What Is It With Philadelphians?

Many people have said that Philly fans are unlike any other fans in the country. Most Philly fans pride themselves on observations like that, even though the people making the observations rarely mean them as a compliment. I used to staunchly defend Philly fans while I lived in Pittsburgh and then Atlanta. I also used to pine for the days of talk radio that actually discussed the Eagles and Phillies instead of the Steelers and Penguins or the Braves and Falcons. Then I moved back to Philly and became reaquainted with 610 and the local fans.

I'm sure every city has boorish fans that are utterly clueless as to what their local teams need to improve. I imagine cities like Boston and New York and any other city passionate about certain teams has fans that scream and bitch about players that aren't the problem and has radio hosts that promote their ridiculous ideas, but I just can't imagine it happening more often than it happens in Philly. It certainly didn't happen in Pittsburgh or Atlanta (although Atlanta fans aren't passionate about much other than SEC football).

It just seems to me that Philly fans have the biggest love/hate relationship with the marquee players on the local teams. One minute they love the headline guys, the next minute they can't stand them. The marquee players go from being leaders to being considered overpaid or lazy. Normally this coincides with the general decline of the team, which is not unusual, but it seems to be more pronounced in this City then anywhere else.

The current and obvious examples of this phenomenon are Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu. As I have written a number of times, fans continuely call in to 610 to complain about Burrell and Abreu (even when the Phillies are winning), as if the fact that the Phillies are inconsistent and hovering around .500 is the direct result of these two players' shortcomings. The animosity toward these two guys is mystifying.

Bobby Abreu has consistently been the most productive hitter on the team for as long as I can remember. He is a two-time All Star. He won the homerun derby (which means nothing, but it was still a bright spot for the Phillies). He is the rare combination of power and speed that major league baseball has only seen on two prior occasions, in Bobby and Barry Bonds. He never gets in trouble outside of the game. He is always in a good mood. When players, including stand-up guys like Jim Thome, were bashing Larry Bowa, Bobby never made a sound. So, my question is: What the fuck is the deal with disliking this guy? I can list stat after stat to rebuke the idiotic rumors that Abreu doesn't hit in the clutch and that he is a defensive liability. Both of those arguments are unsubstantiated and flat out inaccurate. So what is it?

Similarly, Pat Burrell has worked hard to improve after two disppointing seasons in 2003 and 2004. And he has improved, dramatically. He led the team in homers and RBIs last year and he is putting together another impressive statistical season this year as well. Not to mention, he is the only right-handed power hitter we have. Is he the best fielder in the world? No, he is slow, he can't help that. But, he has a cannon for an arm and he has played through two significant injuries (his wrist last year and his foot this year). Isn't this the type of dedication and production that a city like Philly should be lauding? Burrell is really an amazing case. When he was in the midst of those two horrendous years, people cheered and cheered for him at the park to try to will him to get better. It was truly amazing considering the treatment most players get in this town when they stink up the joint. But, now that he has turned the corner and is making good on his ability, we want to get rid of him? Can someone please explain this to me?

This is not a new thing for Philly. Unfortunately it has been going on for decades. We complained about Mike Schmidt because he seemed aloof and uncaring. We complained about Steve Carlton, because he was a complete ass to the media. We complained about Curt Schilling. We complained about Scott Rolen. We couldn't wait to get rid of Charles Barkley. We gnashed our teeth over Ron Jaworski (although, you would never know it now, the way people talk about him). As we speak, the fans are yammering about getting rid of Allen Iverson and Chris Webber. Donovan McNabb has felt, and will continue to feel, the full brunt of these critiques, as if getting a sports hernia and having a shitty defense were his fault. Who cares that he has led the Eagles to the Super Bowl and to 4 straight NFC Championship games? Not the fans around here apparantly.

Some of these players brought this criticism on themselves with their behavior and their comments, others haven't; none of them brought it on by their play. The other thing they all have in common is that no matter how crappy their respective teams were, these players were most assuredly not the problem. In fact, the teams would probably have been shittier if these vilified marquee players weren't around, as evidenced by the sorry state of the Sixers in the post-Barkley era, and more recently by the atrocious Eagles of last year, minus Mr. McNabb.

In any case, I feel sorry for the fans in this City, when it comes to players such as these. How often does a hitter of Abreu's caliber wear a Phillies uniform? How many times have the Eagles had a QB that is universally considered one of the Top 5 QBs in the NFL? When was the last time the Sixers had an MVP gaurd that will go down as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history?

I understand that teams need to make moves sometimes to make themselves better, or move in another direction. But fans shouldn't be so quick to call for the ouster of the town's star players. Sometimes moving a superstar works to your advantage, but more often then not, all you are left with is Tim Perry, Jeff Hornecek, Andrew Lang and a lot of missed chances to truly appreciate the player you just lost.

Positive Philly Thought For The Day

It is hard to be very positive after watching the Phillies blow that lead last night and then fail to support an amazing effort by Ryan Madsen. Now, to top it off, Cole Hamels is injured, again. FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!

Okay, okay, I had to get that out, now I feel better. So, instead of bemoaning my life as a tortured Philly fan, I am going to put a positive spin on these latest developments. First, Ryan Franklin isn't the worst middle reliever the Phillies have ever had. He's not as bad as Turk Wendell. So, that's good, I guess. Second, if the Phillies keep losing one-run games by blowing leads (4 in the last 7 games), Charlie Manuel will be fired soon. Hooray!!!

Interesting side note: Jim Leyland, the guy we didn't want, is currently managing the team with the best record in the majors, the mother fuckin' Detroit Tigers. Yes, the same Detroit Tigers that lost 91 games last year and 90 the year before that.

Alternative to 610

This morning I was driving to work and I wanted to listen to some sports talk radio, so I turned on 610. I was met by Angelo Cataldi's annoying voice complaining about something unrelated to sports, so I quickly changed the channel. But, as I did, I was thinking to myself, "what are my alternatives?" Then I remembered that 950 started a competeing sports talk radio station, and that I had listened to it on occasion, so I tuned in to see what was going on.

950's Morning Drive Show, at least on this day, was a pair of guys broadcasting from D.C., I think. I believe the show is called "The First Team on FOX" as 950 is a FOX affiliate. Well, I was skeptical at first, but then to my surprise, the guys started talking about sports! Holy shit! A morning show that actually discusses sports! And not just Philly sports, they were actually talking about the NBA Playoffs and the news out of Athens, GA that UGA's President, Michael Adams, doesn't want the annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville to be called "The World's Largest Cocktail Party" anymore, because of drinking or something. They even mentioned the Edmonton v. San Jose playoff game tonight (those are NHL hockey teams for those of you that only listen to 610).

I was shocked! I had completely forgotten that the NHL and NBA were still playing. I had also forgotten that college football existed. If you base your sports knowledge on 610, you would think the Eagles play 10 months out of the year and that the Phillies suck for the other 2 months before everyone starts worrying about the Eagles again.

To be fair, I understand that 610 talks about what people want to talk about and that the people in this City could care less about the Sixers and Flyers and even the Phillies for that matter. Being a Philadelphia fan, I like to talk about my four teams the most, too, and I love the Eagles more than any other team, but enough is enough. There is a sport's world out there that doesn't include the Philadelphia Eagles.

For instance, I really like college football. I love watching the Georgia Bulldogs and the Pitt Panthers, my two alma maters for graduate and undergraduate respectively, but NO ONE on 610 ever talks about college football unless Penn State is playing well, which is rare. I have tuned into 950 two or three times now and I have twice heard college football talk. Hallelujah!

I am going to keep checking out 950 to see what else it has to offer. When I get homesick for talk (aka complaining) about the local teams, I will switch over to 610 (as long as neither Cataldi nor Eskin is on). Hopefully enough people do the same that 610 will realize they are a bunch of unknowledgable blowhards and they need to change their format a little. Unlikely, but there is always hope.

Positive Philly Thought For the Day:

Yes, the Phillies lost the game last night, but did you see Pat Burrell gun down the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the 8th? He barehanded a sinking liner on one hop and fired a strike into Fasano who perfectly blocked plate. It helped that the idiot Brewer's runner slid feet-first instead of bowling Fasano over, but it was still an awesome play. Plus, the runner, Hardy, hurt his leg, which is sad, but I think he learned his lesson: Don't be a pussy. Anyway, as I have said before, lease stop bashing Burrell. If you want to direct your ire to a hole in the line-up, start with our lead-off hitter and his .242 average.

Worst Movie of All Time?

I know this isn't sports related, but I saw a movie over the weekend that may be the worst movie ever made and in the interest of saving the one or two other people that read this blog from mistakenly watching this monstrosity, I am posting this warning:

Do not see the movie Troy.

It is so shitty that it is unwatchable. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom simultaneously give the worst performances of their respective careers, and none of these guys were perennial Oscar candidates to begin with. It also doesn't help that the script is total garbage. It is a bunch of banal platitudes strung together between meaningless fight scenes and delivered by cardboard cut-outs masquerading as actors.

In truth, I didn't see the whole thing. I watched the first two-thirds and then I had to shut it off. I couldn't stand it any more.

Now, I have seen really terrible movies before that ended up being mildly entertaining. Pitch Black was one. Not Another Teen Movie was another. Troy unfortunately was not; it had no redeeming qualities. The only question that remains then, is whether or not Troy really was the worst movie I have ever partially seen. The list of movies that I have seen that have been absolutely god awful isn't very long, but Troy certainly is on it.

Was it as bad as Maid In Manhattan? I'm not sure. If not, it is close. It was definitely worse than Leonard Part 6 and Howard the Duck. I think it was worse than The Ninth Gate, too. There have been some B-movies and crappy horror flicks I have seen that should be on the list, but it's not really fair to compare sucky low budget movies like Sleepaway Camp to blockbuster shit carnivals like Troy.

I am sure there are really horrendous movies that I am forgetting right now, but I think my Top 5 crappy big budget movies list goes like this:

5. The Ninth Gate - without a doubt, Johnny Depp's worst movie. I doubt he lists this next to Pirates of the Caribbean, Donnie Brasco and Chocolat on his resume.

4. Howard the Duck - this movie won many awards. See the list here. Tim Robbins was in this movie too. Too bad for him.

3. Leonard Part 6 - Bill Cosby plays ex-CIA spy Leonard Parker. Here is an excerpt from the plot summary from imdb.com- "The CIA asks for ex-spy Leonard's help in stopping an evil force that is brainwashing small animals into killing people. . . . The evil Medusa Johnson (Gloria Foster, pre-Matrix) has hypnotized animals into doing her bidding, and plans to use them to take over the world! It's up to Leonard to save the world, as only he can battle her Vegetarians and man-eating rabbits!" I think it is pretty self-explanatory as to why this movie makes my list.

2. Troy - see above.

1. Maid in Manhattan - by far, the worst chick flick I have ever seen. I don't even mind most chick flicks if the characters are likeable and the plot is remotely interesting, but this movie is so utterly horrible, I had to fight the urge to gouge my eyes out with my dinner fork, just to end the misery. Guys, if you are forced into watching a chick flick with your girl to appease her after a day of football this Fall, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AGREE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE. You have been warned.

Positive Philly Thought For the Day: I could say something about the Phillies here, but instead I will say something positive about the Sixers. I'm serious. Just remember, when you are bashing Billy King and lamenting the state of our beloved hardcourt heroes, it could be worse. We could have Isiah Thomas as our GM. Is it possible to be from Philly and feel sorry for Knicks fans? I think I actually do..he is that bad. No fans deserve that, except maybe Cowboys fans.

Stop Bashing Pat Burrell

Yesterday was a very lovely day. It was a busy day since it was Mother's Day and my wife and I had to make time for her Mom and my Mom, but it was a pretty good day. I even got a chance to listen to the end of the Phillies game, which was awesome.

So there I am, feeling pretty good about Philadelphia sports; the Phillies having won 13 out of 14 games, Cole Hamels having pitched well, Myers starting to looking like a real ace. I was even rather optimistic about the Eagles; good draft, mini-camp just started.

But then I turned on 610. What a mistake. The way these people whine and complain, you would think the Eagles just got blown out by the Cowboys and that Isiah Thomas was just named GM of the Phillies. The first four straight callers are bitching and moaning about the Eagles not getting a WR and McNabb being a schmuck. Rob Charry, one of the hosts at the time and a complete jackass, is egging people on by agreeing with their inane comments. This is annoying for a number of reasons. First, it's May for Christ's sake. The Eagles haven't lost any games yet, relax already. Second, the Phils are on fire and all anyone cares about is the fact that the Eagles still need a WR. Lastly, Rob Charry is a dickhead.

Finally, someone calls to talk about the Phillies and what do they do?

They fucking complain about Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu. Are you kidding me? We just swept the Reds on the road and we have only lost once in the last two weeks. And the worst part? The nuggets hosting the show AGREE with the guy. I mean, come on.

Can we please take a moment to step back and take an objective look at Pat Burrell this season?

As of today, here are his NL rankings in the major offensive categories:

Homeruns - 9th tied
RBIs - 10th tied
OBP - 13th
SLG - 12th
OPS - 10th
and he is batting .286, which is 41st in the NL, but it is still pretty good. Not to mention, he is the ONLY right-handed power hitter we have on the team. Without Burrell late in the game, all an opposing manager has to do is put in a lefty reliever to face our 3,4,5 of Abreu, Utley and Howard.

Plus, he is doing all of this on a bad leg. Last year he led the team in HRs and RBIs as well, so it isn't like his production this year is coming out of the blue.

So please, get a clue and STOP bashing the guys on the team that are producing. And the hosts of WIP, please know what you are talking about before you go spouting your crap all over the airwaves.

Wow..That Sucked...

I know I am a day late, but I am still reeling from that horrendous finale the Flyers gave this city on Tuesday night.

What a total egg. 7-1 on your home ice, in an elimination game. With all the promise and hope that was generated in this offseason, this is a terrible and completely unacceptable way for the season to end.

Once the NHL got a deal done and we knew that there would be a 2005-2006 season, I was excited. Then we got Peter Forsberg, the best player in the world, and I was doing back-flips. Then we added Rathje and Hatcher. I was looking at this team and thinking they could rack up 120 points during the regular season. Forsberg, Gagne, Primeau, Handzus, Knuble, Johnsson, Rathje, Hatcher, Desjardins, Pitkanen and Kapenan - plus Esche and Niittymaki in goal. Then you figure in the rookies that we would have that were coming off of a dominating Calder Cup Championship run. The sky was the limit. I was convinced that we were going to win the Stanley Cup in a walk.

The one thing that I was worried about? That this is Philadelphia and that something would happen to fuck it all up.

Well, it didn't take long. Primeau goes down with a season ending concussion, Johnsson follows. Kapenan and Desjardins get injured, Forsberg's groin keeps him out of 21 games. Before long, our entire second line is made up of rookies, good rookies, but still rookies. We stumble home and lose out on the division by one point, because we lost to shitty teams like the Maple Leafs, Canadians and Islanders during the home stretch. Instead of getting to play the reeling Rangers in Philly, we get to go on the road and play the fastest team in the league - Buffalo. And well, we know how that turned out. After Forsberg, single-handedly tied the series, we were outscored 10-1 and outplayed in every single period of the last two games.

Rathje, Hatcher and Desjardins are too slow, as our most of our defensemen not named Johnsson and Pitkanen. That was obvious during the Buffalo series. In addition, someone on the team other than the Forsberg, Gagne and Knuble line needs to be able to score. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Handzus, and Dimitrakos were invisible. Nedved and Umberger weren't much better, although Umberger did provide us with the best hit of the game - unfortunately he was on the receiving end.

Truth be told, I am not mad at anyone in particular. A lot of fans are killing Desjardins and Hatcher for their crappy defense, but they can't help being slow. Bob Clarke thought we needed some tough guys to keep people out of our zone and stand up the other teams forwards at the blue line. He guessed wrong. It happens. If Clarke had been right, and the new NHL played out like he thought it would, the Flyers could still be Stanley Cup contenders instead of first round casualties. Also, injuries played a huge part, more so than for other teams when you think about the players we lost.

What's important here is that Clarke and Snider learn from what happened to this team. In the NHL speed is important, most important. Most of our forwards have it, most of our defensemen do not. The Flyers don't need a new coach, they don't need a new goalie and they don't need aging veterans with name reckognition; they need speed on defense. A healthy Keith Primeau wouldn't hurt either.

Positive Philly Thought Of The Day

As a UGA law school alumus, I am ecstatic that the Eagles were able to steal Max Jean-Gilles in the 4th Round. This guy is a great OG. He made the All-SEC team three years in a row. He is fat and can shove guys around and he will open huge holes in the center of the line. Between Jean-Gilles and Andrews, Runyan, Thomas and Justice, the Eagles now have a really solid OL, the only real weakness is Fraley.

The first two picks by the Birds are both potentially great players. The Eagles got both guys they wanted without having to really give up anything. Plus they were able to dump Hollis Thomas on the Saints. All-in-all a great draft so far.

I have to confess I don't know much about Jason Avant and the Div-IAA DE they drafted, Chris Gocong, but Westbrook was a great D-IAA player and he's turned out okay. Plus, it appears the Eagles are going to try to play Gocong at OLB and I guarantee he his better than those stiffs, Dhani Jones and Mark Simoneau.

The Eagles are moving in the right direction, they now have 2 Bulldawgs - Reggie Brown and Jean-Gilles. There are still a few Bulldawgs on the board and the Eagles have a few more picks, any of the following would be a steal at this point - Greg Blue (safety), Kedric Golston (DT), D.J. Shockley (QB), Gerald Anderson (DT), Will Thompson (DE).

As a Pitt undergrad alumnus, I have to mention Greg Lee (WR) as well, he would be a steal at this point. But whether or not the Birds take any of these guys, I am excited about what they have done so far.