Phinally Philly

Heading into the 2010 season, the Phillies’ bullpen is the biggest question facing the team, but what about their starting pitching depth?

We know the starting rotation will consist of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and most likely Jamie Moyer. It seems as if Kyle Kendrick will be sent to the bullpen to start the season, even after his impressive spring.

That may be a setback for Kendrick, but it is great news for the Phillies’ pitching depth. Having a major league caliber starting pitcher in the bullpen is a huge asset. He will be available to make a spot start if an injury every creeps up in any of the starters. It’s a lot easier to call up a bullpen arm from Lehigh Valley than to grab a competent starter.

Even with Kendrick sitting in the bullpen out in center field at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies also have some starting pitching depth at the AAA level. One of those names is former Phillie Brandon Duckworth. He was signed to a minor league contract this past offseason after a few years in the Kansas City organization. Duckworth hasn’t been able to recapture the little bit of magic that he had in his first season with the Fightins 9 years ago. He’ll be one of the first options for the Phillies if a starter goes down, if he makes the IronPigs roster.

He’ll be looking to follow the same path that Rodrigo Lopez took to the majors last year. Lopez came up from Lehigh Valley and made a few solid starts for the Phillies when injuries crept up for the starters.

Ryan Vogelsong is another pitcher that it slated to open the seaosn in LV. He’s started 33 games for various clubs at the major league level, so he’ll be another option when the need arises. Andrew Carpenter has also started a game for the Phillies.

No team will go through the full major league season only needing 5 starters. A team needs to be prepared for when the need arises for another starter. With the options that the Phillies have in the bullpen and in their minor league system, they seem to be prepared for that.

Now it’s just up to those players to step up when they’re called upon.

Has everyone calmed down a bit yet?

Has it been a long five games before finally getting that out of the way the other day? Of course it has. It’s been a frustrating stretch filled with finger pointing, media antics, and fan offseason preparations.

Now that people have calmed down after a solid win, we can approach the issues a little more realistically.

Officiating

But first, let’s get your blood pumping a little.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

You’d think by now the NHL would have looked into these Penguins vs. Flyers match-ups for “tampering.” Again, I’m not trying to promote conspiracy, but it’s time for people to take a realistic view on this situation. The Flyers never catch anything more than a trip to the penalty box when they play the Penguins.

Again, it’s in the NHL’s best interest at this point to come out and explain the rationale behind some of the calls made in these games, particularly yesterday’s game, which some people are calling the worst officiated game in modern NHL history. It’s getting old, and it’s about time the NHL answered for some of the people they employ.

That goes double for the Ottawa game. The officials in that game were just as horrendous.

I try to call out officiating only when necessary or blatantly obvious. There have been three occasions where the NHL has needed to fine referees based on their actions during Flyers games this season. Yes, in case you were wondering, I am calling the integrity of the league into question.

I have no problem with phantom calls or even the occasional make-up call to make things a little more interesting. However, let’s make sure we’re not making it so one team isn’t even allowed to compete. That’s all I ask. Well that, or explain your actions.

The Team Behind Boucher

Now, with all of that behind us, I’d like to take a look at what changed from the games we played over the course of the stretch and the game tonight.

Boucher has now started 20 games as a Flyer in 2009-10. Last night was his 6th win. That’s right. You heard me correctly. Boucher has a record of 6-15-3 this season. That means the collective of Healthy Emery, Injured Emery, Healthy Leighton, Injured Leighton, and Backlund, who started one game, hold a record of 32-17-3.

What this means is that for some reason the Flyers don’t come to play for Boucher. They played very well for Emery, who is better than Boucher. They played well for Leighton, who is technically worse than Boucher. They didn’t play half bad for Backlund either considering the bizarre officiating.

Still, this team has 82 points currently. 67 of those points over the course of 52 games belong to goalies other than Boucher. 15 belong to Boucher in 24 games. Without Boucher in net, the Flyers were pacing for 126 points this season. With Boucher? Just 51.

The numbers are far too crazy to be a coincidence. This also probably has a lot to do with the confidence of this team. Before tonight they never once seemed confident in Boucher.

It is true that earlier in the season, during the slump, Boucher was playing well while the Flyers gave him absolutely no offensive support. He suddenly goes down, and Leighton has a phenomenal run. Leighton goes down, and we’re back to square one with Boucher.

I’m not saying that Boucher means the end to our season. I don’t think it’s as simple as a chemistry issue. There are too many factors involved to get a true reading on how this works. Even so, it’s definitely some food for thought.

Fact and Fiction

The other day I got a very lengthy and thorough response which basically sum up the fans’ view of Flyers’ hockey. The fans deserve their say of course. We are all an integral part of what makes this organization tick. In fact, today at the start of the Season Ticket Holder Town Hall Meetings many of these same issues will be brought to the attention of the brass within the Flyers’ organization. I’m just going to give my opinions on these matters here for now. I’ll deal with the Town Hall at a later date when they have all concluded.

The following is a response session for a comment posted by zechohman on an article found here.

This recent “collapse” that the Flyers are going through has really made me rethink the direction I thought the Flyers were going towards. Like most, I thought this team was going to make a deep run into the playoffs, and who could blame me when major sports writers thought the same thing, though this mess we are in now has me thinking this team needs to go through a complete overhaul from the top to the bottom.

I don’t blame you for thinking this team had a chance at a deep run in the playoffs. I thought that as well. I’m sure many others thought that. It’s totally reasonable to expect a deep playoff run with this team. It was reasonable to expect one last season as well, but as everyone already knows, we lost in the first round despite handedly outplaying the eventual Stanley Cup Champions for the majority of the series. In some of those games, we absolutely couldn’t buy a goal.

This season, it’s a healthy combination of issues leading to our record. Confidence has been a major part of that and may even be the leading cause. When this team is losing you can tell they feel suffocated our choked. Then they fight back and often try to do too much. Then they get even more frustrated at their lack of offensive output, and it turns into an even longer slump.

Even so, these scoring slumps are deceptive. Scoring is down league wide this season. Right now the Flyers are in 8th averaging 2.87 goals forced per game. The team was tied for 4th last year with 3.17 goals forced per game. The 8th place team that year was averaging 3.06. So the offensive numbers, while frustrating, are normal. Our offense could stand some consistency, but it is certainly still elite.

Now, you’d think with all of that talent offensively and arguably the deepest defense in the NHL including a Norris favorite leading the charge, we’d have a much better record. Obviously things aren’t adding up, but if you read this entire article you noticed our frustratingly horrific record with Boucher in net: 6-15-3.

In an 82 game season at Boucher pace, we’d finish with 51 points. Even the last placed Edmonton Oilers have made it to 55 points already. With every goalie other than Boucher, we are 32-17-3 which gives us a pace of 106 points, which would be second in the NHL behind the Washington Capitals.

I’m not going to blame Emery for getting hurt, Leighton for getting hurt, or Boucher for the team’s terrible play when he is in net. However, this is obviously a team that needs to have a specific goalie. Boucher, at this point, is clearly not that goalie for whatever reason. Even more unfortunately for us, he’s the goalie we’re stuck with unless we can hold on long enough for Leighton’s return.

Still, this is not a team you implode and start over with. Believe it or not, this team is a consistent goaltender away from being a powerhouse. Emery was great, but it appears as though his career might be over. Leighton might be a flash in the pan. This offseason we need to move a little bit of our defensive depth (one of Coburn, Carle, or Parent) in order to pick up some extra goaltending. That’s all.

First, management needs to change. Ed Snider fails to see that hockey has changed since 75′. If the Flyers wanna win and play cap era hockey they need management that has NEVER worn the orange and black.

The Flyers organization, thanks to it’s management, leadership, and fundamentals, is the second winningest franchise (based on percentage) in NHL history. They have two Stanley Cups, a great legacy, easily the most loyal fanbase south of the Canadian border, and more than one legend for every decade. The organization has accomplished this by keeping things internal. This organization believes in “once a Flyer, always a Flyer.” They are easily one of, if not the, classiest organization in the NHL. They care about history, and they care about their players. It’s what has brought this organization success on the ice, around the Philadelphia region, and across the hockey world as former members of this organization seem to always consider Philly their favorite.

I mean, there’s a good reason that when Jeremy Roenick retired he thanked us, the city of Philadelphia, fans, and organization for everything we had done for him. He thanked everyone else, but you could tell he holds us in his heart. It’s the same story with everyone who comes here.

Regardless of whether or not you think the current management is doing a good job, this organization should and will stay internal.

Also, this team is nothing like the teams of the 70′s. Hockey has evolved in every generation, and this team has evolved with every generation. That’s another reason it was able to obtain the second highest winning percentage in NHL history as well as the third highest postseason appearance percentage in NHL history.

Paul Holmgren has created a mess that even Burke would have a hard time digging out of. I agree you can’t blame Homer for this goalie injury epidemic.

Paul Holmgren has certainly made some mistakes that were readily visible by many fans even before he made them. Even so, the vast majority of his mistakes look far different in hindsight than in the time he was making the decision. On top of that, Holmgren has done far more good than bad. The organization is in a very good position to win a Stanley Cup over the next decade thanks to Holmgren. I won’t go into detail now because I assume I will be at some point through the course of this session.

For years the Flyers have settled for cheap goalies. The only recent team I can think of that won a Stanley Cup was the Red Wings, but look at how that team was built. Putting them off to the side, if you look at past teams that won, they had star goalies making money. The Flyers need to see that until the money rolls to goaltending they can’t get much more done.

I disagree with this completely. The Red Wings are not the only team in the modern era to win the just average goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury, Cam Ward, and J.S. Giguere are all just average to above-average goaltenders that are products of their environment. Oddly enough, many people don’t realize that goaltending is probably the least important position to spend a lot of money on. This is because skaters greatly influence the goaltending position, their stats, and how well they play. Any average goaltender behind an elite team can get hot enough to win the Stanley Cup.

The only elite goalies to win a Stanley Cup in the last 20 years are Martin Brodeur (3), Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy (3), and Ed Belfour. 8 of the last 20 teams to win the Stanley Cup did so because of elite goaltending. When you look at teams to make it to the Finals, the number is even more skewed.

The reality of the position is that, since it is largely based on the team and not the actual goaltender, you end up finding so many goaltenders with the skill necessary to compete at a high level behind an elite team that goaltending becomes largely interchangeable.

The reason that the Flyers have not won a Stanley Cup since the 70′s is not because of some fatal flaw with goaltending. Not once has goaltending been the reason they were ousted from the playoffs. It could be this year, but that’s only after plenty of injuries between the pipes.

In fact, Leighton is a perfect example of the point I’m trying to make about goaltending. You should take a look at his pre-Philadelphia stats and then his 2009-10 season. You’ll see exactly what I’m talking about when I say that the team makes the goaltender.

There’s also something to be said for chemistry with a goaltender, and this is the real area where the Flyers have failed in terms of goaltending since Hextall. The Flyers have not gotten comfortable with any goaltender for a variety of different reasons whether it be play, chemistry, salary, or age. This offseason that will likely change thanks to the unfortunate injuries to Emery and Leighton.

There is good news. Anthony SanFilippo, who I trust the most out of the Philly area collective of beat writers, got some news from an anonymous inside source:

“We can’t go into next year with the same situation or a similar situation in goal that we have right now. What happened this year is really nobody’s fault. Ray (Emery) came in here and did everything we asked and was good until he got hurt. We got lucky with (Michael) Leighton, but we can’t expect to win doing things this way in goal.

“It’s already been decided that our No. 1 priority for next season is to get a goalie. We have to go out and get that player and commit to him as our guy.

“It’s probably going to mean somebody is going to have to be traded away, especially if we go after a young goalie on another team, but that’s what we’re going to have to do. We can’t keep going the way we have been. The goalie has to be the most important target and we don’t want to keep replacing one veteran with another. We want to get a guy who can be our goalie for several years…. We have to go in another direction.”

All this really does is prove what I mentioned in my article from last Friday: Emery and Leighton’s injuries have forced the organization’s hand. It has changed the organizational mentality to an extent, and we will be going after a young goaltender this offseason. I even included a list of our young goaltender possibilities in that article.

I do agree the goalies in the system have some light. Nicola Riopel and Joacim Eriksson have posted solid numbers, and I saw Carter Hutton play in Hershey on Sunday. He came up big, but only 2 games. You can’t get much from that.

One thing that Holmgren does very well is scout. He’s a great judge of talent and character. He employs great scouts who can also find these things in players. He also is very shrewd about building a prospect pool. He knows when he needs to work on something. Goaltending is certainly an organization weakness he’s planning to attack. He’s already attacked our forward prospect pool a lot this season, and we haven’t even gotten to the draft.

Anyway, back to goaltending. Nicola Riopel, Joacim Eriksson, and Carter Hutton are just the top of the barrel. The Flyers have sent scout Neil Little to check out Jussi Rynnas and Sergei Bobrovsky heavily. Both are incredible young talents. Many think Bobrovsky is even better than Simeon Varlamov of the Washington Capitals. Like the Swedish Johan Backlund, the Flyers are actively searching for goaltending talent everywhere possible, even Finland and Russia. Though Backlund is older now and likely won’t return to the team next year, both Rynnas and Bobrovsky are still prospect age. I hope we can manage either of them.

There’s also a rumor starting to spread that Eriksson could be headed over to North America. I would rather him get at least one season in the Swedish Elite League, but apparently he wants to head over. I’m sure the organization is working this out as well.

Now back to this mess of a hockey team. Homer has traded away a team that had younger players, like Sharp and other draft picks, and made this team a joke of an organization. Snider will not fire Homer just like he couldn’t bring himself to fire Clarke.

On December 5th, 2005 during the 2005-06 season, we moved Sharp and Eric Meloche for Matt Ellison and a pick that turned in Jonathan Matsumoto. Ignoring the fact that Holmgren wouldn’t become the GM for roughly another year, this was a deal that looked like a change of scenery move. It should have ended up trading two career AHL forwards for two career AHL forwards, but Patrick Sharp surprised a lot of people. Those kinds of trades happen. It’s not fair to judge Bobby Clarke in hindsight. There’s a reason he made that move, and it wasn’t because he expected Sharp to be a break-out sniping winger.

Honestly, as one of the best drafting organizations in NHL history, I’m not worried about moving picks, prospects, and young players to the extent that Holmgren has. We have a stellar young core with a solid group of complimentary prospects in the pool. I have absolutely no problem with that, and you shouldn’t either.

We are hardly a joke of an organization. As I said, we are one of the most storied, one of the best drafting, and one of the classiest organizations in the NHL.

The trades Homer has made has been questionable to put it nicely. Yes he’s made some steal. Like getting Coburn, but look at him now.

Coburn has in fact regressed since his rookie season. However, he is still far better now than he was last year. He was terrible last season, and it all culminated during the early portion of this season. Right now, he’s steadily improving. A lot of his problems were confidence related anyway. He definitely has all the tools, but for a while, he was second guessing himself. You could tell when he got caught flat-footed and skaters begin to go around him. He’s made some great strides to get back to form.

Besides, if you’re going to talk about steals, you should probably include Leino for Tollefsen+ as well as the Forsberg trade, which was just all kinds of awesome. Seriously, the Forsberg trade was like Christmas. Leino and Coburn were like birthdays. How about picking up impact guys like Krajicek and Leighton off waivers? If you’re going to blame Holmgren for the bad, you have to give him credit for the good.

Matt Carle. Sorry but between him and Coburn, I don’t know who turns the puck over more. Yes, he has good stats but when playing next to Pronger its hard to look bad. Getting Carle we  got rid of Eminger and head case Steve Downie. Though we got Eminger because we traded a 1st round pick. Though im not sure if it was John Carlson they drafted with are pick, wouldnt it be nice to have him in our system?

Carle isn’t nearly as bad as he was last season either. It’s easy to go and say it’s all thanks to Pronger, but you need to watch Carle a little more closely. He’s a different defenseman. A lot of the reason he is able to play like he does is because of his confidence in Pronger next to him. Having a future hall-of-famer and current Norris front runner right next to you has its perks. It’s not as though Pronger is necessarily masking Carle’s mistakes, but he is giving Carle the freedom to play how he wants to.

Will this turn into how Carle plays all the time? Maybe. It’s a risky style, but it fits Laviolette’s system nicely as long as he has someone competent to play with on the other side.

Frankly, for what we gave up for him, Carle is a legitimate steal. Eminger is terrible and Steve Downie obviously was a headcase. The pick we gave up for Eminger sucked because it turned out we could’ve gotten Jersey-boy John Carlson or even goalie Jacob Markstrom, the guy who is shadowing Joacim Eriksson in Brynas’ system over in Sweden.

Still, you can’t dwell on those picks. You don’t really know what you would’ve had. Would I have traded that pick for Eminger? No. Would I have traded that pick for Carle? Yes, I would have. Downie getting thrown in sucks, but he was going to be an issue here anyway.

Upshall trade, yes it was for cap reason but if Homer knew how to manage the cap he wouldn’t of had to trade a 2nd round pick to go with Upshall for Carcillo.

The 2nd rounder included in that deal was brutal, and the deal was basically to let Giroux stay in the lineup. An interesting fact about that deal that not many knew about was that it was reported that Upshall wanted $3.50m per year. At 30 points a season, he wasn’t worth that. At 50 points? Probably, but we really had no room for that. Our cap situation forced us to include a 2nd round pick, but picking up Carcillo definitely didn’t suck.

Trading Umberger again cause Homer cant manage the cap. Though Sharp wasn’t from him it just shows young and possible prospects that we could of had.

Trading Umberger was going to happen in a cap world regardless. You can’t hold onto everyone. Sharp sucks, but you have to let that go. He really didn’t show any signs of an NHL future. Umberger was a decision made by the organization. We were going to lose either Umberger or Carter. That was set in stone.

You’re upset about all these assets we’ve lost, but you fail to see the assets we’ve been able to keep because we’ve made these trades. Another important factor are non-trades. Things like not trading Carter and a 1st for Kaberle at the trade deadline in 2007-08 and not trading Giroux or vanRiemsdyk to acquire Kovalchuk this past deadline are extremely important to the future of the organization. The moves where we have lost assets were necessary.

Let’s not forget though the contracts Homer hands out. I may be wrong, but didn’t Knuble want 2 million? Cause of the cap we couldn’t have him, and now he has 25 goals. Where as Hartnell, who makes what around 4 million with a NTC, has 14?!?! I hope I wasn’t the only one who knew that his 30 goal season was a fluke.

If I remember correctly, Knuble wanted a multi-year deal. We were willing to give him around $2.00m, but we couldn’t agree on the length of the contract. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway. Knuble would not be nearly as effective here as he is in Washington this season for the same reason that Hartnell is slumping. Both Knuble and Hartnell don’t fit at all into Laviolette’s system. That’s part of the reason why Hartnell might be the one moved. He has struggled ever since Laviolette came to Philadelphia. He was great before then.

While I agree that Hartnell’s season last year was sort of a fluke, he’s hit the other end of the spectrum. This is the worst year he’ll likely have for a while.

Homer just gives out NTCs to anyone it seems. He’s constructed a poor team. Another thing I see no team do is have so many tough guys. You need those players, but we have 4! Cote (yes he never plays), Asham, Lappy, Carcillo and you could even say 5 with Hartnell for all his stupid penalties. Sorry to let the Flyers know, but the days of the broad street bullies are over and have been. Snider needs to wake up and see that! The style of play of bossing people around is over. Skill beats tough guys now. I thought this off season we addressed the fact that we weren’t going to look at it like that anymore.

How has he constructed a poor team? As I said, we have an elite offense and arguably the best defense in the NHL. Holmgren has constructed an elite team that was working perfectly fine until this team was forced to go with Boucher.

As for our “physical” aspect, that has nothing to do with the old days of the Broad Street Bullies. You have to have physical players in your lineup. The thing that the Flyers are doing now is focusing far less on fighting/gooning and working with hybrid players. These are your Carcillo’s, your Asham’s, your Laperriere’s, your Powe’s, and your Hartnell’s; players that bring the pain and some skills to go with it. The entire hockey world is moving away from the Cote-esque player. We even drafted a player like Downie as well as acquired another similar guy like Legein who is currently in the AHL. You can’t have do-nothing heavyweights crowding the lineup for protection anymore. These guys provide energy and are vital to every NHL team, not just the Flyers. It has nothing to do with the days of the Broad Street Bullies. In fact, we’re not anywhere near as physical as some NHL teams. Believe it or not, the Penguins are probably bigger goons than us now that we have put a leash on Carcillo. We are on the cutting edge of the new-era NHL, and it’s a shame you don’t realize that.

This team continues to still talk the talk but has yet to walk the walk. Our captain needs a sucker punch to the face. His binge drinking days gotta go. The letter “C” on his jersey needs to go. It’s no secret that Richards will be the leader of the team, but he shouldn’t be now. In my opinion, I feel the Flyers did what they could to try and keep Richards as close as they could to Crosby. Being a Philly fan, it should be law to hate Cindy, but he’s a better star then Richards and that is just fact even if he wears a diaper.

I’m not sure what you mean by “walk the walk,” but I assume you mean the fact that we turned into a paper tiger this season. Honestly, I think if our team has any confidence in goaltending, then we are among the top 5 teams in the NHL. Yes, our team is that good, and that’s another reason you don’t implode this team.

As for Richards, there’s only so much he can do. This kid is a proven leader, far more than Crosby. In fact, he’s been Crosby’s captain before. Richards isn’t a vocal leader like Pronger, but he is one of the better leaders to come out of the CHL in a while. Just because the media is in the middle of a feud with him, doesn’t mean their jabs at him are correct.

As for his binge drinking, all young hockey players drink. “Binge drinking” is probably a sizable over-exaggeration by the media, but these are still young professional athletes with more money than they know what to do with. NHL stars drink. NBA stars drink. MLB stars drink. Obviously, NFL stars drink. It’s all a matter of how much of a big deal the media makes of it, and who gets caught. There’s not much else to that. You think Crosby doesn’t drink? The entire “binge drinking” thing is just another money-maker for the media. It’s meant for nothing more than fan speculation and panic. That’s what leads to webpage hits.

Until change comes, Stanley won’t visit Philly.

Again, change is needed between the pipes because we’ve lost all our legitimacy at that position through the course of this year. It needs a refresher and possibly a young goalie to grow with. The rest of our team doesn’t need to change much at all.

People seem to think winning a Stanley Cup is easy. Ignoring the threat of injuries, every team at the start of the season has a 3.33% chance of winning a Cup. The Stanley Cup is unbelievably hard to obtain.

Those blaming Holmgren for our recent issues really have no ground to stand on. His only real big mistake was the Randy Jones debacle. That was a disaster start to finish. Any other mistake he has made he has corrected as soon as possible be it Eminger, leaving Stevens in too long, or signing Lupul to that contract.

Briere is not as much of an albatross as people think. It will likely become one in a couple of seasons, but we will have to worry about that then. Hartnell doesn’t fit in Laviolette’s system, and it’s possible he is traded. One of Carle, Coburn, and Parent is not necessary next season. One will probably be traded along with possibly Syvret and Matsumoto if we can find picks for them.

This team is not just built for a window. It is built for a decade. It’s unfair to claim Holmgren has failed his job just because you don’t see a Stanley Cup in Philadelphia. If that were the criteria, you’d see 27 GM’s fired every 3 years.

Holmgren, for all his faults, may be one of the best GMs in the NHL. It’s unfortunate that this has happened to this team, but the reality is that these things happen. It’s only thanks to Holmgren that we still have any semblance of a shot this season, that we will have a shot next season, and that we will still be around over the course of the next decade.

Everyone wants to fire everyone without knowing the truth. It’s easy to blindly call-up people, but it’s a severely different matter to actually get to the real issues that this team has.

The grass is always greener, and believe me, you should be happy to have the organization the way it is and not how most other organizations look. Looking out on the entire NHL world, I can attest to just how lucky we are.

Town Hall Meetings

There will be other things covered, but the direction of this organization is a main for this year’s Town Hall. Last year, as you know, the news about the Oranges jerseys becoming the new home jerseys was leaked. We here at Phinally Philly brought you that information first. Though the news that our Winter Classic jerseys will now be our regular away jerseys is already well-known, there will be more news coming shortly straight from the organization’s officers in regards to questions that you, the fans, ask. Stay tuned.

The lead up to the first official match featuring Philadelphia’s MLS entry was a well-planned event, but despite the best of intentions, the Union’s debut didn’t live up to expectations.

The local side played well, but it all unraveled after the forty minute mark when Toni Stahl was sent off after being handed a red card. The second year Seattle Sounders sent off the Union 2-0 off of inspired performances from Brad Evans and Fredy Montero. The latter’s well-placed header could likely be the goal of the season – you need see this one to believe it.

Although the match didn’t start off well for the Union – Danny Califf got a yellow card in the first minute – the unit was able to hold its own against a much better and practiced Seattle side.

Despite giving up a goal to Brad Evans in the 12th minute, the team defended well and passed even better. While translating the expert passing into a defined attack remained a problem throughout the duration of the match, Michael Orozco got off an excellent strike that just missed finding the back of the net.

As the match wore, the deficiencies of the Union very much rose to the surface. The team fouled too much, coming up with six yellow cards and one red card at the end of regulation. A knee jerk supporter could claim that the ref had it in for the Union, and while some of the calls were questionable, Philly just played too rough.

The Union were also unable to translate their passing into effective strikes. Going into game two against DC United, the team is going to need to plan their attacks better and not just shoot when they’re in the vicinity of the net.

It wasn’t all bad for Philadelphia. Midfielder Roger Torres, on loan from Colombian side América de Cali, knew exactly what he was doing on the pitch. The 18-year old who is currently with Philly so he can see regular playing time, was absolute class and is an early bright spot in this very young season.

Former Seattle striker Sebastien Le Toux also looked excellent on the pitch. He had our only excellent shot at goal, but he was well offside.

While game one in the history of the Philadelphia Union wasn’t what the city had anticipated, supporters need to keep in mind that this is not only a new team, but also the youngest one in MLS. It’s likely going to be a very long season, but many of these early mistakes are easily correctable.

When people are frustrated with inexplicable losses and poor efforts, they have this habit of trying to find out what’s wrong with the team in order to fix it.

Unfortunately for these people, it’s easy to blame specifics for what you can’t fully explain.

So who has caught the blame so far this season?

John Stevens, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, Braydon Coburn, Danny Briere, Paul Holmgren, Scott Hartnell, Paul Holmgren (again), Brian Boucher, and finally Mike Richards (again).

We have basically come full circle, and we’re no closer to the Stanley Cup then we were in November.

It wouldn’t be Philadelphia sports without a scapegoat right?

Well, how about we examine the real reasons this team is where it is right now.

1. Identity

I’m not talking about the “We are the Orange and the Black!” stuff. This is different than a fan mentality of identity. Fans associate themselves with the city and the team through location, but players identify themselves through their teammates and their organization; people they share the hockey team with. Fans obviously play a role in this as part of the atmosphere, but for the most part, a team’s identity is the locker room.

So does that mean there is locker room trouble? Of course not, but think back on 2007-08. That team had an identity. It had a feel all its own. That team knew exactly what it was, and I guess this goes a little back to chemistry. John Stevens was not the best coach for the Flyers’ situation, but he brought an identity to the team that Peter Laviolette just has not brought yet.

That’s also not Peter Laviolette’s fault. He hasn’t had the time to build the team the way he sees fit. The lack of identity seems almost inevitable, especially with an offseason acquisition like Pronger. Suddenly there are a lot of voices in the locker room, and that’s not to take anything away from the current captain Mike Richards, who often gets attacked unfairly. His job, however, is to take that kind of punishment. Through all of this, it’s his job to unite the team behind Laviolette. He needs to be Laviolette’s right-hand guy. Right now it may just be too soon.

Identity issues are the kinds of problems that are unavoidable but, in the end, will end up fixing themselves behind a core.

2. Confidence

Confidence is what makes this team a streaky team. They lost their confidence under John Stevens every once and a while, but each time they did, it seemed almost impossible to get back. Under Laviolette, the confidence as a team is used differently. Because of that, you see them being able to come back from behind to win games. Laviolette is what has given this team a “never quit” mentality. Unfortunately, as we’ve all seen, that’s not always enough.

A lack of confidence, which is what is responsible for the recent poor play, can be manufactured by many other things. For instance, this team felt comfortable with Michael Leighton in net. For whatever reason, even if Leighton let in a bad goal every once in a while, this team felt like they were okay. Now, with Boucher in net, that atmosphere has changed. As soon as Boucher let’s in a bad goal, the confidence plummets rapidly. Because of that, the team loses focus quickly.

It’s not easy to re-manufacture this confidence once it has vanished, much like it is hard to force an identity. However, pulling the goalie, calling timeouts to refocus the team, or even calling up a new starter as the Flyers will tomorrow against Pittsburgh are all effective shake-up methods. In the end, you have to hope that the players stay focused. The media and the fans certainly don’t do much to help the situation, but that’s the reality of professional sports.

Who is at fault?

No one person is to blame for this team being the way it is right now. You look at this team and how it’s struggled, and you want to point out one thing to fix that could change it. Time will change it. An offseason, a goalie to feel confident in, an offseason to bond with a new coach, and a new outlook on things will do wonders for this team.

Unfortunately, with a dog fight to the finish staring them right in the face, they really don’t have that luxury.

What now?

The season is not over. Pittsburgh is tomorrow. Johan Backlund will likely get the start over Brian Boucher. You take things one game at a time if you’re the Flyers. They’re still in the playoff race. They could still get Carter back. They could still get Leighton back. All they have to do is weather the storm. They need to get some points and hold on. If they can make it, a confidence boost from Carter and Leighton could work miracles.

We don’t know what to expect in the next couple weeks. The players don’t even know what to expect. It’d be easy to sit here and criticize Boucher’s technique or focus, but that’s not useful. Coming to terms with the situation at hand is important.

In the later innings of a National League game, it becomes a chess match between the managers. What pitcher gives the best matchup? Announce a pinch hitter to get a different pitcher? So many different scenarios to play out.

Having the right mix of pitchers is crucial to a team’s success in the Senior Circuit. Charlie Manuel has done well since coming over to the NL with his game management, but he still needs the right pitchers.

With the Phillies sending Mike Zagurski to minor league camp last week, it left the team with 12 pitchers, pretty much finalizing the opening day roster. The only position battle is between Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick for the 5th spot in the rotation. Whoever doesn’t get the starter’s spot, goes to the bullpen.

If that pitcher happens to be Moyer, that brings a ton of left handed experience to a bullpen that is sorely lacking it. With J.C. Romero likely to open the season on the disabled list, there aren’t many lefties floating around in the bullplen.

In fact, unless Moyer gets shifted to the bullpen, the only lefty will be Antonio Bastardo. He went 2-3 with a 6.46 ERA last year, but that was mostly as a spot starter. He’ll be looked at to e the shutdown lefty in the ‘pen until Romero gets back. That’s going to be a lot of pressure for a young kid with only 23 innings under his belt at the top level.

Moyer would bring experience, but he doesn’t fit the role of a lefty specialist. He would be used as a long reliever and spot starter if he’s not in the rotation.

Until Romero comes back from his injury, Cholly will have to hope that the rest of the bullpen can get the job done.

The Flyers’ Goaltending Curse

There is something a little creepy about both Ray Emery and Michael Leighton going down to long-term injuries during the course of a season. In fact, Ray Emery’s hit the IR list twice this season. Even Brian Boucher went down for a bit with a minor injury, which is what actually brought Leighton into the unlikely success he witnessed before getting hurt.

What about Johan Backlund, the low-risk high-reward goalie they signed out of Sweden last offseason in the hope of something special? Well, he got hurt too. That is why Jeremy Duchesne, a prospect likely without an NHL future, is currently the Flyers’ back-up.

How much disaster can one position take?

It’s not fair to blame General Manager Paul Holmgren for these goaltending tragedies that keep unfolding. Experts on a professional analyst panel will tell you that goaltending has been the reason the Flyers have not hoisted a Cup since the days of Parent or even been to the finals since the days of Hextall. Why would they tell you that? It’s because, from an outsider looking in, that’s exactly how the Flyers look. The unfortunate reality of this goaltending mess the Flyers have witnessed since the late 90′s is that the play between the pipes has not been holding back the team.

In every postseason since Hextall took the Flyers to the finals in 1997, there is an obvious reason why the Flyers didn’t win it all. None of those are because of goaltending.

Still, there is a certain amount of truth to the claims. An organization and a team on the ice both need a goaltender they are comfortable in for the long haul. Was Emery that goalie? Maybe before he got hurt. Was Leighton that goalie? Probably not despite his incredible rise to the starting position and his hot streak. Is Boucher that goalie? Certainly not.

Biron was a little too unsteady and wanted too much money. Niittymaki was plagued by injury here as well despite a great pedigree. He also may have been the fall-guy for a horrible on-ice team. Esche certainly wasn’t going to win us a Stanley Cup in a less than perfect world. Neither was Vanbiesbrouck, and though Cechmanek did finish as a runner-up for Vezina, he is no longer in the NHL.

All of these goalies could have won a Stanley Cup had the team in front of them not had other severe flaws with Emery and Biron having the best legitimate shot. After all, goaltending is largely based on the team in front of it. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if the Flyers had someone they could rely on it net every once in a while when the team is in some trouble?

You can’t prevent injuries. That’s basically what the Flyers’ 2009-10 season boils down to.

Still, with plenty on the line over the next coming seasons, it’s hard to believe the Flyers won’t finally decide to use some of their assets to go goaltender hunting.

What are our options?

Unrestricted Free-Agents

• Marty Turco - Age: 34 – Was mediocre for a large portion of his career but often struggled behind a poor Dallas defense.
• Evgeni Nabokov - Age: 34 – Is regarded as one of the top 10 goaltenders in the game today but will either cost a nice chunk of salary or will be re-signed by San Jose.
• Jose Theodore – Age: 33 – Up and down mediocre goaltender who Washington overpaid for though he could still be a decent starter for cheap.
• Dan Ellis – Age: 29 – Had a rough career in Nashville with struggling teams but always performed very well and could be a best possible UFA goaltender if Nabokov gets re-signed.
• Marty Biron – Age: 32 – The Flyers have been down this road but would have probably held onto him had he asked for less money which he will this offseason.
• Ray Emery – Age: 27 – If his career was not ended by his unfortunate injury, he is a definite cheap possibility in net if the Flyers are willing to risk it again.
• Antero Niittymaki – Age: 29 – He knows the organization well and has rediscovered his talents with the Lightning but still may not be consistent enough to start in Philadelphia.
• Michael Leighton – Age: 28 – He was in talks with the Flyers for an extension before getting hurt, but the Flyers wanted to wait until the saw him in the postseason before making any decisions.

Possibly Available Through Trade

• Jhonas Enroth (BUF) – Age: 21 – Under Contract – With Miller penciled in as their goaltender for the foreseeable future, the Sabres could use Enroth as a bargaining chip to improve their roster.
• Josh Harding (MIN) – Age: 25 – RFA – He has struggled at times on a poor Minnesota team, but since the Wild have decided to go with Backstrom long-term, the team could move Harding in a desperate attempt to make their roster half-decent and acquire anything that even remotely resembles a prospect pool.
• Carey Price (MTL) – Age: 22 – RFA – With the emergence of Halak as their starting goaltender, there are rumors that the Canadiens could move Price in order to fill in some holes on their roster.
• Jaroslav Halak (MTL) – Age: 24 – RFA – Though Halak has emerged as a very talented starting goaltender, the Canadiens are in a bind with two capable netminders and some holes to fill on their team.
• Cory Schneider (VAN) – Age: 24 – RFA – Now that Roberto Luongo is signed until 2022, Cory Schneider is likely available this offseason when the Canucks have to re-sign him for some defensive depth, which the Flyers have plenty of.
• Michal Neuvirth (WAS) – Age: 21 – Under Contract – The Capitals at this point are likely going to be looking at Simeon Varlamov to be their future between the pipes, so if they feel their desperate need for defensive depth is striking enough, they could part with Neuvirth.

Those are pretty much the Flyers options for next season. A number of those tradable goalies probably won’t be able to start next season either, but in a perfect world, the Flyers manage to lock up Dan Ellis for a couple years at a reasonable contract and trade for Cory Schneider. It’s no secret that Vancouver could use some defensemen, and the Flyers have plenty of them.

Whatever happens this offseason, it’s sure to be something substantial. Then again, we did say that last offseason when Biron and Niittymaki were replaced by Emery and Boucher. Was that substantial? Of course it was, but things don’t always turn out like you hope.

The Flyers’ mentality will not change. They’re never going to drop high-end pieces like vanRiemsdyk, Giroux, or Carter to acquire a goalie like Vokoun. They won’t overpay for a veteran on the free-agent market either. They will wait until someone establishes themselves in between the pipes and the organization feels comfortable with them.

The recently acquired Carter Hutton has been turning some heads in Adirondack on a tryout basis. A 0.921 SV%, a 2.50 GAA, and a win against the AHL heavyweight Hershey Bears over the course of two games certainly helps. Meanwhile, Joacim Eriksson is off in Sweden trying to play Leksand up to the SEL. There’s also Nicola Riopel, who went back to the QMJHL for the remainder of this year in order to follow up his QMJHL record-setting GAA from the 2008-09 season.

The Flyers have some good things going on in goal underneath the NHL level for the first time in a long time, but they need something this offseason. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will be between the pipes next year.

Now, I’d never wish for any Philly team to lose games on purpose. Nor would I deem it acceptable from any other franchise in any other sport for any reason at all.Though, Today I’m saying the Sixers should lose out the rest of the way.  I’m not saying they should do it on purpose, they’ve been doing a good job all year losing by themselves. All I’m saying is, keep your pride in check, Sixers, and just lose, baby.

The Sixers have 12 games remaining in the regular season. That’s 12 games until they hit the tees, or go back to their hometowns to watch the NBA playoffs with their friends and families.

Out of the final 12 games, only a handful are  “winnable” games for the Sixers.

The remaining schedule shakes out like this:

vs Orlando (Tonight)  49-21

@ Milwaukee            38-30

vs Atlanta                45-24

vs Oklahoma City       42-26

@ Charlotte              35-34

vs Toronto               34-34

vs Detroit                23-47

@ Miami                  36-34

vs Milwaukee

@ Memphis              37-33

vs Miami

@ Orlando

As you can see only one team they’ll face the rest of the way has a losing record, the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers are currently only one game better than the Pistons.  Their matchup on April 6th could have huge NBA lottery implications.

With the Sixers most likely parting ways with Ed Stefanski, and definitely with head coach Eddie Jordan, a new GM and coach could find themselves in an enviable position. Starting off their tenure’s with a high 1st round pick could help them develop a direction for this team more easily. Having a piece to build around is half the battle. A battle that’s been lost by Ed Stefanski and Billy King before him. The Sixers roster isn’t full of bad players, in fact it’s full of some actual talent. Only, there isn’t any superstar talent, or “special” talent on this team. Andre Iguodala is a nice player, but let’s face it he’s destined to be a side-kick. Elton Brand was at one time a huge piece to a teams success, now he’s in his fledgling years, a shell of his former self.

Aside from those two, you have some developing talents.  Thaddeus Young and Maressee Speights have seemed to go backwards this season. Not surprisingly though, being on a bad team rarely helps a young players game. With Jrue Holiday, he’s shown some tremendous skill, and has a huge upside. The rest of the roster is full of average role players.

The  Sixers roster combined with a flawed offensive system, non-existent defense and cap space headed in the wrong direction is a recipe for 24-46 record.

All of this is why the Sixers should lose out the rest of the way. Lose all 12 and hope for the best possible draw in the lottery. If you’re a real Sixer fan you’ll understand that it’s the first step to turning this franchise around. Winning a couple of games at the end of this season can only hurt the team in the future.

In the short time that the Philadelphia Union has existed, many things have gone right for the club.

Hiring a top manager. Getting a soccer specific stadium built, along with a major naming deal to go along with it. Ticket sales through the roof. An impressive showing at the franchise’s first SuperDraft.

All that before the Union has even stepped foot on the field for an MLS game. The U has followed in the footsteps of last year’s expansion franchise, Seattle Sounders FC, who had a very impressive debut season.

Of course, with all that going their way, there was bound to be one final hurdle before the Union took the field. MLS and it’s players were stuck on negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and the players were on the verge of striking. All the work that the franchise and it’s supporters had done was about to go down the drain.

At the last minute, on Saturday, a new agreement was struck. It pretty much keeps the league the way it was, but there is now limited player movement, as well as salary increases and guaranteed contracts. It’s a win for both sides, as the players get security while the owners stayed away from free agency.

Without this agreement, professional soccer, and soccer in general, might have been dealt a death blow in the United States. Major League Soccer has steadily improved and is really starting to expand it’s reach. With another major market in Philadelphia entering the league this year, it adds even more legitimacy to the league.

In 3 days, the Union will make it’s franchise debut against Seattle, with a strong presence from the Sons of Ben in attendance out there on the left coast. The game will showcase the last two MLS expansion teams on national television on ESPN2. While I wish I could be there, I will be at Lincoln Financial Field on April 10th for the team’s home debut against DC United.

All of the hard work that has been put into Philadelphia getting a Major League Soccer franchise is about to pay off.

I’ll leave you with the Sons of Ben singing “Four Leaf Clover” at the expansion announcement. Truly awesome.

The March Madness might be a sign; a sign of change. It spreads through the American world much like a strong heavy rain washing away all of our winter interpretations of reality while bringing along the excitement of the unknown as we soldier on, as we do every year.

But change happens often. What is so special about March? In fact, what is so “insane” about March 2010?

HOCKEY

Flyers’ Creationism

Well, the last five Marches have been a particular journey for me. As a Flyers fan I’ve seen the entire spectrum of what Flyers hockey can be from a perch in Washington, DC. It might have culminated last Saturday during a weekend trip to the ever exciting District of Columbia. I was in town for Shamrock Fest, the second biggest Irish festival in the United States (second to Boston for obvious reasons). The festival began at 1 P.M. on a rainy afternoon which was the same time the Flyers were matched up against the Chicago Blackhawks.

I probably would have skipped a chunk of the concert had my friend who I was staying with had Center Ice, but I decided text updates would suffice. So I went to the concert with my younger brother, beer in hand, and standing in the pouring rain while listening to some of the best Irish bands the world had to offer. I was annoyed as the alerts came in that the Flyers had fallen behind 2-1.

One of my top three all-time bands, The Tossers, were about to take the stage to my left when I got the text message that the Flyers had tied the game with just over 2 minutes left. The Tossers’ lead singer, T. Duggins, stepped up to the microphone when my phone buzzed again. There, covered in beer, drenched in rain, and smelling like any number of bars, I got word that Chris Pronger had pulled off a miraculous regulation win with roughly two seconds left.

How did I react? Well, my brother and I ran straight into the fray. That’s what happens at these kinds of things. The Flyers had created yet another couple points out of what probably would have been a sure loss. Goaltending or not, the Flyers are finally finding ways to face adversity, something that never happened under Stevens. With Laviolette, the pressure does not effect the team. They rise instead of shelling up and going quietly into the night.

March 2010 is the story of Flyers’ creationism. Turning nothing into something. They turned a rainy afternoon Irish festival into an incredible celebration of the very best things life has to offer; alcohol, music, friends, and sport (not necessarily in that order). They have not played particularly great, though not particularly bad either. Even so, they’re finding ways to win despite two back-up goalies and a quarter tank of gas. Teams that don’t quit are the teams that do well in the playoffs.

At the beginning of March they were a team that didn’t make a move on a more proven goalie. Now they’re a team that can find a way to win despite whoever is in net. That’s a great sign.

Orange and Black Depth Chart Theatrics

Last night, with the 8-10 week injury to Michael Leighton just beginning, the Flyers went back to the other goaltender in their reserve. Boucher hadn’t started a game since getting hurt in a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers back on December 21st, 2009. Last night, he was absolutely incredible as the Flyers came from behind once again to beat the Dallas Stars.

I wrote before about Leighton’s Christmas Miracle, but that seems to have ended abruptly in the worst possible way.

So, for those keeping track at home:

• Offseason: Sign Boucher. Sign Emery.
• Early Season: Emery hurt. Boucher in. Claim Leighton.
• Early Mid-Season: Boucher hurt. Leighton in.
• Late Mid-Season: Emery returns. Emery in. Leighton back-up.
• Early Late Season: Emery hurt. Leighton in. Boucher back-up.
• Now: Leighton hurt. Boucher in.

It’s a miracle that the Flyers are still winning games with all that upheaval between the pipes. However, I’ve mentioned this plenty of times before: goaltending is largely dependent on the team of skaters. If you have an elite team, your goaltending will look much better than it actually is.

Another thing to point out is that technically speaking Boucher is a better all-around goaltender than Leighton. He’s much more positionally sound and more athletic. Leighton may have found some chemistry with the roster, but Boucher never got a real chance to get his starts in once the team had fully pieced together Laviolette’s system.

Anyone else remember 1999-00? 35 GP, 20 W, 1.91 GAA, and 0.918 SV% regular season? 18 GP, 11 W, 2.03 GAA, and 0.918 SV% postseason? Ring any bells?

March 2010 is the story of Brian Boucher and his return a decade later. 2009-10: Unfinished Business?

No Draft Picks? No Problem.

At the beginning of this month I made a “fairly” in depth write-up about the Flyers’ prospect pool as they added two more free agent signings. Well, with a lack of draft picks and prospects, Holmgren is looking for other ways to restock the cupboard.

Luke Pither – Signed to a 3-year Entry Level Contract beginning next year. He is a skilled, offensive center who will play with the Phantoms next season.

Shane Harper – Signed to a 3-year Entry Level Contract beginning next year. He is a skilled, offensive winger who will play with the Phantoms next season.

Mike Testwuide – Signed to a 2-year Entry Level Contract and could even see time with the Flyers this season. He is a crease bully with some scoring talents.

Ben Holmstrom – Signed to an Amateur Try Out with the Phantoms and could get signed to an Entry Level Contract if he performs well.

Jussi Rynnäs – Young, heavily scouted undrafted goaltender out of the Finnish league that Holmgren is pushing hard to acquire.

There’s no question that there’s more to come. Holmgren is rumored to have his hand in quite a few NCAA free-agents. Right now, our prospect group is starting to get a little tight for the Phantoms next season. We’ll see how it goes. It’s definitely going to be an exciting offseason at the minor league level.

THE REST OF THE NON-HOCKEY WORLD

Philly Blog March Madness

Far be it from me to question the seedings of someone else’s bracket, but The Phield is conducting their own version of March Madness. This one involves the best Philly Blogs in the known Philly Sport-verse. You can vote for which Philly Blog advances in each round until there is a winner. Well, your very own Phinally Philly got 7th seed in the Lauber Region. This is how The Phield sees the “Lauber Region” going:

The favorite: Phillies Nation
Created in 2004 by Brian Michael, Phillies Nation has been the major force among red-clad fan blogs. Part of the reason is its networking abilities: The Nation was one of the first blogs to champion Twitter, and also gained an enormous following on Facebook. The Nation’s reach is strong, with fans across the world checking the site regularly. Posts are every day with a mix of news, opinion and character. Its foray into podcasts became a hit, as well. It’s a regular one-stop shop for Phillies news and information, and towers above the other red-clad fan blogs.

The dark horse: The Fightins
We shouldn’t call The Fightins a dark horse, but many have debated its placement as a No. 3 seed, which might light the fire under these boys. Run by a motley cast led by meech.one, The Fightins paces the charge in Phillies humor, posting videos, photoshops, .gifs and lolz on the reg. Its off-centered content has made it a darling among beat writers and even players, who were seen sporting their t-shirts. Look, we know The Fightins is big time, so we might have to ready for a huge matchup in the elite eight.

The cinderella: The Shibe Times
It’ll be hard for any blog to power past Phillies Nation, The Fightins or No. 2 seed High Cheese, but we’ll mark the Shibe Times as a potential upset special. Its design is among the best, and its throwback theme kicks. It has a tough match against Phinally Philly to open, but it’s scrappy style might give enough of a scare to rattle some boards.

The unknown: The Good Phight
A weird case. The Good Phight gets a lot of hits. Commenters galore. Regular content and solid analysis. But where does it rank among the chalk? It’s probably the best 5 seed among the lot, and could even make a case for a 3 seed, but as we stand, it’s mired. We love WholeCamels and dajafi and the rest of the crew, but can they make enough noise to take down Phillies Nation in the Sweet 16? Maybe.

Best first-round matchup: Long Drive vs. Dirty Wudders
A solid 6-11 match, Long Drive is a new but loud force in the sphere, while Dirty Wudders is way under-the-radar, but provides more quality than you think. Long Drive might be cocky here, but be warned: these games are traps.

Best possible second-round matchup: The Fightins vs. Long Drive
And come on, if Long Drive gets past the first round, what a fun game this could be. The boys at Long Drive have ties to The Fightins, yet are completely focused on defeating them. We’ll see. Either way, consider this the marquee second-round matchup.

I think we, the fine folks here at Phinally Philly, have been underrated. We’re not getting our due. Granted, we are a younger blog, but out of most of these 65 (now 64) competitors.

Honestly, I think The 700 Level will run away with it, but what do we qualify as? A Cinderella? Who knows…just get out there and vote for Phinally Philly. Let’s make a run!

Beyond the Blogs

There’s also much more March Madness floating around if Flyers’ drama and blog showdowns aren’t enough:

There’s Real March Madness in the form of a guest post by Joe Gallagher. Don’t forget that everyone’s official Phinally Philly Sheets of Integrity are in full swing. Nova almost lost in OT, and Notre Dame screwed up my bracket beyond repair. Good luck to everyone still in the running for the Grand Prize.

There’s some Eagles Spring Cleaning Notes by Kieran Kelly since our Eagles’ writer, Dany Sloan, is taking part in some conferences down in Austin, TX. Take a look for your up-to-date Eagles’ offseason as we countdown to draft day.

There’s plenty of notes about the Phillies. All you have to do is head to the Phinally Philly Homepage to get a rundown on the shake-ups and preseason performers.

Then there’s more depressing news about the Sixers by Mike Santa Barbara.

There’s also the Union’s season in limbo as the MLS players threaten to lockout. Stay tuned. I have some hockey surprises in store for the upcoming weeks as well.

Don’t forget to go vote for Phinally Philly.

In their attempt to get back into the sports discussion in Philly, with the Phillies in spring training, the Flyers dealing with their annual goalie controversy and the Sixers well on their way to a lottery pick, the Eagles decided to attend to some things that were well overdue.

First, the cuts. Gone are Shawn Andrews, Kevin Curtis, and Darren Howard. While injuries have severely limited Andrews and Curtis the past 2 seasons, Howard just couldn’t deliver on the lofty expectations that come with a huge contract.

Shawn Andrews was a very good tackle during the time he was actually on the field. A 2 time Pro Bowler, he motivation was called into question recently. After missing all but 2 games the past 2 seasons with back problems, the Eagles just couldn’t afford to keep him around anymore.

Kevin Curtis was another flash in the pan who was bit by the injury bug. Coming over from St. Louis to fill the outside WR spot, after being a slot receiver, he showed he could handle the task. Unfortunately, injuries and overcrowding force Curtis out. With Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, and Jason Avant on the roster, there simply wasn’t any room for Curtis anymore. I will miss him though. He was the only Eagle who actually looked good in those blue and yellow throwbacks, which I absolutely love.

Darren Howard was brought in to be a pass rushing beast off the corner, but was signed coming off of an injury, which is never a good thing. After starting all 16 games his first season, he fell out of the starting role and into a situational end. While getting rid of the only pass rusher besides Trent Cole. Howard just wasn’t living up to his huge contract and had to go before he costs the Eagles any more money.

Spring cleaning also brought a few new faces to the Birds. Chris Clemons and a 4th round pick in this year’s draft for Darryl Tapp, a defensive end from Seattle. Both of these speed rushers were in need of a change in scenery after seeing their production slack off. Hopefully it works.

The Eagles made a couple moves to shore up their offensive and defensive backfields as well. They signed RB Mike Bell to an offer sheet and are just waiting to see if New Orleans matches it. As of now, it doesn’t appear that they will, after bringing in other RBs for visits. Bell is a hard runner who doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional West Cost running back, but could help out in short yardage situations.

Safety Marlin Jackson was signed to a 2 year deal in order to take over the free safety position in Philadelphia, still waiting to be filled after Brian Dawkins left prior to last season.  Jackson will be moving to a new position here, as well as try to come back from ACL surgeries on both knees in successive years.  The Eagles have had success with Correll Buckhalter after he had ACL injuries to both knees, so they know what they’re dealing with.

With this flurry of moves, the Eagles are positioning themselves well for the draft next month. The Eagles have the 24th pick in the first round. They could go in a few different directions, but there is a need on both sides of the line.

They do have some trade bait in those 3 quarterbacks….

-

In other news, several new player numbers were recently revealed, most notable LeSean moving from 29 to 25.
16 – Chad Hall, WR
25 – LeSean McCoy, RB
28 – Marlin Jackson, FS
91 – Darryl Tapp, DE

Speaking of LeSean, it’s good to see Westbrook continuing to mentor him as he heads into his sophomore year.