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Latest on Wednesday, 9:18: Not gonna happen - makes too much sense.
: The Eagles should trade their 2009 first round pick and Lito Sheppard for Boldin.
: Rollins still bashing Philly fans.."If they want to boo me, that's fine. Boo me," Rollins said. "Just keep it off everyone else. . . . [...]
: Joe Horn got got by Atlanta, do we get him?
: Phelps Sweeps Olympics 8-8. Amazing!
Aug
20
Wagner Worse - Out Indefinitely
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The NL East crown is being handed to the Philies - all they have to do is take it.
With the news that Mets’ closer Billy Wagner latest MRI came back with additional inflammation in his left elbow - the team has no idea of when he might be able to return to the mound, if at all, this season.
“The thing I want to be careful of, at this stage of the season, is anointing someone as [the closer] and then that doesn’t work out,” New York manager Jerry Manuel said to a pool of reporters yesterday. “I do not necessarily determine the role. The relief pitcher determines the role.
Manuel then finished with this gem:
“I’m considering everybody from the Gulf Coast League to Triple-A. Can any of y’all throw?”
Must be so reassuring for Mets fans that the idea of ANYONE closing for this team is the backup plan for when the oft-injured Wagner goes down.
This is a gift, Phils - all you have to do is unwrap it.
Aug
20
Anquan Boldin? Not Gonna Happen
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin wants out - will the Eagles make a play?
While it is known that the Cardinals have no intention of trading the two-time Pro Bowler, it is going to be tough for the tea to hold on to a player making this much of a stink about his deal with three years left on a four-year, $22.75 million extension he signed after the 2005 season that keeps him under contract through 2010.
So he won’t be a Cardinal for very long, but coming to Philadelphia is a massive longshot. Didn’t you hear? Eagles are already the best team in the NFC according to the starting quarterback.
Aug
19
Phillies Have 24.2% Chance Of Playoffs
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According to Jeff Passan’s Playoff Pulse column, the Phillies will have a tough time making the National League playoffs.
Passan cites AccuScore, which ran a simulation of the rest of the ‘08 season 10,000 times, and came up with this mess:
Chicago Cubs: 98.3
Milwaukee Brewers: 69.5
New York Mets: 60.2 - puke
Arizona Diamondbacks: 51.5
Los Angeles Dodgers: 49.3
St. Louis Cardinals: 24.6
Philadelphia Phillies: 24.2
Florida Marlins: 20.4
blah.
Aug
12
I simply can’t believe what I am hearing from this Eagles team. This morning I hear that Asante Samuel believes this team can win the Super Bowl and then I get these nuggets of horseshit from the Eagles’ starting quarterback - who just can’t seem to keep him mouth shut. Wow.
“I might end up somewhere else,” McNabb said in an interview with ESPN.com. “And I’m prepared for that.”
“I still put us at the top of the NFC,” McNabb said. “I feel confident in saying that because all the best teams are pretty much in our division. The Giants and Cowboys are coming off great seasons and the Redskins had a decent year.”
“It could’ve been great. What did we [McNabb Terrell Owens] have, 30 TDs? You don’t see that type of combination very often. That’s like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. We would’ve been up there.”
Aug
11
Brett Myers Is A Mess
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I really don’t care about the passion Brett Myers has for the game, his winning attitude, or his work ethic - you do not show up your manager ANYTIME. Especially late in a must-win game with only a 3-1 lead.
Winning the game here is the most important thing and Charlie Manuel has a job to do. Myers is a crybaby who hasn’t pitched well. Does this kid not remember the first half of this season? You’re telling me that a three-week stint in the minors has changed him into Nolan Ryan?
“I missed a month without being here with the team, and I wanted to try to prove myself again that I can pitch in the big leagues,” Myers said after the game. “I wanted to stay out there as long as I could. He made the decision and that’s his decision.”
That’s right, kiddo. He’s the manager and you are a 5-9 pitcher with a 5.09 ERA in 21 games.
Manuel’s take…
I’ll tell you something: his confidence got back. That’s why I took him out of the game. I wasn’t going to let him lose the game. He was leaving on a high note, and there’s four left-handed hitters standing there. I wasn’t going to give him a chance to get hit. He already pitched a good game and did a good job.”
Aug
6
Jeffrey Lurie Is Crazy
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I have considered Eagles’ Owner Jeffrey Lurie one of the smartest, shrewd and determined owners to ever come into town - and in plenty of ways he is still all that. However, after listening to his annual “State of the Eagles” charade speech he offered yesterday, I have come to only one conclusion…
The man is bat-shit crazy.
Where do I begin? OK - let’s start with this quote here…
“This isn’t about rebuilding, retooling or anything - this is [about] going for it,” Lurie said. “That’s our approach. It’s pedal-to-the-metal. That’s what every move is based on, or what every attempted move is based on, with an eye toward the present and an eye toward the future. But we’re going for it.”
Going for what? The Super Bowl? Let’s look at what you’ve got going on in training camp as the season quickly approaches..
Aug
5
With a 5-1 road trip to Washington and St. Louis the Phillies have moved to 2.5 games ahead of the Marlins and three ahead of the lousy third-place Mets.
This is the time for the Phillies to pad that paltry lead a little. This is also the time when the Phillies traditionally suffer their most frustrating losses. The Mets and the Marlins are waiting for the Phillies to run away with this division and the time is right to strike.
Do it. Do it now. The pitching matchups are in the Phillies favor as Jamie Moyer will try to keep his insane record (10-0 in 10 career starts) against the Marlins alive - Kyle Kendrick tosses on Wednesday and Cole Hamels will pitch Thursday afternoon.
The Phillies have gone 4-5 against the Marlins this season. The clubs will have 48 games remaining after this week’s series, including six games against each other.
A win in August is just as important as those must-haves in September. Win today and the pressure is not as monstrous.
For a team that has all the trouble in the world manufacturing runs, a little less pressure would be a very good thing.
Jul
31
The Palm Beach Post is reporting that Red Sox have reached a tentative agreement with the Marlins and Pirates. The deal would send Manny Ramirez to Florida, the Marlins would send OF Jeremy Hermidia to Pittsburgh as part of a multiplayer package, and the Red Sox would receive OF Jason Bay and LHP Josh Grabow.
Does this put the Marlins in place to win the National League East? The Fish scare the hell out of the Mets and Phillies without Ramirez - adding him could spell disaster.
However, remember this time last season when the Braves were wallowing in third place and traded for Mark Teixeira? That proved to be a mess. Could this be just as worthless?
Jul
30
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, the preeminent NFL sports writer of our times, has dispatched his Eagles Postcard. Below are his final notes - with the article being a must read.
Parting Shots
• The Eagles hope rookie Trevor Laws, who looks a little smallish for the NFC East wars, can be the third DT in a rotation with Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson.
• Darren Howard is in the best shape of his life. He could be the missing defensive end Jim Johnson thought the Eagles bought from New Orleans two years ago. He’s given them only six sacks in two years, so that’s why they went out and got Clemons.
• DeSean Jackson, counted on to be a returner and deep-threat, third-down receiver, isn’t doing himself any favors by staying out of practice. Reid said he needs to be practicing. But Jackson injured a hamstring at a June mini-camp in Philadelphia and re-tweaked it Sunday.
• Asante Samuel also has a hamstring strain. No one’s very worried, but he walked off the practice field Tuesday morning with a slight limp.
• McNabb is happy. Seems carefree and his usual cutup self.
Read.
Jul
30
Eagles Training Camp Too Physical?
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As I headed into the city this morning , I listened to a live report from Eagles training camp. A place where G Shawn Andrews is completely avoiding and DE Clemons was taken away in an ambulance. In the report was the disturbing news that S Sean Considine laid out WR Kevin Curtis on a play that left the WR out of practice for the rest of the morning.
It is great to see intensity from your players, but the Eagles are not exactly primed for a Super Bowl run. They are already weak at the WR position and are losing players left and right. Defensive End Victor Ambrini had surgery on his wrist that could have him out for up to four months. Asante Samuel and rookie WR deSean Jackson are both out with leg injured sustained in camp. This is nothing new for this team.
There are always significant injuries coming out of Eagles training camp, which leads me to the question, Is Eagles training camp to physical?
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