Author Archives: Amit Ranade

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #7: Eagles Bye Week

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Eagles-Giants games at the Linc usually represent a tight fought, down to the wire contest that is never decided until the final gun sounds.  Last Sunday was not one of those games.

The Eagles took control from the start, playing their first complete game en route to a 27-0 spanking of the New York Giants.  It’s hard to fathom that a team that holds a 5-1 record could not have played a complete game up till now, but such is the case with the Birds, and with the NFL in general.  The days of dominating teams leading the league are behind us.

The only “hiccup” (if you could call it that) were two Nick Foles interceptions that looked awful from the moment the ball left his hand.  After six games, Foles leads the league with seven interceptions, and while no one thought he would match last year’s numbers (27 touchdowns, 2 interceptions), his tendency of throwing INT’s is a cause for concern.  In a playoff game in January, two throws like that could doom the Eagles season.

But I’ll save that for another time and be positive after a nice Eagles win against a division foe.   The Eagles will now enjoy their bye week and take some time to recharge, retreat, and relax, while this Sunday is also a good day for fans to catch up on the usual weekend chores like raking the leaves, cleaning out the garage, trips to Home Depot, etc.

In addition, if you (or your significant other) is planning on giving birth any day now, this Sunday is as good as any to do it.  At least that way, if the father of your child is yelling “Go! Go! Go!” in the delivery room, you can have the peace of mind of knowing that he’s doing it to give you moral support and not because an Eagles’ player is running into the endzone for a touchdown.

On second thought, even with an Eagles bye, there are a ton of good games to be watched starting from 1 PM eastern time and going all the way up to the conclusion of Sunday Night football.  So without further ado, here is a quick preview of this week’s marquee matchups (all games on Sunday):

Bengals at Colts 1:00 PM EST (CBS) – The Bengals always look like they are on the verge of greatness and then end up falling flat on their face.  The Colts have rebounded from an 0-2 start to win four straight and look primed to win the AFC South once again.  This will be a good test for the Bengals on the road.

Panthers at Packers 1:00 PM (FOX) – The Panthers seem to have lost their stout defense from a year ago and were lucky to get out of Cincinnati with a tie last week.  Carolina still leads the NFC South with a record of 3-2-1 (sounds more like a countdown instead of a record) but will be facing the Packers at Lambeau with Aaron Rodgers at the helm at quarterback.  The Panthers would be lucky to get another tie this week but don’t bet on it.

Chiefs at Chargers 4:05 PM (CBS) – Andy Reid’s teams are practically automatic after their bye week, but they face a tough road test against the Chargers who look to be a real threat to knock off Denver from the top of the AFC West.  Even if the Chiefs grab a big lead, Reid will probably not run the ball enough and the Chargers will come back to win it.

Giants at Cowboys 4:25 PM (FOX) – For Eagles fans, this game is the equivalent of choosing between two evils, sort of like when Darth Vader faced off against the Emperor in “Return of the Jedi”.  The Cowboys are 5-1, which no one expected, so I will be rooting for the Giants in this one (in a painful sort of way).

49ers at Broncos 8:30 PM (NBC) – This game takes the title of marquee matchup “Game of the Week” as the Niners head to the Rockies to face off against the Broncos in a rematch of Super Bowl XXIV (that’s 24 if you don’t recall your roman numerals).  In that contest, the Niners throttled the Broncos, 55-10, but not too likely that the same will occur this Sunday.

I’m betting on a 1) Broncos win and also that 2) Niners coach Jim Harbaugh will spend Saturday looking for coaching jobs at the 1) University of Colorado, 2) Colorado State, and 3) Anywhere else in the state of Colorado that will possibly hire him.  Who knows…if the Michigan job falls through, Harbaugh may even be selling marijuana at one of the state’s legal marijuana stores.  Seeing how intense and crazy he is on the field, he may need to use some as well…

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #6: Eagles vs Giants

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For a while, it looked like I would fulfill my long lost dream of leaving an Eagles game early enough to get home in time to watch the postgame show in its entirety live (as you can see, I have very high aspirations).

But with the Birds up 34-7 late in the 3rd quarter, Eagles players must have decided to start making early plans for Sunday dinner, as the Rams rallied off 21 unanswered points to cut their deficit to 34-28 and make a laughable game into a nail-biter literally and figuratively.

Along the way, Nick Foles decided to do his best impression of a school kid attempting to do a half-hearted bellyflop on one of those “Slip-N-Slides” from back in the day, as his 4th quarter fumble turned what could have been a game-ending field goal into a turnover and another Rams score.  Anthony Gargano from WIP radio (1-6 PM during the weekdays) probably described it best, stating that Foles looked like a “drunken giraffe” trying to slide.

What can we make of this team after five games?  After three games, the consensus was that they had a powerful offense and an opportunistic defense that made plays when they had to.  But over the last two weeks, the offense has been sporadic while the special teams has been just plain AWESOME.

But regardless of how they got there, the Birds are 4-1, and as legendary coach Bill Parcells once said “You are what your record says you are”.  A record of 4-1 is not too shabby considering all the injuries this team has sustained and the inconsistent play from the quarterback spot.

This week, the Birds play host to the Giants on Sunday night football in a game that will indeed be a “marquee matchup” for Week 6.  The Giants started the season 0-2 and were playing more like ants, but over the last three weeks have built a three game winning streak in which their offense has really come to life. Eli Manning has dropped his “She-li” persona and has been on a hot streak which is never a good sign for the opponent.

A win would make the Eagles 5-1 and in great shape heading into their bye week while a loss would leave the Giants tied with the Birds and possibly give Dallas sole possession of first place based on the outcome of the Cowboys-Seahawks game, which will take place on Sunday afternoon.   It’s tough to predict this game and figure out which Eagles team will show up, but the games at home against the G-Men always seem to go down to the wire.

The Linc will be loud and in a “blackout” (as the Eagles have requested from an attire standpoint) as the Birds win 34-28 in another nail-biter.

The Last Word: 

R.I.P. Bill Campbell. Mr .Campbell, at some point in his life, did play-by-play for the Philadelphia Warriors (basketball), the Sixers, the Phillies and the Eagles.  His voice was a mainstay of the previous generation and with his passing, he joins others such as John Facenda, Harry Kalas, Richie Ashburn and Gene Hart in the halls of Philadelphia broadcasting icons who have left us.

Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all times in EST and on Sunday unless stated otherwise):

Colts at Texans 8:25 PM CBS (Thurs)

Patriots at Bills 1:00 PM FOX

Panthers at Bengals 1:00 PM FOX

Packers at Dolphins 1:00 PM FOX

Cowboys at Seahawks 4:25 PM FOX

Giants at Eagles 8:30 PM NBC

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #5: Eagles vs. Rams

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The fact that the Eagles lost to the 49ers, 26-21, wasn’t a shock at all.  But it was HOW they lost that had many perplexed.

If you had told any football fan that the Birds would need only one offensive touchdown to defeat San Francisco, 99.9% would have bet the farm that the Eagles would win, with the only exception being some guy living in a foxhole somewhere in Montana who didn’t have time to place a bet if only for the fact that law enforcement was on his tail.

But the Eagles high powered offense, which was running up and down the field at the rate of Speedy Gonzalez over the first three games of the season, suddenly looked more like the “Slowsky’s” from the Comcast commercial.  LeSean McCoy was unable to find any running lanes due to his inexperienced offensive line and was often too quick to try to run outside instead of trying to pound his way up the middle.  Meanwhile, quarterback Nick Foles had receivers open, especially in the first half, but kept overthrowing them on passes which would have led to big gains.

The Birds would have been blown out of Sunday’s contest quite early, but managed to stay in the game due to the rare trifecta consisting of 1) An interception, 2) A punt return, and 3) A blocked punt, all of which led to three touchdowns and had the Eagles two yards away from taking the lead and possibly stealing a game that they really did not deserve to win.

But while their ineptitude at the goal line reared its ugly head at the most inopportune time, the team still sits in good shape at 3-1 on the young season, and the return of Lane Johnson from suspension should help to stabilize an injured and revolving offensive line, and perhaps help the running game to get back on track as well.

It also doesn’t hurt that the Eagles will be facing the St. Louis Rams, who won’t be confused with the “Greatest Show on Turf”, which is what they were when Kurt Warner made the transition from throwing chickens across the poultry aisle to throwing touchdowns to Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.  The 2014 edition of the Rams will be lucky to finish 8-8, and the Eagles would do well to score early and often and not give the Rams any reason to think they can win.

No fear peeps – Eagles win 31-20, and get back on the winning track.

The Last Word:

The Phillies just ended their 2014 campaign, and while the company line is that they did not lose any more games than last year (73-89 in consecutive years), this year was actually worse, if only for the fact that they were out of playoff contention by July 1st instead of August 1st.

The team has an aging roster and under the helm of team president David Montgomery, refused to try to get younger and better, sticking with scouts who’ve made bad draft choices and players who just can’t play at the big league level.

With Pat Gillick serving as the team’s temporary president, things should start to improve, as Gillick won’t hesitate to revamp the farm system.  Gillick, in my opinion, is the main reason the Phillies won it all in 2008, and while not every baseball move he made was the correct one, the man has made many more good than bad decisions, resulting in his many years of success with so many different organizations.

But even with his stamp on the Phillies going forward, the lousy, non-expiring contracts this team has gotten itself into will probably mean that they will be mediocre at best for the next 2-3 years.   So on that note, my proposed marketing campaign for the 2015 Phillies is as follows:

We are Family,

I got Jimmy, Ryan and Utley,

We are Family,

Come to see the Phanatic, we’ll stink!

Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all times in EST and on Sunday unless noted otherwise):

Texans at Cowboys 1:00 PM CBS

Bills at Lions 1:00 PM FOX

Cardinals at Broncos 4:05 PM FOX

Chiefs at Niners 4:25 PM CBS

Bengals at Patriots 8:30 PM NBC

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #4: Eagles at Niners

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Watching last Sunday’s Eagles-Redskins game was nostalgic if only for the fact that it seemed like the days of Buddy Ryan had returned.

Boisterous Buddy on one sideline with Joe Gibbs on another.  Randall Cunningham at quarterback for the Eagles with Mark Rypien at the helm for the ‘Skins.  A close, down to the wire game with two teams who’s disdain for each other was not hidden.  And a fight near the end just to add to all the drama.

While there was no Andre Waters playing safety for the Eagles, all of the injuries made this game eerily similar to the famous Monday night “bodybag” game in which the Eagles knocked out three Washington quarterbacks, until finally, ‘Skins running back Brian Mitchell came in as the emergency 4th string quarterback and led Washington to a touchdown in garbage time.

And while no one would ever confuse Chip Kelly’s demeanor with Buddy’s, the one commonality they share is that they both have formed a close knit unit on one side of the ball (Buddy’s on defense, Chip’s on offense).  Wonder what would happen if Chip’s offense went against Buddy’s defense?   There’s an idea that Madden 2020 could steal.  Feel free to send me royalties though…

Adding intrigue to a classic game was the cheapshot that Nick Foles received from Redskins defensive end Chris Baker that wouldn’t have been considered a cheapshot back in the day, but is in today’s “save the quarterback” NFL.  The irony is that former Eagles defensive lineman Hugh Douglas did the same exact thing to Bears quarterback Jim Miller in a 2001 divisional playoff game in Chicago, resulting in a road playoff win for the Birds and their first NFC championship appearance in 21 years.

With the victory, the Birds are 3-0 on the young season, and while the other three Broad & Pattison inhabitants have left us short on interest and viewing pleasure, it looks like the 2014 edition of the Eagles will keep us glued to our televisions into January.   Let’s keep our fingers crossed…

Another strange twist after yet another Eagles comeback win was cornerback Cary Williams complaining that the Eagles tiring practices have been resulting in weary Eagles players during the tail end of games, which seems strange when the team seems to look stronger than their opponent in the 4th quarter ever since Chip brought his psedu/new age training techniques to the City of Brotherly Love.

Cary Williams is an intriguing figure in that he can “talk the talk” like Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.  The bad news for the Eagles is that more often, he plays cornerback like fitness guru Richard Simmons – a lot of bouncing around but very little contact, which worked well for DeSean Jackson on Sunday as he flew past Cary for a 81-yard touchdown to tie the game and then performed his own “gyrations” in the endzone.

Williams once again apologized for his remarks (just as he did for calling the Patriots cheaters in the preseason) but one suspects he may be apologizing for another team come 2015.  But right now, he’s unfortunately the best thing we got folks.

This week, the Eagles jet off to the Bay Area to face the San Francisco 49ers in what should be dubbed the “Amoroso vs. Sourdough bowl”, even though it’s played in a stadium named after jeans (don’t ask).

The last two consecutive weeks, I picked the Birds to lose and they won both times (don’t be hatin’).  And the Niners, three games in, are on the verge of season extinction and a loss would have the locals crying in their Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or their Napa wines (based on your adult beverage preference).

The Eagles also come into this game dangerously thin on the offensive line, which doesn’t bode well for LeSean McCoy’s rushing stats or his ego.

But even though all signs point to a Niners victory, there is something uncanny about this Eagles team….something different. It’s as if Chip has them moving at another level, with no one able to stop them.

The Niners play to stop the run and the Birds take advantage through the air, winning 38-30 in a competitive game till the end.  To celebrate afterwards, Chip treats them to an “In-N-Out” burger at Fisherman’s Wharf before the charter flight home.

Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all games in EST and on Sunday unless stated otherwise):

Bills at Texans 1:00 PM CBS

Panthers at Ravens 1:00 PM CBS

Eagles at Niners 4:25 PM FOX

Saints at Cowboys 8:30 PM NBC

Patriots at Chiefs 8:30 PM ESPN

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #3: Eagles vs. Redskins

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If old habits are hard to break, perhaps Eagles fans would be better off skipping the 1st half of their games altogether.

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Birds have scored a whopping six points combined in the 1st half, but have still managed to win both games while compiling, statistically, the #1 offense in the league.  One wonders what would happen if they actually played the whole four quarters for a change.

Things looked bleak for a while last week until Darren Sproles, who is undersized by NFL standards, performed his weekly “Popeye” act, turning into a 2nd half superhuman and propelling the Birds to victory.  One can only assume that he must have downed a can of spinach on the sidelines with the sailor man’s theme song playing in the background.

With the victory, the Birds also became the 1st team in NFL history to start the season 2-0 after being down by 14 points or more in the 2nd half of each game, a feat that speaks to their resiliency, their energy, and their ability to make adjustments on the fly.

On the negative side, the Eagles inability to soar in the 1st half is causing sales of Mylanta to soar in the Delaware Valley, as the number of fans suffering from indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux has increased considerably since Labor Day weekend.  Winning in this fashion gives a team a certain amount of confidence that they are never out of it, but can also result in a belief that the end result will always be a “W”, a thought process that is bound to come back to haunt the Birds at some point.

The Eagles were also lucky that against a good team and in a hostile atmosphere in Indianapolis, they had some calls go their way, most notably a non-call against them on a Malcolm Jenkins interception and a questionable horse collar call for pulling down LeSean McCoy.  These “lucky breaks” have a tendency to even out under the guise of the football gods sitting high above on an NFL shaped cloud somewhere, and the Birds will undoubtedly lose a game down the road due to some questionable calls going against them.   Let’s just hope that the bad karma doesn’t occur during a playoff game.

The humor of those two back-to-back calls was that while they actually got the Colts fans in arms enough to boo for an extended period of time, they did not need to result in the “covering of the ears” of any young children in attendance at the game.  One would probably not want to fathom what would have been shouted at the referees had those two calls gone against the home team here at the Linc.

This week, the Birds face the Redskins, who trashed the Jaguars last week after starting quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) went down with what could possibly be a season ending ankle injury.  Enter Kirk Cousins, who did nothing more than operate the offense as if he had been the starter for the last three years.

Former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson also managed to injure his shoulder last week and will be a game time decision as to whether he will play against his former team.

The Birds won a game on the road last week that they probably should not have, and are coming off of a short week with perhaps a little bit of overconfidence.  It also doesn’t help the Birds cause that Kirk Cousins will be at the helm instead of Robert Griffin III.  While  RG3 may be DeSean’s “bro”, Kirk may turn out to be the capital’s favorite “cousin”, and give the Redskins a much better chance to win in the long run.

Sorry peeps, but I think the Eagles fall short this week, 31-27.

Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all games in EST and on Sunday unless stated otherwise):

Chargers at Bills 1:00 PM CBS

49ers at Cardinals 4:05 PM FOX

Broncos at Seahawks 4:25 PM CBS

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #2: Eagles at Colts

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For a while, it looked like Broad & Pattison would turn upside down.

For the first thirty minutes of the Eagles season opener, in a season of high expectations, the Birds looked flat, confused, and disoriented, and the Jaguars capitalized, turning three turnovers into a 17-0 halftime lead.

Things looked so bleak that even the poor dogs who were performing tricks as the halftime entertainment were subject to the fans ire whenever they failed to catch a frisbee in their mouth, being greeted by the signature “BOOOOOOO…” that we are so famous for.

But one play in football can quickly change a team’s fortunes.  Early in the 3rd quarter, with the Eagles failing on a 3rd and short opportunity and facing a 4th & 1, Chip Kelly had already instructed his team to go for it even before the fans started pleading the team to do so.

It was now Jacksonville who looked lost and confused, and without the proper defensive alignment, it seemed as if the seas had parted as newly acquired running back Darren Sproles took the handoff and galloped into the end zone without much resistance, cutting the Jaguars lead to 17-7 and kickstarting the Eagles 34 unanswered points en route to a 34-17 victory.

Another bright spot during the afternoon was that rookie kicker Cody Parkey kicked another 50+ yard field goal, which must have given coach Chip Kelly some comfort that he made the right decision in cutting Alex Henery.  It probably also means that Cody can extend what is most likely a “month-to-month” apartment lease for another month.

What to make of the Birds after one game?  If an Eagles fan had managed to see the final score without viewing the game, he/she would of thought it was along the lines of what was expected.  But it was how the Eagles got to the final result that is a little unnerving.

Nick Foles made too many mistakes in the 1st half, often dancing around the pocket as if he was taking salsa lessons for the first time and realized that he had two left feet (Good ole Nick doesn’t look like the type who will be seen competing on “Dancing with the Stars” anytime soon, but that’s perfectly fine with me).  And while Foles did play much better in the 2nd half, many of his passes seemed to consist of checkdowns to the running back, with the wide receivers being almost nonexistent.

Perhaps that’s what the defense was giving him…or perhaps the loss of DeSean Jackson was more important than we thought.  Either way, when the Birds face the Colts this Monday night, getting off to a start like they had against Jacksonville would certainly doom them for the remainder of the game.

The Colts are not in rebuilding mode like Jacksonville is, and will be playing with a sense of urgency as a loss Monday night would make them 0-2 on the young season. The Eagles would do well to get off to a good start to have any chance of winning the game, but will be playing with two fill-ins on the offensive line.  The Colts will be without their star defensive linebacker Robert Mathis, which should help the Birds passing game.

The Eagles will keep this game close and have a chance in the end, but I think the Birds fall short, 35-31.  It’s all good though…this season is still on track for good things.  Barring any salsa moves by Nick Foles…

The Last Word:

Knocking another stadium off of the bucket list as I head to Indy for the game on “Mondayyyyy Night Football” (as Al Michaels used to say before he started working for “Sundayyyyyy Night Football”).

Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all times in EST and on Sunday unless stated otherwise):

Falcons at Bengals 1:00 PM CBS

Seahawks at Chargers 4:05 PM FOX

Eagles at Colts 8:30 PM ESPN (Mon)

As Broad & Pattison Turns Week #1: Eagles vs. Jaguars

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We have HIGH Hopes, we have HIGH Hopes, we have, eye in the sky, apple pie hopes….

Somewhere, former Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas must be singing his favorite song, but not for his beloved Fightin’ Phils, who’s hopes for a successful 2014 season were in tatters even before July 4th had arrived…

Unlike the Phillies, who’ve been, and will continue to be, in rebuilding mode for the next few years, the Eagles took a detour on that path and turned a 4-12 season just two years ago into a ten win NFC East championship in 2013.

The start of football season in these parts always brings with it a sense of optimism and excitement, but that has been heightened considerably this year.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly’s first training camp was viewed almost like a circus act.  Most of us were curious to see what tricks he had up his sleeve, if only for the fact that he was considered a novelty, but an unproven novelty.

This year, there is a sense that not only does Chip know what he is doing, but that he has his team on board as well, no easy feat when you consider that he is dealing with athletes who are getting paid to do a job and are no longer college students as was the case at his previous job in Oregon.

On top of that, the NFC East is ripe for the taking just as it was in Andy Reid’s first few seasons at the helm in the early 2000’s.

The Giants seem to be an older team on the path to mediocrity.  The Cowboys needed to resort to signing Michael Sam just to get any publicity, since their season seems to be over before it even starts.  And the Redskins?  Can you say OVERRATED boys and girls?  And that goes for their quarterback (RG3) as well.  Look for Kirk Cousins to eventually take over that team.

Not only did the Eagles quick turnaround last year raise the fans hopes, but the sad truth is that they are the only game in town.

The Phillies treat their older veteran players as if they were professors with “tenure”, refusing to acknowledge even the thought that perhaps starting over with young and fresh blood is the best strategy.  And while some of the bad decisions fall at the feet of Phils GM Ruben Amaro, firing Amaro would be nothing more than a band-aid approach when cutting off the head of the dragon is really what is needed.

Phillies president David Montgomery, while a decent businessman and a model human being, seems to refuse to believe that he has a lousy scouting department, lousy farm system, etc., always implying that he’s happy with the people he has in place.  If Montgomery was the captain of the Titanic, he would probably tell you that the ship’s not sinking when half of it was already submerged under water.

Across the street, Flyers chairman Ed Snider, growing impatient with his team’s lack of a Stanley Cup since the 1970’s, has allowed his front office to sign players who, while not as “over the hill” as the Phillies current core, were a year away from being past their prime (can you say Vinny Lecavalier anyone?).  This misguided strategy has resulted in one too many first and second round playoff exits, and while the arrival of new general manager (and former Flyers goalie) Ron Hextall should change that, the rebuilding process could still take a few years.

While the Flyers Wells Fargo counterparts, the Sixers, aren’t looking to get older, they seem to be looking strictly for young and INJURED players, with the hope that one day all of them will exit the infirmary at the same time and start playing basketball together as if they were the second coming of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

This strategy is sadly, exactly what is required in a screwed-up NBA, and it unfortunately took the Sixers too long to figure this out, so now they, just like the Phillies, are light years away from contention.  Look for these two clubs to start contending just around the time that the first Walmart or McDonalds opens on Mars.

The fans in Philadelphia have been eagerly waiting for any sign of possible sports success, and this town is now the Eagles to lose.  The offense should still be a potent force even with the departure of DeSean Jackson, and the defense looks to be improved.  But the “elephant in the room”  for most of training camp was the field goal kicker…

Alex Henery, during his three years as the placekicker, became the “Bobby Abreu” of the Eagles – he had great stats, but never seemed to deliver in the clutch.  But with so few experienced kickers out there, his job seemed relatively safe until rookie Cody Parkey, who’s name sounds more like he’s the main character in an upcoming FOX show about the wild west, kicked two field goals from 50+ yards in the final preseason game, prompting the Eagles to send Henery out the door with a case of Tastykakes as a parting gift.

The message to Parkey from coach Chip Kelly basically was ‘Congrats kid, the job is yours.  We have Superbowl aspirations…no pressure though.’

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have this uneasy feeling that at some point in January/February 2015, the Eagles hopes of ending their 54-year-old championship drought will rest on Parkey’s right leg.  That could end up being his “Matt Stairs” moment…or his Scott Norwood/Bill Buckner moment, depending on the outcome.

So what happens this Sunday against Jacksonville?  This could be the first time in years where I’m leaving a game midway through the 4th quarter since the outcome is no longer in doubt.  The first time in years where I get to Broad & Pattison and the express trains haven’t started running since  the game is still not officially over.  The first time in years where I get to my car in center city and the coach’s postgame news conference hasn’t even started yet.

Birds win easily, 38-17, and get their season started on the right foot.  Whether they have the right “foot” for making clutch field goals still remains to be seen…

The Last Word:

Congrats to the Taney Dragons for a successful season.  While they did not win the Little League World Series, the fact that they made it to the tournament and went as far as they did is a testament in itself.  Even more impressive is the fact that they are actually from Philadelphia.  Not Bucks or Montgomery County, not Voorhees, Cherry Hill, or Moorestown, NJ but PHILADELPHIA.

The team as a whole seems quite humble, and their star pitcher, Mone Davis,  displays the maturity of one who is a veteran MLB pitcher and not a thirteen year old.

When the Phillies recently honored the Taney Dragons before one of their games, it was ironic that Mone’s designated “partner” to throw out the first pitch to was Phillies closer Jonathon Papelbon.  If Papelbon displayed even a quarter of the maturity that Mone Davis does, he might actually be considered likeable…

Amit’s Marquee Matchups for Week #1 (all times in EST and on Sunday unless stated otherwise):

Packers at Seahawks 8:30 PM NBC (Thurs)

Patriots at Dolphins 1:00 PM CBS

Colts at Broncos 8:30 PM NBC

Chargers at Cardinals 10:20 PM ESPN (Mon)

As Broad & Pattison Turns: Amit’s Farewell to Soccer

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With NFL training camps just a few days away and the World Cup now behind us, I thought this would be the perfect time to post my “Farewell to Soccer”:

Thanks for the memories soccer!   Because of you, we were able to watch sports on TV without having to tune into 1) A woeful Phillies squad, 2) The NBA Summer League or 3) Reruns of the NFL’s Greatest Games on the NFL Network.   In addition, you helped to spur the local economy by increasing all of our bar tabs at our favorite watering holes all around the country.   And for that, we thank you.

But while we had an enjoyable “one-month stand”, complete with some good times and some laughs (albeit very little action), the time has come for me to say farewell for another four years.

You see soccer, to be perfectly honest, I never thought of you as much more than a “fling”.  Between your complete lack of scoring, your “extra time on a whim”, and your championship games which can potentially be decided entirely by luck in the form of a shootout, you’re just not attractive enough for me to keep you around for the long-term.

Sorry to be so harsh soccer, but I gotta “kick you to the curb”.   But I’m sure that you’ll end up back on your feet very soon in a place that appreciates you much more than I do – the rest of the world.

See you in 2018 soccer.  Hopefully the Phillies and Sixers will actually be worth watching by then as well.

 

As Broad & Pattison Turns: Superbowl XLVIII Wrapup

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We’ve been lucky for the last six years.

Along with the usual pomp and circumstance of a Superbowl party, consisting of wings, beer, pizza, nacho dip, crab dip, etc. (all of which can sometimes lead to certain individuals taking part in another “dip” that starts with “skinny”), we’ve been lucky to have an entertaining Superbowl which has gone down to the wire for the last six consecutive years.

Starting in 2008 when the Giants shocked the then 18-0 Patriots, and going all the way to last year, when the Ravens defeated the Niners in the “Power Outage” bowl (which should have been sponsored by the Energizer bunny), the 2nd-half suspense of the big game consisted of more than just looking at one’s Superbowl block pool to see if any money was coming your way.

But that all changed this year.

This year’s Superbowl was a flashback to the majority of the games that took place in the 1980’s, when the AFC Champion would claw its way to the top of its conference, only to become easy fodder for the 49ers, Redskins, or Giants, the big three who ruled the NFC back then.  The “big game” was big only in name and hype then, and never quite lived up to its billing once the action on the field actually commenced.

Fast forward to this year’s game, where the Broncos played as if they were on a drinking binge for the last two weeks and woke up with a major hangover just moments before the national anthem played.  The Seahawks, meanwhile, were sharp and played with a purpose, and being one of the youngest Superbowl winners ever, they will probably be near the top of the mountain for years to come.

Seattle went from 7-9 just two years back to Superbowl champion due to drafting well the last few years, including in the later rounds, a strategy that other teams would do well to emulate.   Of course, everyone has the desire to draft well, but having the right people in place to do so is another story.

The Eagles were 4-12 in 2012 mostly due to awful drafts in 2010 & 2011.  But surprisingly good drafts the last two seasons helped them rebound to a 10-6 record in 2013, and another year or two of solid drafts will be needed if the Birds hope to win the first Superbowl in the team’s history.

As for the Superbowl “extras”, my  favorite commercial was the Audi “Doberhuahua”, featuring a hybrid dog which was part doberman and part chihuahua.  Aside from the dog’s humorous antics, the “huahua” part somehow got me hungry for a Wawa hoagie…even though it was acting more like a “hotdog”.

Coming in 2nd was the Geico gecko “cheesesteak shuffle”, if only for the fact that it centered around Philadelphia.  In the commercial, the Geico gecko is doing his own cheesesteak shuffle to celebrate the fact that a cheesesteak is available just as readily as Geico insurance.

While I would still take the “Ickey Shuffle” (courtesy of former Bengals running back Ickey Woods) over the cheesesteak shuffle, my question is – since the gecko is doing the dance across from Geno’s, does that mean that he’s really a Pat’s Steaks fan??

These are the questions that go through my mind during a one-sided Superbowl.   That, along with my commentary that the 2013 Eagles would have given the Seahawks  a much better game than the Broncos did (even though, technically, the Birds can never play the Seahawks in the Superbowl being that they’re both in the same conference).

The Last Word:  The end of another football season is upon us, and with it, the winter of our discontent has begun.  Sundays in February leave a void that is not filled for me until April, when the Phillies start their season and a possible Flyers playoff run may commence.  Add to that, a colder and snowier winter than usual and April cannot come fast enough (I know there is March madness, but last time I watched, and was interested in, college basketball was during the Clinton Administration).

The end of football season also usually coincides with me going into writing hibernation and not coming out of my hole till Eagles preseason has begun.   However, this year, I do plan to write at least once a month about the various goings on in the Philadelphia sports scene, as Broad & Pattison is still occupied even when the Eagles are not one of the inhabitants.   Until then, stay warm everyone…pitchers and catchers report in just under two weeks.

As Broad & Pattison Turns: Superbowl XLVIII Edition

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Broncos vs Seahawks  6:30 PM (FOX) – For this one, they should bring back the Kingdome and Mile High Stadium.

Bring back Dave Krieg, Jim Zorn and Steve Largent.  Bring John Elway out of the executive box and Tom Jackson out of the ESPN booth.

Bring back Chuck Knox and former Penn State great Curt Warner.  And while you’re at it,  bring back Karl Mecklenburg, the “Three Amigos”, and the “Barrel Man” (RIP Barrel Man).  And for a goof, bring back Brian Bosworth…

While the Seattle Seahawks played in the NFC west in their inaugural season of 1976 (and reside there now), they were actually in the AFC West from 1977 till the start of the 2002 season, where they faced the Broncos twice on an annual basis as division foes.

Ironically, their first ever playoff appearance came at home against the Broncos in the 1983 AFC wildcard game when, leading by 10-7 at halftime, the Seahawks exploded for 21 unanswered points, leading to the franchise’s first playoff victory.  Did I know that info. by researching the internet?  No…I actually remember watching that game in my parents’ family room as a little tyke growing up in Northeast Philadelphia (while I frequently struggled just to get a C grade in elementary school due to lack of interest, I can recite where I was watching random NFL games from childhood with relative ease….go figure).

With all of the history then, this is, in essence, a “Back to the Future” sort of Superbowl.   And while Peyton Manning would do an admirable job of playing “Biff” the bully, it would be his brother Eli, instead of Seattle QB Russell Wilson, that would be a better fit to play the role of “Marty McFly”.

While the main focus in the NFL usually centers on the quarterbacks, the conference championship games showed us that football is still a team sport, and losing one piece of the puzzle on your team can lead to devastating consequences.

In the AFC Championship game, New England seemed to keep Peyton Manning in check until Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib went out with a knee injury.  After that, it was as if the border patrol went out to lunch and never returned, as Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas suddenly began to get open against a mismatched secondary, ending with seven receptions for 134 yards.

In the NFC title game, even with all the talk of Russell Wilson & Colin Kaepernick, it was Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman that made the defining play, followed by a defining rant that has gotten more played out than those annoying Progressive Insurance commercials with “Flo” (personally, I prefer “Jan” from the Toyota commercials).

So who wins this Sunday?  Peyton Manning was lucky to play in 63-degree weather at home in the AFC Championship, but it will most likely be much colder than that come kickoff Sunday night.   The Seahawks are used to playing in dreary weather in the Pacific Northwest so the conditions should suit them just fine.

The matchup pitting Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas against Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will be the most intriguing one to watch.  Unless the Broncos get lucky again by way of the opposing cornerback going out with an injury, think the Seahawks will take this one and win their first ever Superbowl.

Superbowl XLVIII will also be one of “firsts” – the first one where the price of admission gets you the sight of your own breath for three plus hours, plus a set of handwarmers and lip balm (as opposed to sunscreen given to attendees in Tampa a few years back).  Considering the price of the ticket, hope that it’s at least Chapstick brand…

The Last Word:   Superbowl XLVIII will be the first in 19 years featuring two teams that reside west of the Mississippi River, and the first in 14 years that will not have a participant from the Eastern Time Zone.