Instead of telling myself I'm going to begin the blogging process anew in 2011, I decided to look back at why I stopped in 2010.
This blog clearly lacked a direction and overall theme which caused my main issue, I never knew what to write about. When I did write about things I was interested in (All-star voting, my love affair for Iverson) I found that the research required of me to turn it into the article I wanted it to be was taking away from my main two jobs that provide me with a career and source of income. Each NFL division preview took me upwards of 4 hours to write. Direction and time.
To solve both of these issues I am changing the direction from a general topic blog to a Philadelphia sports blog. From now on my focus will be on the trials, tribulations and successes of my teams.
Here are my top 5 Philadelphia sports moments from 2010:
5. Vick annihilates Redskins; makes football look easy
In Madden 2004, you could roll out of the pocket with Vick and use their newest feature, something they called "Playmaker", to direct your receivers on the fly. Vick happened to be the fastest on the field and any novice could easily buy an extra two or three seconds, an eternity for a QB.
The effectiveness of this play was akin to scoring goals in NHL '94, where you could take nearly any player, swoop down the boards and cut across the ice in front of the crease because the goalie couldn't move laterally. It was the cause of many fights in my household and led to a rule that you couldn't score goals that way.
Ten years later and we had a similar rule. NO VICK. He was too cheap. Too dynamic. Too prolific in his ability to score.
So on the first play of a frigid Monday night in November in DC, a game that was supposed to be a tightly contested match between division rivals, Vick went into video game mode and left the Monday night broadcasting crew without any proper adjectives to describe what they had just witnessed.
The eagles set team records for largest lead by a road team in a quarter (28-0) and most points in a first half (45). They also set a team record for total yards in a game (592).
Vick became the first player in NFL history to have over 300 yards passing, over 50 yards rushing, 4 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. He did this while having no interceptions or fumbles (and up until this point in the season he had no interceptions at all).
4. Cliff Lee spurns Yankees; Takes less money to play for Phillies
By far the most unexpected story in Philadelphia this year. Consider the Phillies as an organization before 2007. Until Jim Thome in 2003, they had never been able to sign a premier free agent. They were the losingest franchise in history (across all sports) and the first to reach 10,000+ losses. They had not been to the playoffs since 1993.
Since '07? Four straight division titles, two NL pennants and a World Championship. To say that this franchise has completely turned itself around is a gross understatement. Roy Halladay took less money than his market worth to play here. Cliff Lee turned down $50 million and two years to play here. Cole Hamels is now our #4 starter.
The Phillies have become a complete powerhouse in the NL, but I still laugh at people who suggest we are the Yankees and Red Sox or that we are simply "buying" our teams. The Phillies became a powerhouse the old-fashioned way. It's what every franchise dreams of doing. They used homegrown talent (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels) and surrounded themselves with key role players. They gave Jayson Werth a second shot after a failed stint with the Dodgers. They sniped Victorino from the Rule 5 draft. They built a great new ballpark to accommodate a fan base that was sick of Veterans Stadium. The Phillies began selling out game after game and soon the payroll grew because revenue was growing, not because of an owner with bottomless pockets.
Sorry New York, entitlement is earned, not inherited.
3. Roy Halladay tosses the 2nd Playoff No-No in History... and I was there
When I listen to my dad talk about the Mike Schmidt led Phillies in the '80s or the Bobby Clarke Broad Street Bullies of the '70s, I can hear the excitement in his voice. He was there. He lived it. When he talks about it you can tell that it conjures up those same incredible feelings he felt way back before he had me.
Now I have one of those moments. I remember standing with 46,410 other people, including my friend Dan who took me to the game, screaming out what was left of my voice as I worked on my 4th or 5th beer. I remember Carlos Ruiz dropping to his knees to field a broken bat bunt. I remember celebrating so raucously that I spilled beer on the entire row in front of me. I remember singing high hopes and high-fiving nearly everyone in site as we exited the ballpark.
The fact that this moment is only #3 on my list makes me feel incredibly spoiled. It was a great year for Philadelphia sports indeed.
2. Miracle at the New Meadowlands
I was at my old stomping ground in San Francisco, a Philly bar called Jake's Steaks in the marina. They do it right. There is a mural of boathouse row painted across all the walls. A large banner hangs above the back wall and reads "Welcome to Eagle's Country." The employees have Phillies t-shirts. They import Amaroso rolls and cheese whiz. There is a case of Tastycakes behind the counter. I watched nearly every Eagles game there over the past two years. I watched the Phillies win the World Series there in '08. I know the owner and nearly all of the regulars. When the Eagles score touchdowns, they play the fight song and toss green jello shots out to all of the patrons. It's simply a great place to watch the game.
My vacation in San Francisco happened to coincide with the biggest Eagles game of the year. Eagles vs Giants at the New Meadowlands. I was at the game they played in Philly and without a 50-yard LeSean McCoy run and a fluke Eli Manning fumble, we might not be talking playoffs this year.
The game started out pretty terrible, which was only made worse by the fact that my friend was openly rooting for the Giants. On an early Vick interception, she was so surprised and delighted that she let out a loud squeal. I received some death stares from the other people there as I quickly tried to assure them that I had no idea who she was. The game stayed terrible until 8:17 left in the 4th quarter. The Eagles were down 31-10. Then the jello shots started flying.
Vick to Celek for a 65-yard TD - 31-17 7:29 left
(meh still game over)
Onside kick recovered by the Eagles
(okay let's see what we can do)
Vick 4-yd TD run - 31-24 5:28 left
(this is a game, but we still have to stop them)
Giants run out the clock and manage to get a first down, but punt - 3:01 left
(holy shit could this possibly be happening?)
Eagles face a 3rd and 10 at their own 12, but Vick scrambles for 33 yards to keep the drive alive. Eagles score on a 13-yd TD pass to Maclin - 31-31 1:16 left
(HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THIS WOULD BE THE BEST COMEBACK EVER)
Giants go 3 and out - :14 left
(There's no way they punt it to Desean right?...)
Then this happened
The Eagles have never scored 28 points in the 4th quarter, but they did just that to seal off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history and ultimately end the Giants playoff hopes for 2010. Double sweet.
1. Flyers overcome 3-0 series deficit, 3-0 game 7 deficit to stun Bruins
The NHL employs a group of psychics to run their marketing campaigns. The tagline for the 2010 playoffs boldly declared "History Will Be Made". Sure, every Stanley Cup Champion ultimately goes down in the history books, but historical moments are few and far between. Would we really see anything special this postseason?
Consider this Flyers team. They had high expectations going into the season, picked by many to win the Eastern Conference. They had an up and down season, but mostly down. They weren't able to find any kind of identity. They fired their coach midway through the season. After Ray Emery went down they were forced to rely on journeyman Michael Leighton and career backup Brian Boucher. Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere were in the midst of the worst slumps in their careers. People were calling for Jeff Carter's head. The season came down to a play-in game just to get into the playoffs against the Rangers during the last game of the season. They won that game on a shoot out. There was no room for error whatsoever. One wrong bounce during the course of an 82-game season and this comeback never even has a chance to happen.
Down 3-0 in the series after a devastating 4-1 game 3 loss, all seemed hopeless. And when I say seemed hopeless it's because no one actually felt that way. Whether it was the fact that we probably didn't deserve to be in the playoffs or that we had dispatched our rivals in New Jersey and their expensive new Kovalchuk toy, there was not much panic amongst the fans, players or coaches.
Meanwhile, Boston tensed up. It was as if they were playing to not lose, which they failed at miserably.
Simon Gagne came back from injury for game 4 and produced a slick game-winning goal in OT to keep the playoff hopes alive. This took the series back to Boston where the Flyers played demonstrable hockey, shutting them out 4-0. Game 6 back in Philly was a tightly contested match, but saw the Flyers eke away with a 2-1 win on the strength of a Briere PP Goal.
So the stage was set. Down 3-0, the Flyers at least had a chance to prove the NHL prognosticators right and make history.
Game 7 became a microcosm of the series. The Flyers went down 3-0 within the first 15 minutes of the first period. Boston would not let themselves wind up on the wrong end of a trivia question. It didn't look like the Flyers were ready to match their intensity after all.
Then Peter Laviolette called a timeout that will be known forever in Philadelphia sports history as "The Timeout". James van Riemsdyk scored in the waning seconds of the period to give the Flyers life. In the 2nd period, Hartnell and Briere (our two biggest season slumpers) scored. Tie game. 3-3. Just like the series.
Then with 7 minutes left in the 3rd period, Simon Gagne lifted a puck over Tuukka Rask's shoulder to seal the game. History was made.
Oh Hey 2011... didn't see you there
Now that 2010 is out of the way, I'd like to make some predictions for 2011... some bold and some... not so much
The Flyers will win the Stanley Cup
Sure, I'm a homer, but it's not like they can't do it. They have one of the deepest offenses and defenses in the league. This team was built for a playoff run. The fact that they are having a great season and getting production from all lines is a great sign. The only question that remains is the same question that's existed for the past two decades: Got goalie?
The Eagles will lose to the Packers this Sunday
I want more than anything for this prediction to be wrong, but I don't like our chances. We match up horribly with the Packers' deep receiving corps and their speedy and talented secondary matches up very well with ours. This game will ultimately come down to Vick, but Clay Matthews scares the crap out of me. I can see us taking the lead, but our D not being able to stop Rodgers' game-winning drive.
Michael Vick will be extended as an Eagle through the 2013 season
This is a lock barring any ridiculous injury in the playoffs. I think they will get at least a first-rounder for Kolb.
The Sixers will make the playoffs and lose in the first round (if Iguodala isn't traded)
Oh NBA purgatory, how I resent thee. There's about as much parity in the NBA as there is fun allowed in the NFL, which is to say, NONE. The Sixers are talented, young and athletic. They have great role players and a deep bench. Elton Brand is having a great comeback year. Jrue Holiday looks to be on the path to stardom. That's about where I'm going to stop the compliments. They have no frontcourt other than Brand and Iguodala looks to be on the trading block. They have no alpha dog or any player I would definitively trust in crunch time. Evan Turner has shown flashes of promise, but looks to be a bust on the virtue that he was the 2nd overall pick. I will probably be into my 30s before the Sixers are title contenders again.
The Phillies will win the World Series
This one I actually believe whole-heartedly. Quick, name the team affected by the most injuries last year. Okay, now name the team who had the best record in all of baseball. Hint: They're the same one. The Phillies lost every regular starter except for Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez to the DL. Rollins had three separate stints. They were without J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge for extended time as well. They weren't able to field their every day lineup until the end of August just before the playoffs. And it showed. Utley looked labored in the playoffs. The team didn't have that same fire it had in previous years. 2011 will be different. Injuries will regress back to the mean and production will rise. This is all without even mentioning our rotation which can be summed up thusly:
H20Lee Sh*t
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