Phinally Philly

Hope you all had a fantastic hump day! My apologies for the belated edition of Wednesday’s Worst but I unfortunately was cooped up at the new job all day, then Lost came on. Priorities here people!

Now without further ado…THIS WEEK’S WEDNESDAY’S WORST IS…

ESPN and their love affair with President Obama! (And I thought the guy was already married!!)

It’s one thing if you want to have the President give you his Tournament picks, especially given he’s a basketball fan. It’s something else entirely when you are filling large chunks of Sportscenter with Obama and Obama-related interviews and shoving Obama-mania down the throats of anyone visiting ESPN.com. Coach K really put it best when he was asked about Duke not making Obama’s Final Four…

Somebody said that we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four, and as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets.

And seriously Mr. President, could your picks be any more boring? The lowest seed he has making it to the Elite Eight is Syracuse (the only 3 seed to make it that far on his bracket) and his Final Four consists of UNC, Louisville, Pitt, and Memphis. If you are going to waste a half hour of my life douching it up on Sportscenter at least take some risks and have fun with it!

The World Wide Leader should definitely take the brunt of the blame for this though; whether it was Andy Katz’s nausea-inducing grin the whole time he was standing next to El Presidente, or the incredibly cornball “Barack-etology” graphic on the ESPN homepage…the whole ordeal reeked of one giant Presidential ass-kissing. Slow sports day or not, this is definitely Wednesday’s Worst.

Dishonorable Mention…

THE SCOTTIE UPSHALL TRADE!

I’ll be honest with you, I’m going to go a little easy on Paul Holmgren on this one. The guy has made his fair share of brilliant moves (Zhitnik for Coburn) and not-so-brilliant moves (how’s that Danny Briere contract lookin’?) but all in all Homer is a very competent GM who helped transform this team from one of the worst in the NHL into one of the best in just one offseason.

That being said, this past trade deadline was a complete disaster for the Flyers. At the end of the day they lost Ossi Vaananan, Glen Metropolit, Scottie Upshall, and a 2nd round pick and gained…Daniel Carcillo. Yep, that’s it. For a team that was one good move away from being a serious Cup contender all of that seems awfully unnecessary, does it not?

Now I realize that the deadline passed back in early March so this criticism might seem a little late. I also realize that Vaananan and Metropolit have been non-factors on their new teams, but what makes this trade even worse from a Flyer perspective is the way Scottie Upshall is blossoming in Phoenix. In seven games he has three goals and an assist, and you better believe the Flyers miss his energy on their third line. The 25-year old is averaging almost five more minutes of ice time per night in the desert and is showing some of the promise that led to the Flyers acquiring him from the Predators in the first place.

As for Carcillo…well he has 21 penalty minutes, three assists, and zero goals in his first six games as a Flyer.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: the last thing this team needed was another hot-head who takes dumb penalties, which is exactly what Carcillo is. Even when you consider how mediocre Upshall’s stats were prior to the change in scnery, this trade made the Flyers worse as a team because it hurt them in the one area they had to improve in; taking fewer penalties. I’m not even going to touch that whole Kyle McLaren thing either.

I still have faith in Paul Holmgren as a GM, but with the Flyers so close to being an elite team a diasastrous deadline deal was the last thing the franchise needed. Call it a rip-off, call it a salary dump…I’ll call it a dishonorable mention for Wednesday’s Worst.

As I was watching Comcast SportsNite and ESPN’s SportsCenter, I saw a video of what appeared to be Cole Hamels driving away from what appeared to be his new condo. In a minivan.

It couldn’t be him. Hollywood Cole Hamels would never even set foot n a minivan, yet alone drive one. But, then I saw the footage again. It was him. I was devastated.

The huge man crush I had on him before yesterday is but a memory now. I have now diverted my full man crushness onto Chase Utley.

David Murphy over at the Daily News must have seen the same clip, because he got the scoop today

Is there anything more emasculating than being caught by network television cameras driving a mini-van? Kind of takes a little bit of the cool-factor out of your new multi-million dollar condo when you look like a soccer mom leaving it

.

Great line that I completely agree with.

“It’s my wife’s transportation,” Hamels said. “I told her, I’m driving this mini van and I’m so embarassed right now. But at the same time, it gets me from point A to point B. Cars were cool in high school. You wanted to have the cool car. Now I’m like, whatever. If it gets me from here, that’s all that matters.”

It doesn’t matter that it’s your wife’s car Cole. You were driving it and got caught, of course you’re going to say you don’t care.

I think Hamels may have lost a lot of man crushes yesterday, but as long as he can stay healthy this season, I’ll be happy.

And as for that elbow, from Todd Zolecki ,

“I love long shots,” Hamels said. “I bet all the money on long shots. That’s where you win, right?”

Obviously in reference to Rich Dubee calling him a “long shot” to pitch on Opening Night.

I love his attitude.

-KK

Cole Hamels hates MRIs but doesn’t mind mini-vans

Update: The 700 Level now has a picture.

Phans,

I’ve taken this beautiful Philly afternoon to start our very own Yahoo March Madness pool!

1st place wins a $50 Modell’s gift card!*

The pool is private so you’ll need to email me in order to get invited: phinallyphilly@gmail.com.
Whether you’re cheering for ‘Nova, Temple or another non-Philly area team, we hope you join us for some good ol’ fashioned Big Dance action. Personally, I’m cheering for the Drexel Women’s team.

Don’t forget to check back here after every round for standings.

Also, comment and let us know who your Phinal 4 are!

*Phinally writers will play but aren’t elegible for the prize and probably wouldn’t win anyway.

Huge win for the Sixers last night in LA! Iggy gets a little redemption after giving up Kobe’s jumper with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Coming up later tonight, a new edition of Wednesday’s Worst!

It’s just a building right? Millions of people come and go through Philadelphia every day without realizing that it’s there. Sure America’s Showplace has events every now and then, but people still line up for tickets to see the Phantoms play. Maybe they even take in a Kixx game. Still, how often do we head to a Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, or Flyers game walking right by the Wachovia Spectrum without so much as a second glance? It’s a feature of the Sports Complex landscape like the rising presence of the Vet which may not have been the most beautiful building in the world but carried us through decades of Eagles and Phillies games. When that was torn down we all mourned as if our world had changed forever. We watched it collapse on TV, bought souvenirs, told our friends and family where we were sitting when Dawkins made that crushing hit or Scott Rolen knocked one further than you can imagine walking as a little kid taking at your first Phillies game. This is just my young generation though. Countless memories were made there before I was born as well. The only keepsakes we have left of the Vet are the tiny pieces of rubble we were sold or stole, the video clips of the amazing things that happened there, and the images that float around in our heads from time to time. So what will it be like when the Spectrum is finally brought down to the rest us this summer? Over 40 years it stood there. It’s seen more things than any one person could take in during a lifetime of Philadelphia sportsfan-ship.

The statues outside ranging from the one of Dorny’s incredible goal in the 1973 playoffs, the Flyers secret weapon who still sends chills through spectators standing for “Good Bless America” when appearing on the screen at the Wach, Julius Irving, and the one of Rocky which has been moved to the Philadelphia Museum of Art since are some of the most amazing in the entire city. They tell of the history of Philadelphia more than any building or skyscraper could. Some of the most incredible sports stories came to light right there in the complex with the Spectrum playing a major part. So how could we possibly just move on? Inside is the Phantoms hall of fame as well with a detailed past of some of the greatest players ever to wear a Flyers uniform. Remember when Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Randy Jones, and a team of some of the leagues most important players including Patrick Sharp now of the Chicago Blackhawks, RJ Umberger now of the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with Joni Pitkanen and Dennis Seidenberg both now of the Carolina Hurricanes won the Calder Cup right there in the Spectrum?

Oh yeah, ladies and gentlemen. I can even do you one better. Ever seen this?

For all of our heartache and bitter failure there is always something else; something that’s been with us the entire time. The Spectrum has shared all of our memories with us. It has been there through the good and the bad. It will not likely get as much coverage as Veteran’s Stadium because we don’t associate it with the Flyers or Sixers anymore, but this is a place that deserves our love, admiration, and thanks for over 40 years of Philadelphia sports history. The clock is ticking down. The Phantoms have only 8 games left.

So what were you doing this whole time? Have you ever been to the Spectrum? Have you touched the Dorny statue and relived the Flyers’ Stanley Cups? Have you walked the halls where they cheered for the Sixers as they won their championship in 1983? Did you see where the Boss stood in the center of a sell-out crowd, like he has many times, and sang as the crowd drowned him out? If you haven’t seen the Spectrum then you have missed out on more Philadelphia history than you could possibly imagine.

So when the Spectrum leaves us what is going to be erected in its place? They’re calling the project “Philly Live”. By now I’m sure everyone has heard about it. Plans for a huge entertainment strip along with bars, restaurants, and maybe even a hotel have been announced. It’s going to be a spectacular place in the heart of the Philadelphia sports complex. One day we’ll all go there and walk into a bar, grab a drink, and remember what used to be in its place. My biggest hope is that those same statues that adorn the outside of the Spectrum will be kept as a reminder of the history that happened right there on the ground beneath the feet of people as they hustle about. Nobody knows what will happen when the Spectrum is torn down, but if they don’t put up a plaque or leave the statues where they are they will still never be able to take our memories.

I’m proud to say that I’ve touched the Dorny statue. I’ve walked the halls and gotten an expensive hot dog where they ran and shouted as the Flyers hoisted the Stanley Cup. That is sacred ground. I wasn’t alive for it, but every time I walk into the Spectrum I become a part of it.

So I ask you all. Are you a part of it? Are you what makes up Philadelphia history? Our history? Go take in a game before it’s too late. I promise you won’t regret it.

Take a look back at 40 years of Flyers history at the Spectrum.

There’s plenty of room.

Before diving in, I have a confession. I’ve been a student at Drexel for 5 years and have only been to about 5 womens basketball games.

But, now that the Drexel women are going dancing in the Big Tourney, I’m jumping on that bandwagon quicker than most people jumped on the Phillies bandwagon back in the fall.

The Drexel women beat JMU on Sunday to win the first Colonial Athletic Association Championship in school history, in any sport. That’s quite an accomplishment. This came on the heels of beating ODU on Saturday to end the Monarch’s 17 year run of winning the Conference.

The Dragons were rewarded with a 12 seed and a matchup with 5th seeded Kansas State.

ESPN is already pushing for the Dragons. Read the rest of this entry »

David Wright drove in the winning runs for the U.S. in the bottom of the ninth against Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and advances to the semifinals for the first time.

Wright’s hit drove in Baltimore’s Brian Roberts and the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins to win the game for the U.S. Shane Victorino also scored for the U.S. in the ninth.

Rollins went’ 0-2 with two walks and a run scored and Victorino went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Good to see the Phillies representing.

A game like this is what the World Baseball Classic needs to survive in this country. The U.S. needs to do well in order for a lot of people in this country to pay attention to it, besides the diehard baseball fans. I like what they’re trying to do and really want this thing to succeed.

Still, I can’t bring myself to root for David Wright or any of the other Mets. Phuck the Mets.

-KK

Puerto Rico vs. United States : “”

(Image courtesy of ESPN)

Not a good night for the Flyers…you know what helps with tough losses like this? ALCOHOL! Hope you all have a fun and safe St. Patty’s Day!

Even thought the examination on Cole Hamels’ shoulder showed no damage, pitching coach Rich Dubee had this to say about Hamels:

“I don’t know that it’s out of the question, but I think it would be a long shot,” Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said. “Opening Day is probably a long shot, just because we’ve got to get him up and running. We’ve got to stretch him out. I think he’s been up to 52 or 54 pitches. We like our guys, if they’re going to pitch, hopefully they’ll be ready to throw 100 pitches by Opening Day. It could be a long shot. Again, this guy has always risen to the occasion.”

Personally, I have a vested interest in seeing him back for Opening Night, I have tickets to the game and I’d like to see the staff ace pitch the first game back for the WFC.

GM Ruben Amaro has the right idea though.

“He’ll start when he’s ready to start,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “If it’s Opening Day, it’s Opening Day. If it’s some time beyond that, then that’s when it will be. He’ll let us know what the pace is. It’ll depend on how he continues to progress. For us, again, it’s the same old mantra: It’s not about Opening Day. It’s about 162 games, and hopefully beyond 162 games, that we really have to worry about.”

Opening Night is just one game. It would be better for Hamels to be around for the rest of the season. If it means him missing Opening Night, so be it. As long as he’s healthy for the rest of the season, everything will be good.

Don’t rush back Cole.

-KK

Hamels a ‘long shot’ for Opening Day

The Flyers should get a good idea of where they stand among the Eastern Conference elite tonight as they face the Wings on national TV.

This past weekend’s series against the Rangers has epitomized the play of the team this season…the Flyers looked dominant in a 4-2 win on Saturday then looked lost and lacked discipline in a 4-1 loss the next day.

Either way the Flyers will have their hands full against the defending Stanley Cup Champs. History isn’t on the orange and black’s side either: the Flyers haven’t won in Detroit since November 4, 1988.

Coburn to Play, Jones Out

According to Inquirer Staff Writer Sam Carchidi, Braydon Coburn will play tonight in Detroit while Randy Jones will sit around 10 days with an injured hip.The league was contemplating suspending Coburn for his high-stick against Nik Antropov on Sunday, but decided against it after Coburn argued that he was just defending himself.