Phillies Must Win Tonight - If Not, Hit the Panic Button

Despite their pathetic performance as of late, Phillies fans have room to breathe. As far as the math is concerned, the Phillies are still golden. They are leading the division by 4 games with 6 to go. That being said, you can hit the panic button if they don't win tonight. Here's why: They're playing at home. The have their backs are against the wall. It's a must win game, and it's a winnable game. They're facing a team in turmoil - the lowly Houston Astros - a team that has been out of the playoff race since the all star break. A team that the Phillies haven't beat all season.

But they will win tonight. They are going up against no-name Wilton Lopez, a relief pitcher turned starter with a whopping 8.44 ERA. In his last appearance of 3 or more innings, Lopez gave up 6 earned runs (3 home runs) to the. . .wait for it. . .Arizona Diamondbacks. If the Phillies don't annihilate this guy, they don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

So my prediction is simple: The Phillies win tonight, and the Braves lose to Josh Johnson and the Marlins. Tomorrow's magic number: 1.

If they don't win, they have no balls. And you can start worrying. Because if you can't beat Wilton Lopez, you definitely can't beat Wainwright and Carpenter.

Phillies Postseason Rotation: Hamels is the Ace

Phillies Postseason Rotation: Much has been written about the Phillies postseason pitching rotation. Everyone seems to have an opinion on who should pitch where (and when), so I thought I'd weigh in as well.

First, let it be known that the Phillies have one of the best starting pitching staffs of any team poised to make a run in October. They don't have the best rotation - that belongs to Boston - but they're damn close. A recent ESPN poll asked a collection of MLB scouts and execs to rank potential pitching staffs, and the Phillies came in 3rd behind Boston and St. Louis. I can accept being behind Boston because of the depth they have a pitching, but I call BS on St. Louis being ranked second. Yes Wainwright and Carpenter are both viable Cy Young contenders, but after that there's a significant drop off in the 3 and 4 slots. I understand the argument that you can win by running your top 2 out there as often as possible (witness Phillies post-season run 2008), but I don't think that's going to get it done this year.

The playoff teams in the NL have bigger bats this year, better lineups. On any night the Phils, Dodgers and Cards can put up anywhere from 5 -10 runs, no matter who's pitching. Just listen to the names of guys who will likely be stepping up to the plate in a couple weeks: Howard, Pujols, Manny, Holliday, Ethier, Kent, Utley, etc. These are big name players who like the playing in the spotlight. They aren't gonna let anyone - Cy Young credentials or not - intimidate them. So no, this fall won't be like the past two - no team is going to run in and sweep/semi sweep its way to the World Series. The lineups are too good, and the pitching is too good. These will be long series, and in long series you need depth. And, as crazy as it might sound, the Phillies have depth.

Pitching depth was a question mark for the Phils at the beginning of the season, but they answered those questions with Cliff Lee and Pedro. Whereas as most teams are trying to scrap together their number 4 starter, the Phils suffer a burden of riches. They have too many arms and can't decide who deserves a shot at October glory. Between Lee, Hamels, Blanton, Happ and Pedro, the Phillies have five quality arms that can go out and shut down any team in baseball. So what would you do?

Here's the rotation I would run with: Hamels, Lee, Blanton, Martinez.

The reasoning:

#1: Hamels is my ace in October for three reasons: 1.) He's got ice in his veins when it comes to big games (proven last year). 2.) He doesn't like pitching on short rest, so send him out first and let him recover in case you need him again. 3.) He's finally at full strength again, and his numbers this month are great. He's 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 35 K's. The changeup is looking lethal.

#2: Lee is the number 2. Most people would argue he's the ace and should get the game 1 start, but I think differently for 2 reasons: 1.) He's never pitched in the playoffs. 2.) He's been shaky lately - he's given up 5 or more runs in 4 of his last 6 starts (the other two games he gave up 1 run and struck out 11). So whereas Hamels is getting increasingly more consistent, Lee is teetering. But he's still the guy who showed up and went 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. I think he thrives on the big stage as well, but still I go with Hamels for game 1.

#3: Blanton has been quietly impressive all season long (11-7, 3.82 ERA, 156 K's). And he's right handed. I like the Lefty, Lefty, Righty approach. Here's something to consider about Big Joe: He's rattled off 13 quality starts in his last 14 outings. Talk about consistency. All he needs is some run support, and, as mentioned above, the phils should be able to capitalize on any other team's weak #3 pitcher. This could be a win for the Phils in every series.

#4: Pedro Martinez. The old goat. The man who loves the big stage more than anyone on this team. The man with the amazing postseason credentials (6-2, 3.40 ERA, 80 K's). Three time Cy Young award winner. World Series champion. Smart competitor with balls of steel. These are some of the reasons I start Pedro over Happ. But not all of them. . .

Happ for Closer? How about, given the problems the back end of the bullpen has had, we move J.A. HAPP to the Closer role? Happ has been brilliant this season and could very well win the Rookie Of The Year award, but I want him coming out of the bullpen this fall. Pedro is a good option for this as well, but Pedro is old and could have serious trouble pitching on back to back nights. Plus, Pedro has trouble in the first inning and takes some time to settle down. You can't have that in a closer. You might bring up lack of experience as something working against Happ, but from what I've seen, the kid has brass balls and doesn't get rattled too easily. And there is precedent for this type of move: Adam Wainwright, now Cy Young contender, was moved into the closer role in place of Jason Isringhausen for the Cards' 2006 World Series championship run. There are differences (Wainwright had spent the year as a middle reliever) but point is you can make a young stud your closer and still win the ring.

Only time will tell what Charlie has up his sleeve. Needless to say, I can't wait to see.

The Numbers Game: Phillies Magic Number, Eagles Stats & More

The Phillies took advantage of a 6-run innning and pasted the fading Brew-crew last night in Milwaukee. J.A. Happ earned his 11th win, and the Phillies lowered their magic number to 4. They lead the NL East by 7 games with just 10 left play.

The Eagles are coming off 26 point loss to New Orleans and look to improve to 2-1 this week against an 0-2 Kansas City team that has allowed 51 points in 2 games. The Birds will be without QB McNabb and Kevin Kolb will be under center as QB1. There are question marks around Brian Westrbook and Desean Jackson. Looks like they will have limited roles - if they play at all. And oh yeah, Michael Vick is gonna play on Sunday.

And that's where we're at with our pro sports teams right now - One team is hobbling towards its 3rd consecutive division championship, and the other is stutter-stepping into its 3rd game and trying to define whether they're the team to beat or just another beatable team. Both have huge question marks at key positions, and all of that has been well documented by writers who are far more insightful than I am. So in thinking about the current state of the Phils and Eagles, I pulled together some numbers that may or may not be significant. Either way, their interesting to look at if you're a figures dork like me.

For instance, the Eagles only rushing TD wasn't scored by a RB. And of the 5 offensive TDs scored this season, no WR or RB has scored twice (i.e. no consistent red zone threat). Also, the Philies have a losing record against the teams they'll face in the last 10 games, and the Braves will play Washington in 7 of their remaing 10 games. . .the Nats have gone 6-14 so far in September.

Here are the numbers:

PHILLIES:
Magic Number: 4
Games Left: 10
Division Lead: 7 Games (Atlanta in 2nd)
Season record against upcoming opponents: 10-13
Atlanta's season record vs upcoming oppts: 14-12
Best Record in NL: 92-61 (Dodgers)
Dodgers lead over phils for best record: 2.5 Games
Phillies have outscored 2009 opponents by: 114 runs (4th best in NL)
Philies record over last 10 games: 7-3
Team Batting:
Total Home Runs: 214 (1st in NL, 3rd in MLB)
Total RBI: 742 (1st in NL, 4th in MLB)
Total Runs: 771 (1st in NL, 4th best in MLB)
Team AVG: .258 (8th worst in MLB)
Team Pitching:
Team ERA: 4.02 (7th best in MLB)
Saves: 42 (9th best in MLB)
Blown Saves: 17 (worst in MLB, Lidge - 11, Madson - 6)
Strikeouts: 1081 (13th best in MLB)

EAGLES:

General

Record: 1-1

Outscored Opponents by: 2 points

Random

Lost to New Orleans by: 26 points

Worst loss last season: 29 points (Baltimore)

After 29 point loss to Baltimore: 3 Straight wins and outscored opponents by 46 points (beat Giants and Cards)

Offense

Total Yards: 730

Yds/Game: 365

Passing Yards: 466

Pass yds/game: 233

Rushing Yards: 264

Rush yds/game: 132

Points: 60

PPG: 30

TDs: 5

Receiving TDs: 4

Rushing TDs: 1 (rushed by QB)

WR or RB with multiple TDs: 0 (Jackson has 2, but 1 was a punt return)

Receptions by Leading receiver: 14 receptions

Yards by leading receiver: 14

Name of leading receiver: Brent Celek (Go TE!. ..or can you say "Check Down"?)

1st Downs: 40 (23 passes, 16 rushes, 1 Penalty)

Defense:

Yards allowed: 590

Yards per game: 295

passing yards allowed: 371

passing yards per game: 185

rush yards allowed: 219

rush yards/game: 109.5

Points allowed 58

points allowed / game: 29

Tackles by leading tackler: 15 (Quintin Mikell)

Tackles: 129

Sacks: 7

Interceptions: 6

Forced Fumbles: 3

Defensive TDs: 1

Special Teams:

Kickoff Return Yards: 231

Punt Return Yards: 111

Yards per punt: 44

Field Goals: 3/4

Longest Field Goal: 49 Yards

Extra Points: 7/7

Penalties:

Total Penalties: 16 (8th worst in NFL)

Penalty Yards: 121

Offensive penalties: 8 for 50 Yards

Defensive penalties: 2 for 21 Yards

Special Teams Penalties: 6 for 50 Yards

Eagles Vs. Saints: Special Teams Sucked, Dont' Blame Kolb

By now everyone has had a chance to sit back and digest the horrendous performance put forth by our beloved Eagles on Sunday. And even though Tuesday is a day late for Monday Morning Quaterbacking, you'll have to cut me some slack as I've been traveling and haven't been able to post anything. (For the two of you who actually read this blog, sorry for the delay).

As for the pathetic game against the Saints, I had the pleasure of actually watching the game in real-time on Sky Sports. One of the frustrations of American sports fans in London is the inability to watch the games you want to watch - baseball isn't available on telecats, and even if it were, it's only on at 1am GMT. And for NFL Football, Sky Sports broadcasts games on Sundays - but they seem to choose the games at random. Luckily for me, the game for week 2 was the Eagles/Saints matchup. I had a little freak out spaz session when I found out - You mean I don't have to settle for just the audio feed! - and my wife and I got decked out in Eagles green, only to have our hearts crushed by the team we love. And for stupid reason, too. Special teams and penalties. Football 101.

Say what you will about Kevin Kolb, but the kid looked sharp when his team was still in the game - before they basically handed the game away with mental errors and ridiculously stupid special teams penalties and plays. I don't blame Kolb at all. He drove the team 65 yards down the field in 43 seconds and set Akers up for an easy FG right before half time. Not bad. Yeah, he threw a costly interception in the 3rd quarter - badly telegraphing a pass - but that's only after Ellis Hobbs fumbled away the game in the kick off return and handed any momentum the Eagles were building right back into the hands of Drew Brees and the explosive Saints offense.

So what do I blame - I blame Special Teams and Penalties. Plain and simple. They lost those two battles and in turn lost the field position game. Let's have a look at exactly how bad the Eagles Special Teams were on Sunday. By my count, there were NINE (9!) total screw ups.

1.) 1st quarter - Right after the Saints drive down the field and score on their opening we drive, Sean Jones gets calle for holding on the kickoff. Result? The Eagles start from the 15, but still get a TD on the bomb to Jackson. Crisis averted, temporarily.

2.) 1st quarter - After the Eagles score and convert the extra point, the Eagles defense is able to the hold saints to a rare three and out. And then the punt. . . Desean jackson calls for a fair catch and the birds should have the ball on the 23, but Chris Clemons gets called for roughing - really stupid, stupid penalty, especially since it's a fair catch! Result - Instead of getting the ball at the 23, the Eagles start from their own 12 (definitely losing the field position battle). They're able to get a first down, but then they're forced to punt. . .which leads to more problems. . .

3.) 1st quarter- The eagles are set to punt (line of scrimmage is the 24, only 1 yard ahead of where the should have been before the Clemons penalty). Sav Rocca boots a 58 yard punt, pinning the Saints at their own 18. Pretty good, right? Wrong. Why? Because Hanson gets called for an ILLEGAL SHIFT. Result, the Eagles are sent back to the 19 and asked to punt again, which leads to even more problems. . .

4.) 1st quarter - In what's becoming a comedy of errors, Rocca punts the post-penalty-punt OUT OF BOUNDS. Result? Instead of starting from the 18 (where the first punt landed) the Saints start from their own 47. You can't give the Saints short field position like that. They capitalize with a FG and take the lead 10-7.

5, 6, 7.) 2nd Quarter- This a 3-for-one screw-up! After the Eagles defense intercepts Brees and sets up a game tying FG, the game looks like momentum can be shifting. The defense is able to hold Brees and company to another 3 and out, and the Saints are forced to punt to Desean Jackson with just 1:40 left in the half (score tied at 10-10). The Eagles, if their smart, could secure safe field position and play smart, secure football to escape the half in a tie and come out on the receiving end of the 3rd quarter kickoff. Things are looking up, but. . . Desean Jackson elects to return a FG from the 2 yard line instead of letting bounce into the end zone for a touchback (error #5). He's able to return the ball to the 33 yard line, but only after two illegal blocks by Weaver and Clemons (errors number 6 and 7). Result, instead of having the ball at the 20 yard line (where it would have been if Jackson doesn't touch it), the Eagles are forced to start from their own 3 yard line. The go three and out, hand the Saints great field position AGAIN, and in two plays Marques Colston is leaping for a TD. How quickly the tide turns. . .

8) 3rd Quarter - Kolb looked sharp at the end of the 1st half, moving the birds 65 yards down the field in 43 seconds and setting up a David Akers FG. The Eagles had some momentum coming into the 2nd half, and if they could take the lead with a smart opening drive. But. . .Ellis Hobbs fumbles the kickoff and kills the Eagles' mojo. Instead of the Eagles going down and taking control of the game, the Saints get the ball at the eagles 23. Three plays later the score is 24 - 13 and the game is quickly getting out of reach.

9.) 3rd quarter - With the score 31-13, the Eagles look to return a kickoff and try to get something - anything! - going. But of course there's a holding call on the Eagles, and the offense has to start from their own 6. Result - Same as usual: 3 and out, punt, Saints get short field and score. Saints lead 34-13.

What amazes me most about the game - aside from how badly they played on Special Teams, was how easy the Eagles made it for the Saints to score. As a result of Special Teams, penalties and turnovers, the Saints were handed amazing field position all day long. Just look at numbers:
The Saints received their ball at their own 35 (or better) FIVE TIMES! Of those five, they started in Eagles territory twice. And, oh yeah, they scored each of the five times.

For the Eagles part, they started at their own 35 (or better) just twice. And what did they do? Punted once, and scored a TD on the other.

Moral of the story: You can't make stupid mistakes against a team as offensively talented as the Saints. They will capitalize every time, and you will lose. Badly.

Merril Hoge is a Douchebag & Jimmy Johnson Loves The Eagles

Once again, Merril Hoge picked the Eagles to lose. He always picks the Eagles to lose. Why? Because he's a douchebag. I hate Merril Hoge. You would think that he would be more supportive of Andy Reid - they're both Mormons - but no, Merril Hoge insists on picking against the Eagles every chance he gets.

But we do have one unlikely supporter - Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Johnson brought years of misery to Eagles fans, but Jimmy told FOX Philly that the Eagles are his choice to win the Super Bowl this year. See him make the call in THIS VIDEO.

Vick is #1 in Jersey Sales: 6,140 Michael Vick Jerseys Sold

Updating a previous post, Michael Vick has now surpassed Brett Favre as the leader in NFL jersey sales. Vick's home and away jerseys combined for a total of 6,140 sales for the week ending August 30. That's a lot of jersey sales for a guy whose been blacklisted at Dick's Sporting Goods. Read the full article online at The Boston Herald.

Vick, who served 18 months in federal prison for dogfighting charges, will not be reinstated until the third game of the season - a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 27. No doubt there will be lots of Vick jerseys at that game. And, perhaps nobody will be more excited for Vick's return than Donovan McNabb. Read his comments here. Only time will tell how all of this will work out. . .

Alex Smith - Signed

As predicted, Alex Smith is now a Philadelphia Eagle. Tony Curtis looked decent against the Jets, but I'm much more comfortable having a proven red zone threat lining up in the double tight formation. Anyone else predict some fake-block delayed release to the corner of the end zone routes? More details on Alex Smith's signing.

Postseason Closers: A Look at This Decade's World Series Champs

With 26 games left in the regular season, Brad Lidge is only 4 meltdowns away from tying the MLB single-season record of 14 blown-saves, a dubious distinction currently held by a quartet of relievers, two of which are Hall of Famers - Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Bob Stanley and Ron Davis. And indeed it looked like Lidge was on pace to narrow the gap again last night, when he loaded the bases and appeared to be on the verge of blowing his 11th save of the season.

But Charlie Manuel finally decided to yank his erratic closer.

Manuel said, "...I didn't have a very good feel about the game, and I made up mind I wanted to try Madson." So Charlie replaced Lidge with last year's "Bridge to Lidge", a risky move considering that Madson has had problems in the closer's role - coming into last night's game, Madson had blown more saves (5) than he'd converted (4). But Madson got the job done. He preserved the Phillies' two run lead and prevented the slumping NL East leaders from losing their fifth straight game.

So what does this mean for Lidge? Are we moving to a closer-by-committee scenario? And how does this all effect the Phillies' World Series aspirations? I decided to take a look at each championship team since 2000 and evaluate their Closers. There was some encouraging information there, for example. . .

Of the 8 Championship teams in the 2000's, four of them had 5 or more blown saves in the regular season, and two of those teams had at least 10 blown saves ('06 Cardinals, '03 Marlins). In fact, each World Series winner from 2003 - 2006 had at least 5 blown saves.

Also, half of the championship teams relied on unproven closers for the World Series. Here are the stories:

2006 Cardinals: Jason Isringhausen was the team's closer for the regular season. Isringhausen recorded 33 saves and 10 blown saves before getting sidelined by injury. Adam Wainwright took over for Isringhausen, and the rest is history. Wainwright, MLB's current wins leaders, had 4 postseason saves and allowed 0.00 earned runs over 9.2 innings of work.

2005 White Sox: Dustin Hermanson was the closer for the majority of the regular season when the south siders won the World Series. Hermanson had 34 saves, 5 blown saves, 5 holds and an ERA of 2.04. He then got injured and lost his job to Bobby Jenks, and Jenks did a great job in the postseason - 4 saves, 1 blown save and a 2.25 ERA.

2003 Florida Marlins: The regular season closer was Braden Looper. Looper had 28 saves and 8 blown saves before losing the job to Ugueth Urbina. Urbina wasn't perfect in the postseason - Despite blowing 2 saves, he converted 4 other saves and helped the Marlins to a World Series championship.

2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: Byung-Hyun was the team's closer. He had 19 regular season saves, but after blowing 2 save chances in the World Series, the Diamondbacks called on Randy Johnson in Game 7 - one night after picthing 7 innings in a Game 6 victory - to keep their championship hopes alive. Johnson came on in the top of the 8th with Diamondbacks trailing 2-1. He flyballed Knoblauch and retired the side. Then he came out again and retired the side 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Arizona's stunning 9th inning victory. Granted it wasn't a save situation, but it was the most important relief appearance of the year. Johnson got the win. Kim watched from the bench.

What does all this mean for the Phillies? It means that there is no precedent in place dictating that you have to have a perfect closer to win championships. Teams have won with patchwork approaches before, so if the Phillies have to run a mixture of Lidge, Madson, Meyers, Martinez and Moyer, so be it. Crazier things have happened. But what hasn't happened is this: No team in the last decade has made it to the playoffs with a closer whose ERA is above 4.00. Lidge's ERA is currently 7.15. And, when you combine his numbers with Madson's, the result is scary - 5.15 ERA and 15 Blown Saves. I can't say for certain, but I'm willing to bet that no team in MLB history has ever won a championship with those numbers.

First things first, though. The Phillies still need to need to make the playoffs, and things are looking grim. They've just been swept by the Astros and only scored a total of 3 runs in a 3 game series against the Giants. The offense needs to come alive, otherwise all this postseason bullpen talk will just be a giant waste of time.

Eagles Ranked 4th in ESPN Power Rankings

ESPN.com released its NFL Power Rankings for week 1, and the Eagles are 4th on the list. The top 3 teams are the Steelers, Patriots and Giants with the Chargers rounding out the top 5. Apparently the ESPN.com gurus are more confident in the Eagles than the Phillly faithful are, as today on the 610WIP morning show callers predicted the Eagles would win (on average) just over 8 games this year, citing the health of the O-Line and questions about the middle linebacker and safety positions as areas of key concern. Neverthless, the Eagles have lots of weapons on offense, and I'm sure that's why they're ranked so high. Between Westbrook, Jackson, Curtis, McCoy, Celek, Maclin, Weaver and Avant, Reid and McNabb will have lots of weapons to tinker with. Let's just hope the O-Line gets consistent and healthy, and the defense can gel without mastermind Jim Johnson, spiritual leader Brian Dawkins, and leading tackler Stuart Bradley.

Vick Speaks to Students at Nuevo Esperanza Academy

Michael Vick will address a class of 200 incoming freshmen at the Nuevo Esperanza Academy today. The topic: Dogfighting. Vick is set to share his experience with the students and discourage them from violence towards animals. All of this will make Jeffery Lurie happy, as Lurie maintains Vick's status on the team is 100% contingent on his work OFF the field. Vick will be accompanied by Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society.

This all comes shortly after the Eagles circulated a draft plan to animal rights organizations that calls for "an immediate, widespread campaign to combat animal abuse in Philadelphia." Read more about the plan online at Philly.com.

Alex Smith - Eagles New TE?

The Patriots have released Alex Smith. The former Tampa Bay TE was picked up in the off season in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Smith competed for roster spots with Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker. He lost, mostly because he sucks at blocking. He's a decent receiver, though. In 4 years with Tampa, Smith had 129 receptions for 1252 yards and 11 TDs. He averaged almost 10 yards per reception, and he only fumbled once. Not bad. It was rumored that Eagles were in talks with the Pats to make a trade - Feeley for Smith - but it appears both sides can get the players for free if they want. That is, of course, if the Giants don't beat the Birds to the punch. According to one source, Smith has already worked out for the Giants. It'll be interesting to see what happens with this, and if the Eagles feel Smith would add necessary depth to TE position.

Terrelle Pryor Loves Mike Vick

Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor expressed his support for Mike Vick by wearing Vick's name in his eye black. He then went into a press conference and said: "Not everybody is a perfect person in the world. Everyone does - kills people, murder people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever. I just that feel people need to give him a chance." Watch the video:

It's great the Pryor wants to honor and support an athlete he admires, but someone at Ohio State needs to teach the kid how to talk, perhaps one of his pre-law profs. That's right, Pryor is a Criminal Law major. Lesson number one: Be specific, Terrelle. Don't say everyone kills people and steals from you if that's not really what you mean.

Eagles Notes for Tuesday, Sept 8th

Qunitin Demps got benched. Macho Harris will be the starting Free Safety on Sunday at Carolina. Macho is a rookie fifth round draft pick out of Virgina Tech who has never played Free Safety, but the Eagles coaching staff are impressed by his field intelligence as well as his tackling skills. Whereas Demps was often hesitant and sometimes an inept tackler, Harris plays with abandon and likes to lower his shoulder. Also, Macho had 15 career interceptions at Virgina Tech. Read more online here. And check out his college highlights below. No doubt dude has talent:



Shawn Andrews says he's ready to start on Sunday. He hasn't played a down of football in a year, but he hasn't lost his confidences. When asked how he feels about lining up against 4-time pro-bowler Julius Peppers, Andrews said: “I don’t want to get into a hissing match, but at the same time, I’m a beast too. It’s not a me and Peppers deal. It’s a team thing, but since you asked about the individual battle, I’m a beast too. So let the beasting begin, if you will.” Read the full article online here.

Desean Jackson aims to have a big year. When asked how he could improve upon his rookie season - 62 receptions for 912 yards and 2 TDs - Jackson said his plan is to double his number of receptions: "That's the plan - to double 62. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But I'm definitely shooting for it. I know there's going to be competition, but that's the challenge. Me and Donovan [McNabb] are on the same page. He knows the type of receiver that I am and how I've developed in my second year." Read the full artcile online at the Inquirer.

Panthers fans have a lot to worry about this season. This is hopeful news for an Eagles team that has struggled mightily in the preseason. Get a rundown of Carolina's concerns in this article from The Star Online.

Phillies Pitching at a Glance

In a 3-game series where the Giants outscored the Phillies by two runs, the Phillies still managed to steal two games and walk away the victors. And they only needed a total of three runs to do it.

How is this possible? Kick ass pitching. That's right, the Phillies pitching staff went toe-to-toe with the vaunted San Fran aces, and the Phils came out victorious. Things are looking good for the playoffs (as long as we stay healthy). Just look at the numbers:

Cole Hamels hasn't allowed a run 19 innings.

Pedro Martinez is 3-0 with 23 Ks since his first start on August 12th.

Happ is a leading NL rookie of the year candidate. At 10-4, he's only one win away from becoming the first Philly pitcher since 1980 to win 11 games.

Blanton has allowed just 3 runs or less in his last 12 starts.

Cliff Lee is 5 -1 with 2 complete games and 44 Ks since joining the squad.

Brad Lidge has converted all 3 of his last 3 save chances, and even though he leads the league in blown saves (9), he has still compiled 28 saves (just 8 less than the NL leader).

The Phils pitchers are all where they should be. If the bats come alive again, there's no stopping them.

Donovan McNabb IHOP Commerical

In case you haven't already seen it, check out Donovan's new commercial - He's selling pancakes for IHOP. No Mama McNabb in these commercials.



All of this is part of IHOP's new partnership with the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald got roped in to film some commercials as well.



Here's the delicious IHOP NFL Menu:

-- AFC & NFC Stuffed French Toast: A football-shaped version of our
famous cinnamon raisin stuffed French toast filled with a sweet cream
center. Grilled and served on top of either cool AFC strawberries or
warm NFC blueberry compote. Served a la carte or with all the
favorites.

-- NFC Blueberry Banana Blitz: An NFC All-Pro lineup with two fluffy
buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberries, then piled high with more
blueberries, sliced fresh bananas and creamy whipped topping. Served a
la carte or with all the favorites.

-- AFC Strawberry Banana Blitz: An AFC All-Pro lineup with two fluffy
buttermilk pancakes stacked with strawberries, sliced fresh bananas and
creamy whipped topping. Served a la carte or with all the favorites.

-- MVP Quarterback Scramble: Has it all -- made with diced pork sausage
links, chopped bacon, diced ham, hash browns, diced jalapeños, cheddar
cheese and a splash of our famous buttermilk and wheat pancake batter
for an extra fluffy scramble. Served with two buttermilk pancakes.

-- Veteran Quarterback Scramble: A seasoned pro -- made with sliced
smoked sausage, hash browns, cheddar cheese and a splash of our famous
buttermilk and wheat pancake batter for an extra fluffy scramble.
Served with two buttermilk pancakes.

-- Rookie Quarterback Scramble: Still a little green and made with fresh
spinach, hash browns, cheddar cheese and a splash of our famous
buttermilk and wheat pancake batter for an extra fluffy scramble.
Served with two buttermilk pancakes.

-- Draft Pick Quarterback Scramble: A first-round choice for lighter
fare made with egg substitute, fresh spinach and grilled onions then
topped with roasted tomatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Served
with a side of fresh fruit or whole wheat toast.

Sweet.

Curt Schilling Seeks Kennedy's Senate Seat?

He can't be serious, can he? Read the article here. Wow, what a pompous prick. It's bad enough he has 3 world series rings. If he gets Kennedy's senate seat, the Red Sox Nation will have even greater exposure to the rest of the country, who mostly hate the BoSox. Do we really need Captain Masshole waxing philosophical with our tax dollars. Short answer, No. There's a reason '93 Phillies hated Schilling - Because he's a douchebag.

Osi is a Baby

Good news for Eagles fans: Osi Umenyiora doesn't like his coach. Apparently Osi got in a fight with Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan and then left practice without telling anyone. As far as I can tell, Osi has it made - he gets $41 million to have temper tantrums and act like a baby.

Eagles fans should be pleased about this, because it's just another distraction for a Giants team that has seen more than its fair share of press lately - Plax gettin jail time, suspicions about Antonio Pierce's status in the league, Domenik Hixson dropping passes, the departure of Steve Spagnuolo and so on and so on.

If the distractions keeping piling on, the Giants D-Line might not actually realize how good they are, and then the Eagles battered O-Line would have a much easier time moving down the field. Remember when Osi sacked Donovan 6 times? Yeah, that sucked. Here's a ridiculous shot of Osi hugging some strippers:

Are we really gonna let this guy beat us? Hell no.

The Fans Have Spoken: Favre and Vick Top Selling Jerseys

Brett Favre's Vikings jersey is the #1 selling jersey so far this year, and Mike Vick's Eagles jersey isn't far behind at #4. Pretty impressive stuff considering both guys signed with their teams so late in the preseason. Also, Dick's Sporting Goods refused to sell Vick's jersey, making it even more impressive that Vick could crack the top 5. Vick is the only Eagle who made the top 20 list. Read the full article online at CNBC.com.