September 29, 2015
In the aftermath of the Papal visit, several thoughts while wondering why the Sixers never brought Joel Embiid to the Parkway for a papal blessing of his damaged foot:
First off, after their first three games, the Eagles are going to need some sort of miracle to look like a Super Bowl contender. All of those lofty expectations of the preseason have dissipated as quarterback Sam Bradford struggles.
Although the Eagles stopped taking on water with their win over the New York Jets on Sunday, there is still a question about Bradford’s ability to generate enough offense to drive them into the playoffs.
It appears that some prayers have already been answered with the problems of the rest of the division, but this is not supposed to be a case of the Eagles being the best of a bad grouping. Armed with what should be a triple-threat running attack and a defense that has been better than anticipated, the Eagles have every opportunity to make a real run toward the postseason.
And a lot of prayers will be answered if Bradford has a big game Sunday against the Washington Redskins. If not, we might all be praying for the return of Mark Sanchez.
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For fans of the Philadelphia Phillies, the best part of the baseball season has been the meltdown of the Washington Nationals since they acquired Jonathan Papelbon. Despite his superior numbers with the Phillies, the fans never warmed up to the closer who time and again said and did things to distance himself from the fan base.
Well, there is no distance too large to be away from Papelbon, who will now finish the season on the suspended list for first throwing at a batter early last week and then trying to batter teammate Bryce Harper on Sunday in the Nationals’ dugout.
In a season where there’s been far to little to smile about, Papelbon’s meltdown provided at least a tiny bit of we-were-right-about-that-donkey payback.
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Sticking with baseball, in case you have not noticed, the Toronto Blue Jays are headed back to the playoffs. More than that, the Jays have the sort of lineup that could mash its way to a World Series championship.
Why care?
Well, the last time the Blue Jays were in the playoffs was in …1993. That’s right; the last time the Blue Jays were in the playoffs it was Joe Carter touching ’em all against Mitch Williams.
On the other hand, since that fateful pitch, the Phillies have been to the postseason five times -- playing 48 games -- and celebrated a parade. Although things are pretty miserable around here at this time, the Phillies have provided a generation of fans more than a taste of postseason baseball.
Literally, the Toronto Blue Jays have not been in the playoffs for a generation of baseball fans.
The dark side? Well, unless this new management/ownership of the Phillies can get things right, the next generation of baseball fans in Philadelphia could be doomed to what has happened in Toronto for over 20 years.
It’s a huge task.
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You may not be able to tell by the weather, but hockey is lurking within the next couple of weeks and the Philadelphia Flyers will go into the season with a new coach – but with some old problems.
The new coach, Dave Hakstol, is preparing for a new season with a roster that still includes Vinny Lecavalier, Brayden and Luke Schenn, and a defense that will be taxed to keep pace with a game that is getting faster by the season.
For whatever reason, general manager Ron Hextall has maintained a firm theory that players will earn their stripes in steps rather than just into the NHL early. Thus, a highly skilled prospect such as defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere will be with the Phantoms to start the season.
Remember that Hextall earned his management stripes with the Los Angeles Kings, and it was exactly this sort of step-by-step development that worked with so many of their young defensemen and led to a couple of Stanley Cup championships. In the long term, this might very well work for the Flyers.
In the meantime, the team should be energized by the addition of free agent defenseman Evgeny Medvedev. Very quietly, Medvedev should be one of the best additions to any team in the NHL this season. During the pre season Medvedev has looked like a defenseman who can dictate pace, serve as a safety valve and be counted upon in all situations.
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Finally, every team in the NFL not named the New England Patriots should be enraged at commissioner Roger Goodell who not only botched the whole Deflategate mess, but has sent quarterback Tom Brady on the Bleep-You Tour in which he leaves every team in his path a pile of ashes.
