Black Monday

As expected, Andy Reid and the Eagles parted ways. I am not surprised, but disappointed. Reid, the greatest coach in franchise history will never get his due, but in my opinion, he is a Sure Fire, First Ballot Hall of Famer. Every year he put a competitive team out there, something the coaches before him did not do. He was above average in the draft, he made smart signings and got rid of most players right before they were done. Unfortunately, in Philadelphia, he will be known as the guy who got them close, but never won a championship. He did get them to 5 NFC Championships in 14 years, which is incredible. I hope he lands in a great spot and continues his winning ways. Coaching in the NFL is tough, you get far too much credit and blame for your team's performance. Only so much a coach can do, I would think prepare your team each week and hope you get lucky. But when a lot goes wrong, it's the coach who ultimately takes the blame. And for Andy Reid, it was just time for him to move on. In another city, he could have been a lifer, but in Philly, unless you win championships, you are a complete failure. I don't believe the Eagles need to make a huge splash with a coach, they just need to get a guy who can prepare this team week in and week out. And let's hope with a last place schedule next season and Nick Foles plays to his potential, the Eagles are sitting in the playoffs.

Sports

I make no qualms about my love for sports. It's an escape, not real life. When my teams lose, I take it hard for a short time, rationalize it, and move on. It's a game, entertainment and like I said earlier, an escape. It's a big money business and its function is to make money. Some leagues do it right and some don't. But in no way is sport = life.

As I get older, it's less and less important. Sure I live lounging on the couch all Sunday watching football, it's a way to relax and recharge. I don't it personal, especially when my team screws up.

I was watching Thursday night football and something the announcer said kind of bothered me. During the Eagles/Bengals game, Brad Nessler made a comment about running up the art museum stairs, ala Rocky. And the other talking head, Mike Mayouk responded about the (and I paraphrase) its stupid because its a movie and not real.

Mr. Mayouk, you make your money analyzing a game! A game a form of entertainment, just like a movie. You make a living based on people like me tuning into a game and buying the products advertised on the show. Mr. Mayouk get your head out of your ass and realize you are a talking head that analyzes a game. You are an entertainer, contributing your "knowledge" for gambling purposes.

Mr. Mayouk, it's great you take yourself very serious, but remember if you lost your voice, there would be someone right behind you to take your place. Some advise, lighten up, remember, football is a game and football is entertainment, like movies, books, pro wrestling, bob ley, angry birds and running up the Philadelphia Art Museum stairs.

Your Top QBs

In the past several weeks, I've ranked the top QBs in the NFL this season. And with a few weeks to go in the season, I think its safe to say, the rankings are what they are. Several teams have switched QBs in the middle of the season, so I decided to rank the QBs by teams as opposed to individuals. Also, I have them ranked, but I also have them tiered so here are the 2012 NFL Best (and worse QBs) Bottom of the rung 32.) Arizona 31.)Kansas City 30.) NY Jets Signs of Life 29.) Jacksonville 28.) Cleveland 27.)Tennessee 26.) Minnesota 25.) Philadelphia Room For Improvement 24.) Carolina 23.) San Diego 22.) Miami 21.) St. Louis 20.) Buffalo 19.) Baltimore 18.) Oakland Jury is still out 17.) Dallas 16.) Detroit 15.) Tampa 14.) San Francisco Almost in the top 10 13.) Cincinnati 12.) Seattle 11.) Pittsburgh Top 10 10.) Chicago 9.) New Orleans 8.) Houston 7.) Washington 6.) Atlanta 5.) Indianapolis 4.) NY Giants 3.) New England 2.)Denver 1.) Green Bay

The Problem With The Marlins

It's been about a week since the 2012-2013 Miami Marlins Not-So-Great Sell Off and I keep hearing all the debate back and forth, locally, nationally and anyone else who wants to give their opinion. I thought I would share mine. The essence of the trade is to dump salary, plain and simple. Don't let ANYONE tell you anything different. Jose Reyes was a horrible signing for this team last year, it was not the right fit for the Marlins or Reyes and I am a little shocked he wasn't moved during the trade deadline last season. John Buck is a solid catcher, despite not putting up great offensive numbers. He seemed to handle the pitching staff well and I honestly had no problem with him as a player, but he was making too much money. Now this is where things get a little shady for me. Josh Johnson had one year left on his deal. He would be worth SOOO much more if he remained a Marlin, at least until the 2013 trade deadline. He has an up side of being a franchise Pitcher, one a team with a lot of top tiered prospects would drool over and over pay for him for a pennant race. Mark Buerhle eats up innings and is good for 10 wins a season. He also is a good veteran presence to have with a very young team. I would have held on to him ala Josh Johnson til mid-season. Emilio Bonafacio is a jack of all trades, worked his way up through the system and proved to be a very valuable asset to this team. You traded these 5 guys for a package of young guys and malcontents and on paper it doesn't seem like it will benefit the Marlins at all. The Marlins used public money for a new ball park, they had ownership "pretend" they cared about putting up a winner, by spending money and worse of all, they came out publicly telling their fan base they will compete (spend money.) They lied. They went all in for 1 year and when they realized they had the wrong guy managing the team and the they didn't have the right pieces, they did what they do best, Sell off. Instead of trading for value, they just dumped salaries so they can start all over again. Over the last 10 years, their track record of developing players leaves a lot to be desired. I am sure not only do they dump salary, they also pinch pennies when it comes to scouting and development. And this is the problem with this ownership and front office. They have lost all credibility in baseball circles because they cannot draft or develop players. They are the laughing stock of baseball because they have a gorgeous new ball park far away from their core fan base (this is why the stadium is always empty) and they are evilest of heels when it comes to their public image. They will never attract quality free agents, because no one will come here, knowing they will be traded away in a year and the Marlins will not give out a no-trade clause. They will have to rely on quality drafting and development, which they don't have.

QB Rankings Week 9

So after Week 8, let's look at how the mighty QB Rankings Change. Next to the name will be where they were 6 weeks ago. 32. Blaine Galbert (31) 31. Kevin Kolb/John Skelton (30) 30. Matt Cassell (29) 29. Mark Sanchez (26) 28. Brandon Weeden (32) 27. Jake Locker/Matt Hasselbeck (28) 26. Cam Newton (13) 25. Michael Vick (25) 24. Sam Bradford (8) 23. Ryan Fitzpatrick (17) 22. Joe Flacco (20) 21. Tony Romo (18) 20. Phillip Rivers (5) 19. Josh Freeman (21) 18. Christian Ponder (27) 17. Carson Palmer (22) 16. Ryan Tannehill (23) 15. Drew Stratford (10) 14. Alex Smith (3) 13. Jay Cutler (24) 12. Andy Dalton (12) 11. Russell Wilson (15) 10. Drew Brees (16) 9. Matt Schaub (9) 8. Robert Griffin III (4) 7. Andrew Luck (19) 6. Ben Rothlieberger (11) 5. Eli Manning (1) 4. Peyton Manning (14) 3. Tom Brady (6) 2. Aaron Rodgers (7) 1. Matt Ryan (2) Matt Ryan has played spectacular and gets the number 1 spot over Rodgers and Brady because his team is undefeated. Peyton Manning looks as good now as he did 5 years ago. Andrew Luck has surpassed RG3, which I thought he would have, little surprised he did it this year. Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannenhill look like they will have long productive careers with their respective teams. Cam Newton has lacked leadership and the ability to stay away from adversity. Mike Vick has been hit too many times and now with this make-shift Offensive Line, I don't see things getting any better. The Blaine Gabbert experiment didn't work in JAX, he will be a backup elsewhere next season.

Your Top QB's

Now that we have played 2 weeks, I am even more confused with who is good and who sucks. But, none the less, here is my rankings of the top Quarterbacks so far in this very young season: 32. Brandon Weeden 31. Blaine Galbert 30. Kevin Kolb 29. Matt Cassell 28. Jake Locker 27. Christian Ponder 26. Mark Sanchez 25. Michael Vick 24. Jay Cutler 23. Ryan Tannehill 22. Carson Palmer 21. Josh Freeman 20. Joe Flacco 19. Andrew Luck 18. Tony Romo 17. Ryan Fitzpatrick 16. Drew Brees 15. Russell Wilson 14. Peyton Manning 13. Cam Newton 12. Andy Dalton 11. Ben Rothlieberger 10. Drew Stratford 9. Matt Schaub 8. Sam Bradford 7. Aaron Rodgers 6. Tom Brady 5. Phillip Rivers 4. Robert Griffin III 3. Alex Smith 2. Matt Ryan 1. Eli Manning

The Homerun Derby - YAWN

I think it's time for some change and Major League Baseball is always behind the curve when it comes to bring proactive in change. Inter league play, Instant Replay, Playoff expansion and of course the Home Run Derby. I find it pain stacking to sit for 3 hours to watch batting practice and listening to ESPN's Chris Berman "back, back, back, back - gone." Nothing against Berman, but its very old and tired. Here is my suggestion if you want to keep the Home Run Derby. 5 competitors: 1. AL HR Leader 2. NL HR Leader 3. Previous Year's HR Leader 4. Previous Year's HR Derby Winner 5. Rookie HR Leader And I am sure there will be an overlap of double winners in the previous 5, so the players will vote in the 5th competitor. Each contender will get 15 swings, the top 2 after 15 swings will be in the finals, 10 outs. We could really have fun, putting bullseyes' through out and if a home run hits the target, bonus points or charity money. The Homerun Derby should not take longer than an hour, it's really bad tv and instead of throwing it down our throats as is, change it up.

They still didn't get it right

A 4 team playoff in college football and I'm not satisfied. I'm figuring this will be a complete clustermess by year two. Will the best 4 teams play? Absolutely not. I guarantee an undefeated team not Notre Dame or from the SEC, Big 10, PAC 12 or Big 12 will not got a shot at the National Championship.

Out of 110 Division 1 teams 20-25 are legitimate contenders and until an expanded playoff is formed, the dirty politics of College Football will continue.

And for anyone who argues about Bowls games, may I remind them of conference jumping epidemic. Hey, stop with your stop tradition argument. Tradition takes a back seat to the All Mighty Dollar.

BTW, here are the contenders:
Notre Dame
Alabama
LSU
Florida
Auburn
Arkansas
Tennessee
Georgia
South Carolina
Oklahoma
Texas
Oklahoma St
Michigan
Michigan St
Ohio St
Nebraska
USC
UCLA
Oregon
Miami
Florida St
Virginia Tech

I might be missing one or two, but you get the point

Another Disappointing Season For The Flyers

Summer has come too early once again for the Philadelphia Flyers after a disappointing outing against the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers overachieved in round 1, taking it to cross state rival Pittsburgh only to get it given back the same way against Jersey. Philly has more talent than Jersey, but it's not always about talent, in the NHL playoffs, it's about who plays the best at the right time. On paper, the Flyers shouldn't have even made the playoffs. The traded Captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles, Power Forward Jeff Carter to Columbus, Kris Vesteeg to Florida, while letting go reliable cog, Ville Reino to Buffalo. They lost Chris Pronger for most of the year with post concussion syndrome and they had upwards of 9 rookies playing significant minutes through out the whole season. Yet, the Flyers seem to flourish at times and showed signs of becoming a real powerhouse. The team MVP goes to GM Paul Holmgren. It seems to me he was given orders to 1. get rid of Richards and Carter and their contracts and partying ways 2. Get Ilya Bryzgalov, the best goal tender in last season's free agent market 3. fill in everyone else with solid 2 way players. Holmgren did it and probably will never get the credit he truly deserves. Looking at the future of the Flyers, it's hard to say what will happen. There is a reason why teams like Detroit, New Jersey and Pittsburgh are always successful, they have a nucleus of homegrown talent and they perform for 8-10 years in the same environment. The Flyers have yet to do that, they get very impatient and deal guys for various reasons and it seems that this order comes from ownership not the GM. Here's what the offseason will look like for the Orange and Black: Goal Tending: They are stuck with Ilya Bryzgalov's contract until 2020. I think he's a decent goalie, but far from spectacular. He has potential, but you don't pay $51 million on potential, that's just bad business. They will probably look to move Sergei Bobrovsky while he has some value. Not sure what they will get for him, but I would assume he will be moved for draft picks. Defense: Colburn and Grossman are locked in for a few years as is Mezaros. Timmonen is getting up there in age and I wouldn't be surprised if his career is winding down. Matt Carle is a free agent and I would think they would want to sign him, he's consistent and seems to play well in this system. The have a few young guys with a tremendous upside; Eric Gustaffson and Marc Andre Bourbon and have a huge question mark in Chris Pronger. I kinda have a feeling Pronger's career is over. Pavel Kubina proved to be a wasted trade as he was scratched in most of the play off games. Offense: Rookies like Sean Couturier, Matt Read, Braden Schenn and Eric Wellwood look to be around here for a long time, at least until ownership deems fit to move them. Claude Giroux is the center piece of the team and will probably become the team's next captain. James Van Reimsdyck is showing he should be around for the long haul, at 23, he is big, strong and can skate well. He also is a playmaker and in time will be a great power forward. Wayne Simmonds found a home in Philly and I see great things for him. Scott Hartnell might be one of those guys sent packing in the off season, though his presence is always a welcome site. He is a true agitator and more importantly has a knack for finding the net. Jake Vorachek is a free agent who will receive numerous high price offers and it will be interesting to see if he takes a home town discount. Danny Briere is a prime time player when April comes, but I am not sure how much longer he will be around, considering his cap hit. Jaromir Jagr was a tremendous signing this off season, but I think it might be a 1 and done with his Flyer career. All in all, it was a solid season for the Flyers, just a disappointing ending and with the Phillies getting old at once, it's going to be a long summer here in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Best Reality Show On TV

I don't think there has ever been such a big disparity in anything than between people who love the NFL draft and people who hate it.  I fall into the former category, I think it's the most compelling reality television available.

First of all, you have to really like the NFL to appreciate the draft.  And after the first round, no matter where any of these kids are drafted and no matter what they do, they will all have at least $6 Million in the bank, plus a guarantee they will make the NFL team they were drafted to.

It starts in high school, all of those Friday Night Lights kids play their butts off to get an opportunity to play big time college football.  There are approximately 110 team Division 1 Schools, with approximately 90 or so scholarship spots open, so you are looking at 9,900 spots.  Of course this does not include Division 1AA, D2, D3, etc, but you get the idea.

You would have to think at least 1/3 of these 9,900 kids have been scouted by the pros even before the step foot on a college field.  So after 3 years out of high school, these kids can apply to the NFL for early admissions or they could stay and use their eligibility and go pro after 4 years.  Either way it doesn't matter, if they are ready, they will make it to the next level.

Than comes the Senior Bowl and the countless other show cases individuals have to show how NFL ready they are.  There are Combines where they are tested on all physical attributes, if an NFL is going to invest Millions of dollars onto these kids, they want to know what they are getting, the best thing about it, the NFL Network shows it all live, every kid, every position.  Think of it as American Idol audition without the editing, plus the NFL Network has their analysis grade the performances.

Than comes months of hype followed by the draft.  You finally get to see where these kids will get a tryout for the post college careers.  Some excel, Peyton Manning, some fail, Akili Smith and some surprise the system, Tom Brady And it all happens in front of your eyes.

Play Ball!!

We are just a few hours from the Marlins new ball park debut. Even though there were two games played in Japan last week, tonight is "Opening Night".

Here are my predictions for the upcoming season:
AL:
East - Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles
Central - Tigers, Indians, Royals, White Sox, Twins
West - Angels, Rangers, Mariners, A's
NL:
East - Phillies, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Braves
Central - Reds, Cubs, Brewers, Cards, Pirates, Astros
West - Diamond Backs, Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Padres
World Series - Angels - Phillies

Number One And Done

Congrats to Coach Calipari and The Kentucky Wildcats for winning the National Championship. And while it's still fresh in everyone's mind, let me step up on my soap box and scream at the top of my lungs to David "it's time to retire" Stern. DAVID, wake up and look at the problem with the NBA and the NCAA! The NCAA is not your developmental league, you have one of those. It's time to take some of that money you make from your league and put it into a developmental league so high school kids who don't want to play in the NCAA don't have to. They can be drafted by a pro team and assigned to a minor league team for development.

The NHL and MLB do it very successfully and don't compare your league to the NFL. The time has come where you have a 40 team Developmental system with teams in cities like West Palm Beach, Trenton, Grand Rapids and Las Vegas. Each NBA team has their affiliate and the other 10 teams are made up of free agents and rookies. It's not hard, I think I could figure out the logistics, it's up to you to make it happen.

Oh yeah, NCAA, Stop the one and done. Please, all you are doing is cheapening your product. I know you want the revenue of these "superstar" high school kids, but trust me, people are enamored by College Sports and will buy Jerseys and etc for their team, ala Florida and Tim Tebow.

You'd think with all of the PhD's and Sports Marketing Guru's the NBA and NCAA employee, they can come up with a system that would not cheapen what we are watching now?

The Final Four

What an exciting time of the year for Sport Fans. NHL & NBA season's are winding down, the playoffs loom in the distance. NFL Free Agency and Draft prep is going on. MLB Opening day is less than a week away. The Masters is less than a week away and The NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four is here.

I can't mention the Men's Basketball tournament without a shot at the BCS. One determines their champion on the court, the other determines theirs by a "computer". When EVERYONE is craving a playoff for football, the fat cats in power, won't give in. And have the audacity to convince us, their system is better.

I digress... In game one, we have the battle of Kentucky, UK and Louisville. The stories for this one are so intriguing. John Calipari trying to win his first championship. Rick Pitino trying to win his first at Louisville. Both teams rich in tradition, but never played in the final four. Kentucky, the best team all year against Louisville, the Big East Champs who are streaking at the right time.

Game 2, Ohio State and Kansas. I am surprised with Kansas, I thought they underachieved all year and I thought they were going to choke in the tournament. Bill Self showed me how great of a motivator he truly is. Thad Motta, all around good guy, gets his second final four appearance in 5 years. What I like about Ohio State, is Jarred Sullinger. I think he's the second best player in the Country and the best players usually play the best on the big stage.

So many stories... If Coach Cal doesn't win with this team, will he be labeled, the best coach never to win one? If he does win one, does he pack up and move back to the NBA? Will Ohio State finally win one?

One last thing, I would love to see the NBA and The NCAA come together and first, lose this stupid, you have can't go straight into the NBA from High School and the NBA Developmental league has to improve, where each NBA franchise gets their own affiliate so if they draft an 18 year old kid out of HS, who isn't quite ready for the NBA, there's a place for them to go to learn and improve their game.

How Important Is Coaching??

I have this debate all the time with anyone who doesn't share my viewpoint, but I do not feel coaching in sports is as important as most make it out to be. Coaches make great scape goats when teams fail and they are made to be Gods when teams win, but how do they truly affect an outcome of a game? And in some sports, coaches are less important than others. A good coach is like a good official, they are there, but you don't notice because things are going smoothly on the field, court or ice. After each sport, I'll use a scale of 1-10 to determine how the impact of a coach/manager is to winning and losing. 1 being low and 10 being high.

Let's start off with Baseball, A Manager's job is very overrated. Teams are together for 7+ months of a year, traveling together and spending tons of time on and off the field together. It's obvious, not everyone is going to like everyone else, a Manager's job would have to be family/marriage counselor. Manager deals with the press and all clubhouse issues, but that once again is less on the field and more off the field. Teams hire an array of specialty coaches, hitting, pitching, fielding, etc, so a Manager's job is more of making sure his coaches follow his philosophy. As far as on the field decisions, coaches make the line ups, change the line ups, pitching changes and such. But, if a player is slumping, how can you blame the manager for that? I feel a manager can lose games by over managing, but on a day to day basis, I don't feel they have much say in a team hitting the ball, running the bases, making errors, throwing a ball 94 mph, etc. Scale of 5.

Football, A coach's job is more of a manager. He can't really control all 53 guys, but he can control his 10 assistants. He hires people who share his philosophy, but cannot do a thing about what happens on the field, he can only draw up the play and hope to call the right one at the right time. The best coaches are the ones on the field, the "general's" like Peyton Manning or Ray Lewis. Scale of 3.

Basketball, nowadays, NBA players do not even listen to the coaches. Plays might be drawn up and it's 50/50 chance if they follow the play. In fact, coaches spend their days stroking the egos so they feel important. And if things don't go their way and they sulk, coach can't bench them. Since it's a shot first mentality, whomever has the ball pretty much chucks it up.
Scale 1.

Hockey, Probably the best team sport for players to listen to coaches. Schemes are drawn up and are followed as best as possible. Scale 6

I can go into this more and more, but to leave you on this last note, how do you determine the validity of a coach? Record? Championships? Reputation? It's hard to determine who is good and who isn't. Guys like Phil Jackson, take jobs where he knows he will succeed and he succeeds. Other guys take jobs where they know they cannot succeed, lack of talent, support and means to win.

Tebow, Oh Tebow

So Peyton Manning is now a Bronco, The Saints and coach Sean Payton took a butt kicking for bounty-gate, but the biggest news is Tim Tebow going to the New York Jets. I have to say, I am shocked the Jacksonville Jags didn't make the move.

I understand, everyone thinks Tebow is a lost cause as an NFL Quarterback, but I totally disagree with them. Tim Tebow is the poster child for potential. Think Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines all of those years behind Brett Favre. He became more valuable as time went by. The Eagles had the same thing with Kevin Kolb, but Kolb turned out to be not so good.

Tebow wants to be better and with his work ethic and leadership, I have no doubts he will get there. John Elway and the Broncos wanted to win now, they didn't want the project that is Tim Tebow, plus, he didn't want the city of Denver to dictate who he plays and who he benches. I also think there was a little, Tebow didn't have to win a championship and he would still be bigger than John Elway in the that city.

What I don't get is the Jets. They just gave Mark Sanchez an extension, so it's not like they are going to trade him. The brought in Drew Stanton, a capable back up, who according to reports, was told they would not bring in another quarterback. Sanchez will be the starter, but his next bad quarter, the New York faithful will be chanting for Tebow.

I thought the Jags would be a great fit. Blaine Galbert didn't show much last year and I am not sure if he has it in him to be a great QB in the NFL. The Jags rarely sell out their games and I am sure their merchandise sales is at the bottom. Tim Tebow, immediately sells tickets to this franchise, they will not be able to keep merchandise on the shelves. The bring in someone to teach Tebow how to play like an NFL QB and let's face it, win or lose, for the next 3 years, Tebow-mania would be running wild.

The Jags ownership should be in it to win championships, but right now, I don't see them being any better than a .500 team in a small market. So, as joe blogger, if I see this, I am sure rich Billionaire isn't delusional enough to think they will win their conference and represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. So, make the move for Tebow, make lots and lots of money and build the franchise around him. It should have been a win-win.

oh Nail oh Nails, oh how the mighty have fallen

Lenny Dykstra needs help. He is a sick dude and always has been. Hopefully 3 years in jail it will help him, I kind of doubt it. Dykstra should be a sign of whats wrong/potentially wrong with athletes. I hope this incident serves as a wake up call to others.

I have a problem with this whole bounty gate. I see after every game, guys from both teams join hands and pray in the center of the field and thank God no one was seriously hurt, yet teams are trying to knock out the opponents star player. What a contradiction! I hope Roger Goddell throws the book at Gregg Williams and The New Orleans Saints!

March Madness is here, and I am still not sold on Kentucky winning 6 games in a row to win John Calipari his first National Championship. In fact, here's the Chaney Reports Odds of your soon to be crowned National Champion:

Syracuse 9/2
Kentucky 6/1
North Carolina 7/1
Kansas 9/1
Michigan State 10/1
Duke 12/1
Ohio State 12/1
Missouri 15/1
Marquette 15/1
Michigan 20/1
The Field 8/1

Ryan Braun and PED Nation

It has taken me several days to swallow what's been going on with this case. Basically, Braun took a drug test back in October on a Saturday Afternoon before a playoff game. He tested positive for 3x the amount of normal testorone in the body. The sample was not sent to the lab until 44 hours after it was taken.

Braun, who was suspended for 50 games, appealed the decision and won his appeal. MLB is backing the validity of the test, Braun and his teammates and peers are backing the reigning NL MVP. Braun has taken numerous tests and nothing has been reported about any questionable results. Then he tests positive, claims his innocence, was found innocent and is being doubted and persecuted.

There is obviously a flaw in the system and I don't want MLB hiding behind, this is the same process that is done in every sport plus, the union agreed upon it. That's Bush League. Bud Selig has to step up and learn from these hiccups to make things better. If Selig was accused of murder and the smoking gun was found in his possession, but he claims his innocence, according to MLB, Selig would be tossed in jail and no matter what the verdict of the trial was, his "bosses" would still find him guilty of the crime.

I know that's completely extreme, but the point is the system is flawed fix it. I am sure PED use is down considerably in the last 5-10 years, but you have to be naive to think it's not going on. Everyone will always be suspected of taking something whether they did or the did not. All of the results should not be made public, appeals and such all private. MLB needs to do a better job of not leaking this info the press.

Finally, Ryan Bruan won his appeal, end of story. If you think he's doing something illegal, keep testing him, if he is found to be clean, move on to the next issue.

Your Philadelphia Flyers

It's safe to say the Ilya Bryzgalov experiment has been a bust in Philadelphia. I can't say I am one bit surprised. He was an outstanding goalie in Phoenix, there was 0 pressure on him to succeed. He could be his quirky self and no one would really care. When he was a free agent, he was the top goal tender available and the Flyers jumped at the chance to sign him. And when they did, it made no sense.

The Flyers are less than 2 years removed from playing for the Stanley Cup finals and they did it behind a bunch of good, but not great goal tenders. Brian Boucher, Michael Leighton and company were able to get the job done and in fact, the reason the Flyers fell apart during the Stanley Cup finals was their Defense was TIRED. So the following year, GM Paul Holmgren invests in upgrading their defense and he found what some think is a gem between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky. But last season ended disappointedly to the Eventual Stanley Cup Champions.

So this past Off season, GM Holmgren, changed his plan and blew up the team to sign the top Free Agent Goal Tender. When I heard it, it didn't make sense. In fact, everything Holmgren has done as GM has been calculated, this sounded like a Bobby Clarke move, lets bring in the big name at any cost. So to make room for Bryzgalov, Holgren traded the cornerstones of the franchise, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. When all was said and done, the Flyers ended up with the likes of Wayne Simmonds, Braydon Schenn, Sean Couturier and Jakob Voracek. They also, didn't trade Bobrovsky. After a ton of injuries, including new captain Chris Pronger done for the season, the Flyers have started 8 rookies this season and incredibly enough, they are in contention.

The Flyers are poised to make a run at the Cup and they picked up a couple of Defense men who will definitely help for a playoff run - Nick Grossman and Pavel Kubina. Kubina, a free agent at the end of the season, could remain a Flyer depending on Pronger's condition, in my opinion. Still the question is goal tending, how do we get out of this Bryzgalov experiment? I have faith in Holgren, all the moves that he has done, have worked out. I just have this funny feeling, the Brygalov move was more of the owner meddling as opposed of a GM wheeling and Dealing.

What About Temple?

As the landscape of College Sports turns with the emergence of the Super Conference, what about Temple? Every time I turn around another team is getting a big conference affiliation and Temple is stuck in the mid majors. The last 4 years, Temple's Football program has improved significantly. Instead of being a cake walk, they are competition. Just to show how their football team is improving, they have football players being drafted in the top rounds several years in a row.

Nothing against the MAC, but Temple doesn't fit there. They are an Eastern team in the 5th largest television market and if they keep winning, they will fill Lincoln Financial Field on Saturdays. Rumor has it, Villanova is blocking Temple's entrance into the Big East. If not Villanova, then definitely someone. The Big East has chosen Houston, SMU, Memphis, Navy, San Diego State, Boise State just to name a few, yet Temple, the team actually in the East doesn't get an invite.

So if not the Big East, why not the ACC? Think about it, It would open up a huge market for the ACC. Temple's Football beat Maryland last season and I am willing to bet they could beat half the teams in the ACC. How much would the ACC benefit from the Owls playing hoops against UNC, Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, Florida State and Miami, every year?

This whole thing makes no sense to me. I am a proud Temple alumni and I can't figure it out. All us Temple fans can do is cheer for the Cherry and White and hope they keep making strides in Football and get further in the NCAA tourney. Oh and Villanova, it's time for you to step up and get your football program to become division 1 or be outcasted out of the Big East.

Super Bowl Follow Up

First off, I have to say, I hate the Giants. It's in the blood. I root against them anytime I can. With this Giants team, I actually like Eli Manning and Victor Cruz and I am amazed how Tom Coughin's ineptness is masked by the team's talent. I can rant on and on about my feelings on this, but the fact remains, they are the Superbowl Champs.

Tom Brady had his chance in the 4th quarter. I questioned some of the play calling in the 4th, but I always have had faith in Bill Bellichik and Tom Brady's ability to step up. The Patriots have to get better on defense and real fast before Brady's window shuts. They also need some speed in their receiving core. The Ocho-Cinco experiment didn't work out and that's ashame. I have this feeling, Randy Moss would have helped them spread the field, but he is long since retired.

Now I can look forward to next season, where the Eagles will sure contend for A Super Bowl Title and all in the world will be back to normal.

Super Bowl 46 - The Rematch

T minus 72 hours til kick off in one of the most intriguing Super Bowls of all time. Tom Brady and Bill Belichik go for number 4 and Eli Manning and T Coughlin go for number 2.

The Patriots are 3.5 pt favorites and I am scratching my head why? Giants Defense has been clicking, they are on top of their game. Patriots are riding a 10 game winning streak, pretty much out scoring their opponents to victory.

The story lines:
1. Can the Patriots Defense contain the Giants High Powered Offense?
2. Can the Giants Defense get to Tom Brady?
3. Will Rob Grunkowski be a factor?
4. Will either team establish a running game?

Here's my official break down - I like the team who have big special teams plays. Both 49ers and Ravens lost because of special teams and I see it being a continuation. The Giants will stretch the field with the WRs and Patriots will look for match ups to get down the field. The Giants will win if they run early and often, 40+ carries. They need to control the clock and keep the Patriots defense on the field. Also, beware of Julian Edelman. Don't be fooled and go after him, Pats will be expecting that. Finally, I wouldn't be surprised if a Ocho-Cinco or Deion Branch steps up and catches the defense off guard. If it comes down to Xs & Os, the Pats win hands down.

I am a believer in talent wins games. I also believe in the playoffs it comes down to luck. I feel the Giants are the better team and in 10 games against each other, they win 8 of them. After Brady's lackluster performance in the AFC Championship game, I don't see a repeat performance. Wes Welker runs a punt back for a TD or close to it and that's the difference in the game.
Patriots 27 - Giants 24

Tim Thomas' Political Statement

The Stanley Cup Defending Champion, Boston Bruins went to the White House to be honored by President Barrack Obama, but missing from the team was MVP Goalie Tim Thomas. Thomas, one of the two American born players decided to boycott the visit, stating he was upset how things in our Country are going. It's such a fine line that he crossed, I believe in a team sport, you support your team and going to the White House is a team event. But, in our Country, we have the freedom to chose whether we go or not.

Sports and Politics meet in a number of ways, every championship winning team, gets the opportunity to meet the current President at the White House. I often wonder if the President's keep all of those Jersey's presented to them in their closet or maybe get them framed in their office? Anyway, its an honor to go to the White House and taking all of the politics out of it, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to go?

I respect Tim Thomas for choosing not to go, but I disagree with his decision.

A strange weekend in sports

I first have to mention the passing of Former Penn State Coach, Joe Paterno. A sad, but expected occurrence, in which I knew was going to happen sooner than later. He was the symbol of PS Football, more popular than any player who came through his program. A Man of Men, A Leader and A Legend in every way. Unfortunately, the last 4 months of his life will out shadow the 85 years prior. All because of ignorance, loyalty or simply unimportance. Either way, outside of Happy Valley, he will be known for not doing enough. I personally will remember him as a figure head, straight shooter and the most prolific coach football coach in my time. When I think of the famous quote, "it's not the name on the back of the jersey, but the name on the front," I think of Joe Paterno. May he R.I.P.

So, are you ready for some football? The Patriots and The Giants in a rematch of Super Bowl 46. The Pats are favored by 3.5 and the computer models are picking them to win. But, I am not sure. The Giants have a great defense and the question remains, can Tom Brady pick apart this defense? I am a firm believer in luck when it comes to the playoffs and if this game remains close, which I can't see any reason why it won't, it will come down to either a Special Teams play or a mistake made by the other team.

I do like the Giants to win this game and only because as an Eagle Fan we need to be tortured by seeing the Giants parade around and Tom Caughlin made into a "good coach" because his teams would have won 2 Super Bowls. But comparing all the factors, on paper, the Patriots are the better of the 2 teams.

Conference Championship

Last week, I went 3-1, as predicted, but this week it gets a lot harder. I really like the Giants and Patriots, but I am right half the time, so who will it be, The Giants or The Patriots?

In the AFC, The Ravens Defense is tough, but I am not that high on Joe Flacco, the opposite can be said about the Patriots, I am high on Tom Brady, but not the Pats defense. Well, Defense wins games, so I am going with the Ravens 23-20.

In the NFC, completely different game. Giants have the much better defense and the best "non-elite" quarterback. The 49ers are playing at home and it will be a sloppy track. I some how see Bradshaw and Jacobs with big games and the Giants prevail.

Giants / Ravens Super Bowl.

More to follow next week.

Divisional Round

3-1 so far after wildcard weekend.
Saints 34 - 49ers 24
Patriots 37 - Broncos 16
Ravens 24 - Texans 17
Packers 38 - Giants 35

Wild, Wild Card Weekend

What a weird season. First of all, the season flew by. Second, lots of surprises, San Diego and Philly laid eggs, NY Jets and Dallas (those Ryan Brothers) all sizzle, no substance. Cincinnati and Carolina took huge steps forward. Finally, Tebow!

The Axe-man Cometh, especially in Florida, Miami, Jax and Tampa have openings. St. Louis, San Diego, KC, Indy also are either open or will be open. What is the best job? I kinda like the St. Louis job, especially if they move to Los Angeles. Also Indy fires Bill Polian and Chicago fires Jerry Angelo. Angelo was easy, he should have signed Donovan McNabb when he had the chance.

My MVP, Aaron Rodgers. No offense Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but Rodgers might be the most complete QB since Steve Young and if he leads Green Bay to another Super Bowl, he can start writing his speech for Canton.

Comeback player of the year Alex Smith. I always thought he was a decent QB stuck on a bad team, but this year he out did what I thought he could do.

Coach of The Year is Marvin Lewis. I expected the Bengals to win 1 game this season. I felt AJ Green would be stuck on a lousy offense, but they played very well and from the first week where they caught Cleveland by surprise, they played extremely well. Next season they have to work on beating Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Rookie of the year is Andy Dalton. Nothing against Cam Newton and his amazing numbers, but Andy Dalton led a team to the playoffs who was suppose to be DOA.

Year end Power 10
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New England Patriots
3. New Orleans Saints
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Detroit Lions
9. Houston Texans
10. Denver Broncos
10. Cincinnati Bengals

I finished the regular season 35-33, just where I thought I would. A shade above .500. Here are my playoff selections.

Houston (-3) against Cincinnati
The Texans have a ton of injuries. I'm not sure if TJ Yates can win a huge game. It's safe to assume they are going to run early and often. The Bengals haven't won a big game and there's nothing to show they will on the road.
Texans 24 - Bengals 20

New Orleans (-11) against Detroit
This will be an offensive game. Drew Brees will pick apart the Lions defense
Saints 44 - Lions 29

New York Giants (-3) against Atlanta
I don't trust the Giants. I don't know Eli Manning can do it all on his own. I would be absolutely picking Atlanta if the game was indoors, but not sure what the elements will bring.
Falcons 20 - Giants 21

Pittsburgh (-11) @ Denver
The Broncos defense needs to come up big. Willis McGahee needs to take the team on his back and the Broncos special teams have to be the difference if the Broncos have a shot. Things aren't all peachy for the Steelers. Big Ben is still hobbled and doesn't look quite himself. Isaac Redmon needs to step up real fast and the Steel Curtain needs to be a few years younger.
Broncos 19 - Steelers 17

The Winter Classic 2012

The NHL doesn't get it right a lot. They are on "second tier" network (see below), they sport doesn't market itself to the masses, it's hard to understand the entire rule book, etc. But on the first of the year, the NHL puts their best effort by having the neatest spectacle of any sport, The Winter Classic.

They make a hockey rink in an outdoor stadium and put 2 rivals against themselves and the elements. This year, the game is in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Ball Park and it's the Flyers and Rangers for first place in the Atlantic Division.

This past Saturday, the Flyers and Rangers Alumni put on an amazing display. 66 year old Bernie Parent stole the show, looking 20 years younger. And Eric Lindros got an unbelievable ovation from the Philly crowd.

Now onto the main event: look for the Flyers to put lots of pressure on the Rangers forwards. The game will be won by the team with better special teams. Both teams are legit contenders for the eastern conference and Stanley Cup.

All in all, the NHL needs to continue any and all momentum this game brings. The hockey players are likable and a better effort has to be made to show they are not just goons, they ate good kids.

As mentioned above, today the Vs network will become NBC Sports Network and here are a few suggestions. Build the network thru the NHL, college hoops, mls soccer and the Olympics. Also, the only way to compete with ESPN is find your own strength and use that. You don't want to be an ESPN-lite.