisher. McNeal makes a free throw as the Wildcat lead is now only 6.

"nova wants it more tonight....unfortunaltely" - Some Marquette fan.

FISHER FROM DOWNTOWN AGAIN! Marquette misses at the other end and Fisher takes it all the way to the basket! HAYWARD DRAINS A 3! Out of bounds on Villanova. Butler is blocked by Redding. And Rick Pitino is the best-dressed coach in college basketball, according to 1,600 people. Marquette misses a freebie. And Corey Stokes goes unmolested to the hoop and it's back to a 10-point lead! Marquette gets 2 back on what could have been a travel. Foul on Marquette.

Tv timeout time, Nova leads 70-62.

Michigan State is about to clinch a win over Michigan. (Via SSR)

That's good news for Penn State, who will be in need of a few breaks and a hot-stretch down the road if they want to make the tournament. As of now, they are in Joe Lenardi's "Next 4 out". Although as a Big 10 team, if they do make it, my hopes are not high. For the reason, that, well, they're in the Big 10.

Quick 2-on-1 and Marquette pulls back within 6. CLARK FROM 3 KNOCKS IT DOWN! Foul on Cunningham. Marquette misses. REYNOLDS FROM THE PARKING LOT! 12-point lead for the Wildcats.

Timeout Marquette. Offensive foul on Matthews. Cunningham extends the lead to 14! DOMINIQUE JAMES WITH A BEAUTIFUL ONE-HANDED JAM! McNeal jams it down and all of a sudden it's back to a 10-point game. James picks up a foul for the Golden Eagles. McNeal picks up his 3rd foul.

Next question: Who will win tomorrow's Syracuse-UConn game?

My money is on UConn. Fisher misses his first but makes his 2nd. 8:31 to go in the game. McNeal from downtown is no good. McNeal gets the ball back and Stokes is called for a blocking field.

79-68 Villanova leads with 7:59 to go at the TV timeout.

ESPN Interactive Tuesday has to go....NOW! (Via SSReporters)

Yeah, it's, um, kind of pointless. Oh, this was the last question. What a shame. 80% of the people who voted picked UConn. McNeal misses his first free throw. Wow, hty're only 50% on the day. And true to form, McNeal finishes 1 for 2. Cunningham has a wide-open jumper rim out. Foul on Nova and McNeal will go back to the line.

Cunningham gets benched. McNeal stays true to form with the free throw. Clark again connects from inside and Hayward is called with an offensive foul! Everything is going the Wildcats' way.

Marquette kicks it out of bounds. Reynolds makes a wideopen layup off the inbounds pass and it's a 13-point Villanova lead. MCNEAL HITS FROM 3 AND HE NOW HAS 20!

The Wildcats have shot 70% from the floor this half. Do you know when they will go cold? It will be March, as always. Reynolds goes 1 for 2. MCNEAL FROM 3 AND HE'S THE ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER IN MARQUETTE HISTORY!

Congrats to him as Clark connects again. Hayward can't connect and an inside feed to Stokes who buries! Out of bounds on Villanova and the refs missed that one, I think. Hayward has it taken away. Pena gets fouled and nearly had an and-1 situation. It rimmed out, though.

Antonio Pena misses both fee throws. Matthews scres and Marquette is down by 11. BEAM ME UP SCOTTIE! ANOTHER 3 FROM REYNOLDS AND IT'S A 14-POINT VILLANOVA LEAD! Timeout Marquette.

Redding has a steal but bodies start hitting the floor and Marquette gets the ball on the out of bounds call. Pass inside to Hayward and we'll have to wait until after the break to sort this one out.

92-78 Wildcats over the Golden Eagles at the TV timeout.

The refs could call any number of things here. Foul, shot clock violation, travel, you name it, it could be called here. Hayward makes both free throws, and perfection has been a rarity for Marquette from behind the foul strike. Cunningham misses the lay up. Matthews capitalizes on McNeal's pass and Marquette just won't go away. Hayward misses, tries the tip in, misses again, and a foul on Marquette!

Both teams are in double bonus territory. Redding goes 1 of 2. Hayward actually misses a basket. That has not occured too often. Redding is fouled by Butler who now has 4. Redding goes 1 of 2 again and both of these teams are shooting free throws like Memphis last year.

Bonus question! What's the better meal? Brats or cheesesteaks?

CHEESESTEAK FOR THE WIN! Timeout Villanova as they can't inbound.

Dave Pasch looks like a real waiter holding that food. And the fans go with cheesesteak.

"Only 900 people voted." - Dave Pasch
"The rest of the country probably does not know what a brat or a cheesesteak is." - Len Elmore

The fact that there was only a minute to vote, combined with the fact that you already said that the question before it was the last question, may have a bit to do with it. Stokes goes 2 for 2 from the line and they are 4-points away from breaking 100. Marquette misses and that may have been their last chance to get back into the game. Foul on Marquette.

Cunningham makes the first but misses the second. They rebound the miss, though and Nova will get another chance! Matthews fouls.

Oh yay, Villanova plays West Virginia on Friday the 13th. That should be....interesting.

One more free throw and the Cats are 2 away. Marquette misses and the wildcats rebound. 1:18 to go. Marquette looks like they are content wih losing this one. CLARK FROM 3.......OFF THE RIM AND IT BOUNCES IN! THAT'S 101 FOR THE WILDCATS!

Chants of "Overrated!" from the crowd in the Pavilion, as the Wildcats may very well be the dark horse to win the Big East.

101!!!!!!!!! FREE CHEESESTEAKS! (Via SSR)

Reynolds leaves the game with 27 points on the game.

"Villanova has the second most talent in the conference behind UConn." - Some poster.

Nice grammar.

And that's it! Villanova puts up their second straight 102-point game, this time beating Marquette 102-84. Thanks for joining me tonight!

Marquette @ Villanova Live Blog Pre Game

What: Interactive Tuesday
Who: Marquette and Villanova
Where: The Pavilion, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania
When: 7:30 EST
What Channel: ESPN2
Announcers: Dave Pasch and Len Elmore
Prediction: Nova 78, Marquette 72

Feel free to leave your thoughts and predictions here and I hope you'll join me for all of the Interactive fun beginning at 7:30.

Reasons Behind The Sell Of The Phantoms

As I was perusing through this morning's Inquirer articles online, I came across an interesting article on why the Phantoms were sold, and the answer is not just because the Spectrum is being torn down. And seeing as other than the A-Rod story that I refuse to shove down your throats any more than is already done by TV news everywhere and other websites, I figured I would share it with you.

The plucky Phantoms minor-league hockey team had trouble earning profits in recent years as attendance dipped, and the franchise faced other economic issues.

The team needed a new ice arena, which would cost $60 million to $80 million.

Meanwhile, the team hadn't found a critical mass of cable viewership because the franchise competed with the popular Flyers in the local television market, a sports media executive close to the situation said.

The most pressing problem was the fact that the Phantoms' home, the famed Wachovia Spectrum, is expected to be torn down for a development of stores, clubs and hotels in 2010.

Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, said yesterday a new ice arena would need public assistance and "there wasn't a local municipality prepared to spend that kind of money and we did not politic for it."

The Phantoms' attendance slipped somewhat in recent years and a modest profit had become a small loss, Luukko said.

Comcast-Spectacor announced last week that it had reached the agreement to sell the Phantoms franchise to the Brooks Group of Pittsburgh. It is not known where the team will move.

Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Flyers and 76ers, brought the Phantoms to Philadelphia in 1996, when the Flyers' and Sixers' new arena opened in South Philadelphia. The minor-league team put the Spectrum to use for about 40 nights a year. Other events in the Spectrum included the circus, concerts, college basketball and Kixx soccer.

With an average ticket price of about $11, the Phantoms offered hockey fans a cheap alternative to the Flyers. Luukko said he was pleased with the Phantoms and he probably would have kept the team going for a few years in Philadelphia if it weren't for the Spectrum redevelopment.

Sorry for the length of that blockquote, I just felt that there was a lot of good stuff in there and I could not really think of a place to cut it off until deep into it. It will be interesting to see where they eventually end up locating and I will follow that story for you and give you word as soon as I find out in the coming months or so.

Why The Phantoms Were Sold (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Make Room For Big Ben's Ribs, Canton, Ohio

Sigh....get ready for ESPN's talking heads to go gaga over Big Ben's great courage and toughness. Because right now, sitting next to Curt Schilling's bloody sock and Jamie Moyer's toilet, is Big Ben's ribs (or seeing as they were broken, the lack thereof). That's right, Big Ben played in the Super Bowl with broken ribs. From Yahoo! Sports.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have no knowledge that Ben Roethlisberger played the Super Bowl with two broken ribs, as the quarterback told a Web site.

According to SI.com, Roethlisberger said his fractured ribs did not show up on X-rays taken before he led the Steelers to a 27-23 win over Arizona on Feb. 1, but were revealed only during a MRI test he had last week.

“Luckily, in the game, I didn’t take any big hits to make ‘em hurt,” Roethlisberger told SI.com. “But I knew all along there was something wrong. There wouldn’t have been anything that could have been done about fractured ribs anyway. It was just suck it up and play.

Roethlisberger did not miss any practices before the Super Bowl, although a pool report from the Wednesday practice said he attempted during the middle of the workout to stretch his torso. He missed one practice during the off week before the Super Bowl because of what the team said was a back injury.

Big Ben has a history of exaggerating his injuries so the claim may not be entirely true. However, if the MRI revealed broken ribs, then there's no disputing that. Once the A-Rod story has subsided a bit, be prepared for non-stop Roethisberger gushing on ESPN.

FYI, I'll be live blogging Marquette @ Villanova tonight at 7:30. Not only is it a big game for both teams, but it's also ESPN Interactive Tuesday! Which means be prepared for stupid poll questions and even stupider fan comments. Don't miss out on the big fun!

Ryan Howard Has A New Contract

I must say, this has been one of the busiest days I've ever had as a blogger. This story came about yesterday afternoon, but with the live blog last night, my classes this morning and early afternoon, and all the other bizarre headlines that have been breaking today, I have not got around to this at all. Therefore, it is doubtless that I am not telling you anything here that you don't already know, but Ryan Howard has signed a contract extension with the Phillies! Really. It's true.

Howard will earn $15 million in 2009, $19 million in 2010 and $20 million in 2011. He also has a clause in his contract that would require the Phillies to pay him $1 million if they trade him before Nov. 1, 2010.

Then there are the incentives, which could really send Howard's paycheck into orbit. His base salary would increase by $1 million in 2010 and 2011 if he was named MVP in the preceding season and he would get a $1 million bonus if he wins the MVP Award in 2011. If he finishes second in any year, he'll get a $500,000 bonus. A World Series MVP gets Howard $100,000, NLCS MVP $50,000, Gold Glove $50,000, Silver Slugger for $100,000, and $50,000 for an All-Star selection.

“We're very pleased to have avoided the arbitration process, not just for this year, but also for the next two,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement released by the team. “Ryan is clearly one of the top power hitters and run producers in the major leagues and is a very important part of our championship club.”

And the constant headache of Ryan Howard arbitrations every year has finally ended. The Phillies are a young, home-grown team that has kept their core intact this off-season, with the only major loss being that of Pat Burrell, which should not have been a surprise to anyone. If I remember correctly, the person that the Phillies got to essentially replace him, Raul Ibanez, had a higher batting percentage last year than any of the Phillies. They've definitley made the right moves thus far (getting Ibanez, locking up Hamels and Howard, etc.), let's hope it translates into another World Series title!