1. What was Tom Coughlin thinking by keeping Eli Manning in near the end of the game? The game was over with at least 8 minutes to go. If Eli gets hurt, there goes your season.
2. What was Tom Coughlin thinking by calling timeouts with less than 2 minutes to go? Does he dislike Philadelphia fans so much that he wanted to screw up the post-game traffic pattern to delay Phillies' fans from getting to the game?
3. The Fox commentators kept on pointing out, especially in the second half, that the Giants' offense lacked a sense of urgency, both in terms of being slow coming out of the huddle and then in running the ball, almost to excess. It didn't seem that the Giants were missing any players on offense, but now, after 8 games, has the league figured out that perhaps without explosive weapons on the receiving end, it's easier to stop the Giants' running game and, therefore, the Giants?
4. The Giants' defense didn't play well today, but that's what happens when you have injured cover corners and defensive ends. The former didn't play; the latter didn't play well. It's hard to read too much into the Giants' defensive lapses unless the team fails to get healthier. If the team fails to get healthier, then the Giants will be exposed in certain passing situations.
5. Why did Aaron "Steel Hands" Babin try to tackle Eli Manning when he was going out of bounds in the fourth quarter? The officials flagged Babin for a "horse collar" tackle that wasn't (he grabbed and then let go of Manning's shirt), but the commentators were right to point out that the chance of the flag was great enough that Babin should have eased up. My bet is that in five years defensive players will have computer chips/sensors in their gloves and quarterbacks will have them on their uniforms, so that once a QB is touched with two hands his shirt will light up and the play will be over (with continuation within reason permitted). Right now, the rules about hitting quarterbacks are a bit much.
6. The Giants special teams didn't cover kickoffs well today. Their defense was having enough trouble, and then the Eagles got great field position to boot.
7. Necessity is the mother of invention. The absence of Brian Westbrook caused Andy Reid to innovate, and that's what he did with giving the ball more to Leonard Weaver. I'm surprised more teams don't run their fullbacks more. My argument: otherwise, you have one more player in addition to the offensive linemen who you know won't touch the ball. Since the fullback is eligible to touch it, deploy him with it. Weaver rewarded the Eagles with a great game, and now opponents will have to watch out for him, too.
8. The Eagles' young tandem of Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson is very exciting. If the Birds' offensive line can jell and Westbrook can get healthier, the offense will be in very good shape. Maclin had a spectacular catch for a TD today, while Jackson ran right by a defense for his long score.
9. How much does that loss to the Oakland Raiders hurt now? How good is it to have Todd Herremans back on the offensive line? Who is the DL Dixon for the Eagles? He looked tough today, as did Will Witherspoon, who was all over the place at middle linebacker. And did you see the hit Asante Samuel put on Hakeem Nicks in the second half? Who says that the former NE DB can't hit? That was a great shot.
10. Did you hear the Eagles' fans yelling "Let's go Phillies!" I don't believe in omens, but I'm much more looking forward to Game 4 of the World Series knowing that Philadelphia prevailed in the football rivarly this afternoon.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Temple is Bowl Eligible!
For the first time since 1990, Temple will not have a losing season.
And it looks like the Owls could go to a bowl game for the first time since 1979.
The Owls beat Navy at Navy on a late score, 27-24, to give them their sixth victory of the season. They've won six in a row after losing to Villanova and Penn State in their first two games.
Read here for the entire story.
Okay, so the Owls aren't the Phillies, aren't the Eagles, aren't Penn State and have trouble drawing attention to themselves in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a pro football town now (that wasn't always the case; Penn, until the mid-1950's or so, played big-time football and routinely put about 70,000 people into Franklin Field), and if there is a college football allegiance, it's to Penn State. All of that background underscores the significance of Al Golden's success at Temple. Somehow, some way, he's re-built a program that was in bad shape -- methodically and with great attention to detail.
This is a great story -- for the Temple football program and for Al Golden and his coaching staff.
The Owls still have several games to play, and the more games they win the better the chance they'll have to get a bowl invitation. Their next 2 games -- against Miami (Ohio) and Akron -- should be wins, as those two teams have two wins between them. They then end Kent State and Ohio, and both of those schools are having good seasons. Win out and the team finishes 10-2 and should guarantee itself a bowl invitation. Going 3-1 also should do the trick.
Again, a great, great story.
Al Golden and his Owls are having a great season so far.
And it looks like the Owls could go to a bowl game for the first time since 1979.
The Owls beat Navy at Navy on a late score, 27-24, to give them their sixth victory of the season. They've won six in a row after losing to Villanova and Penn State in their first two games.
Read here for the entire story.
Okay, so the Owls aren't the Phillies, aren't the Eagles, aren't Penn State and have trouble drawing attention to themselves in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a pro football town now (that wasn't always the case; Penn, until the mid-1950's or so, played big-time football and routinely put about 70,000 people into Franklin Field), and if there is a college football allegiance, it's to Penn State. All of that background underscores the significance of Al Golden's success at Temple. Somehow, some way, he's re-built a program that was in bad shape -- methodically and with great attention to detail.
This is a great story -- for the Temple football program and for Al Golden and his coaching staff.
The Owls still have several games to play, and the more games they win the better the chance they'll have to get a bowl invitation. Their next 2 games -- against Miami (Ohio) and Akron -- should be wins, as those two teams have two wins between them. They then end Kent State and Ohio, and both of those schools are having good seasons. Win out and the team finishes 10-2 and should guarantee itself a bowl invitation. Going 3-1 also should do the trick.
Again, a great, great story.
Al Golden and his Owls are having a great season so far.
Reflections on the Phillies-Yankees Game Last Night
1. As a Phillies' fan, it's hard to say that Cole Hamels disappointed me. How he pitched last night has pretty much been the way he's worked all year. He can go 4, 5 innings and pitch well, only to have the floor come out from under him thereafter. There are a few reasons for this. First, he was a three-pitch pitcher last year, and all of those pitches worked well for him. This year, his curveball has gone AWOL, and most Major League lineups will feast on a two-pitch starting pitcher after they go through the lineup once or at most twice. The Yankees aren't like most Major League teams -- they're better. As I've said before, the post-season magnifies a team's weaknesses, and this post-season has magnified the struggles that Hamels has had this year. Second, Hamels pitched many more innings in 2008 than he did in 2007. According to experts (such as Buck Showalter), history has demonstrated that a pitcher in Hamels circumstances would not have a good season the following year. That's happened. If the Series were to go to a Game 7, you have to wonder what Phillies' skipper Charlie Manuel would do. That game sets up as a start for Hamels, but you'd have to wonder if Manuel believes he has any other options out there. It may be that he doesn't.
2. Andy Pettitte is an all-timer. He was wild early and got it, but he settled down and pitched a masterful game. You have to give the Yankees an awful lot of credit. After last season, their rotation would have led the pundits to predict that they'd finish out of the playoffs. By re-upping Pettitte and going out and getting CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett (okay and Mark Teixeira), they are now 2 games away from winning the World Series.
3. You have to wonder what Shane Victorino was thinking with the bases loaded in the second inning. Pettitte was wild, very wild in fact, missing the strike zone somewhat significantly. So what did Victorino do? He came up and swung at the first two pitches -- both of which were out of the strike zone (and perhaps not even close). That set up an 0-2 count, and you don't usually like your chances on an 0-2 count against a skilled Major League pitcher. Fortunately for the Phillies, he hit a sacrifice fly to make the game 3-0, but you do have to wonder how the rest of the game had fared had Victorino taken those pitches and had a 2-0 count with the bases loaded and only one out. Had that meant another two runs for the Phillies, the tide of the game might have been different. Sure, given the way that Hamels combusted a Phillies' fan couldn't be so sure, but Victorino's lack of patience at the plate hurt the Phillies last night.
4. As has the overall hitting of the foursome of Victorino, Utley, Howard and Ibanez. Victorino's lack of production is the hardest to understand, as he's not been that streaky during the year. Utley had a bad September, leading some observers to conclude that either his surgically repaired hip isn't right or that he hasn't fully recovered from a bad bruise to his foot (that resulted from a foul ball). Utley has denied any injury, and he's also denied that he'd tell anyone if he had an injury. Those are explanations, not excuses, and in the past two games Chase Utley has not fared well. Howard's struggles are the most understandable. He's streaky. He's usually very good late in the season, but if you were to watch Howard every day you would understand why Cardinals' fans would win the argument (hands down) as to why Albert Pujols is better. Sure, the Phillies could lose Howard to a team like the Red Sox two years down the road when his contract is up because his power numbers are so awesome, but he hit .207 with 6 homers against lefties this year. That he didn't hit Pettitte wasn't the biggest surprise; that he didn't hit Burnett was. As for Ibanez, he's not the same guy that he was before he got hurt. Since he's returned from his injury, his swing looks different. Instead of turning on the ball methodically, he seems to rise up on his toes and try to turn at the same time. The result is that he has to adjust the plane of his swing as he's turning (because not only is he turning, he now needs to lower himself to hit the ball on the appropriate plane), and he's been missing more than before or pounding the ball into the ground to the right side of the infield. Not a good time for four of your hitters to be slumping.
5. I had thought before the playoffs that the Phillies probably had a shot at winning an NLDS Series and then would have trouble in the NLCS. Not because I thought that the Dodgers were better, but because I thought that the Phillies' inconsistent and beat-up bullpen wasn't strong enough for the team to leverage the way it did in 2008. In 2008, everything went right in that bullpen. Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey had almost career years in long relief. Scott Eyre bounced right off the Cubs' scrap heap and did a great job as the #2 lefty reliever. J.C. Romero had an awesome year as the lefty set-up man. Ryan Madson grew up as a reliever, found 5 miles per hour on his fastball and was one of the best righty set-up men in baseball. And Brad Lidge was perfect. In 2009, Durbin and Condrey had long stints on the DL. Eyre was on the DL twice. Romero had a 50-game suspension for banned substances and wasn't right the whole year. Madson lost some confidence when he failed in his bid as substitute closer when Lidge was on the DL. Lidge pitched poorly for most of the year. Chan Ho Park bailed the team out with outstanding relief during a big run the team made after the All-Star break, only to land on the DL himself. Only Madson didn't end up on the DL. Lefty Jack Taschner, filling in for Romero, failed, and rookie Sergio Escalano did nothing memorable. Kyle Kendrick, up from AAA where he was starting, had one moment during the stretch to clinch the pennant, and Tyler Walker filled in admirably for many of the injured righties. But on balance, a bad year.
And that results in a lack of managerial confidence in the post-season. Charlie Manuel doesn't know who will perform at what level in the post-season. J.A. Happ started all year, so Manuel's logic about having more confidence in others because they have more experience as starters is puzzling because a) Happ at times was his most effective starter (and will probably be named N.L. Rookie of the year) and b) he hasn't had experience as a reliever, so what makes Manuel think he'll excel in that role (and he's struggled in the post-season). Brett Myers was hurt for much of the year and yielded a home run last night. And Joe Blanton has been a lost soldier.
In short, the front office and Manuel knew going into the playoffs that they'll have to reconstrucct the bullpen for 2010. This World Series confirms that sentiment. That's not to say that there's not enough gas left in the tank for the Phillies' bullpen to hold on and help save 3 games in this World Series, but given all of the goings on during the season, that would be a major achievement and somewhat of a surprise.
5. Another magnified weakness is the Phillies' bench. It's bad enough that Greg Dobbs, who didn't have that good a year, has been weakened with the flu. But Eric Bruntlett, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako (not to mention others such as John Mayberry, Jr. and Miguel Cairo) don't frighten anyone. Ben Francisco is a good fourth outfielder, but the Phillies will need to fortify their bench (and provide some meaningful relief for players who are used to playing 152 games a year but who will need more rest as they age) in the off-season. Bruntlett flied out feebly in a pinch-hit role last night, and Stairs, while he provides excitement every time he is up, misses much more than he connects. I wouldn't expect either Stairs or Bruntlett to return to the team next year.
6. Positives for the Phillies: Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz have performed well, and Utley was spectacular in Game 1. Cliff Lee excelled in Game 1, and if somehow the team can beat CC Sabathia tonight, they go into Game 5 at home with Cliff Lee on full rest primed to help the team take a 3-2 lead back to Yankee Stadium (still a tall order). On paper, the Blanton-Sabathia matchup doesn't look great for the Phillies, but Blanton's been steady for much of the year and he is a different pitcher from the guy who pitched several seasons in Oakland. Then again, Sabathia is a much better playoff pitcher than he was before this post-season began. Finally, the Phillies have a particular amount of grit, and they're bound to keep fighting. They were one of the least talked about teams going into last season, and they won it all. This margin -- down 2-1 -- isn't insurmountable. Down 3-1 is another story, but if somehow they can knock out the Yankees' ace and take Game 3, it will perhaps be the Yankee fans who wake up with the glum feeling the morning after, feeling similar to the way most Phillies' fans are feeling now.
7. Positives for the Yankees: the veteran nucleus is well-primed for a last hurrah (or even another next year). It's going to be hard to sustain repeat World Series performances when Rivera is 40, Pettitte and Posada 37, Jeter, Damon and Matsui 35, but this group has played great as a whole. Yes, Sabathaia, Teixeira, Burnett and Cano (not to mention Chamberlain and Hughes) are younger, but this particular group is pretty special. I don't know whether Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Jeter all will go into the Hall (Rivera and Jeter are locks), but they are a special foursome. In addition, they're getting very timely hitting, their starting pitching has been awesome, Rivera is his usual post-season self, Nick Swisher has woken up and A-Rod, despite strikeouts and miscues in the field, is more than holding his own -- his home run last night was a game changer. And, they have Sabathia going tonight. Those are a lot of positives, and, after Game 3, there aren't many negatives.
But tides can turn in the World Series, and sure things don't always turn out to be so sure. Given the groundswell of confidence in Sabathia going into Game 4, the Yankees have to be very confident. But if somehow the Phillies were to get to Sabathia, get good pitching from Blanton and have the bullpen hold the lead, the tide can turn back to the Phillies in a hurry.
2. Andy Pettitte is an all-timer. He was wild early and got it, but he settled down and pitched a masterful game. You have to give the Yankees an awful lot of credit. After last season, their rotation would have led the pundits to predict that they'd finish out of the playoffs. By re-upping Pettitte and going out and getting CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett (okay and Mark Teixeira), they are now 2 games away from winning the World Series.
3. You have to wonder what Shane Victorino was thinking with the bases loaded in the second inning. Pettitte was wild, very wild in fact, missing the strike zone somewhat significantly. So what did Victorino do? He came up and swung at the first two pitches -- both of which were out of the strike zone (and perhaps not even close). That set up an 0-2 count, and you don't usually like your chances on an 0-2 count against a skilled Major League pitcher. Fortunately for the Phillies, he hit a sacrifice fly to make the game 3-0, but you do have to wonder how the rest of the game had fared had Victorino taken those pitches and had a 2-0 count with the bases loaded and only one out. Had that meant another two runs for the Phillies, the tide of the game might have been different. Sure, given the way that Hamels combusted a Phillies' fan couldn't be so sure, but Victorino's lack of patience at the plate hurt the Phillies last night.
4. As has the overall hitting of the foursome of Victorino, Utley, Howard and Ibanez. Victorino's lack of production is the hardest to understand, as he's not been that streaky during the year. Utley had a bad September, leading some observers to conclude that either his surgically repaired hip isn't right or that he hasn't fully recovered from a bad bruise to his foot (that resulted from a foul ball). Utley has denied any injury, and he's also denied that he'd tell anyone if he had an injury. Those are explanations, not excuses, and in the past two games Chase Utley has not fared well. Howard's struggles are the most understandable. He's streaky. He's usually very good late in the season, but if you were to watch Howard every day you would understand why Cardinals' fans would win the argument (hands down) as to why Albert Pujols is better. Sure, the Phillies could lose Howard to a team like the Red Sox two years down the road when his contract is up because his power numbers are so awesome, but he hit .207 with 6 homers against lefties this year. That he didn't hit Pettitte wasn't the biggest surprise; that he didn't hit Burnett was. As for Ibanez, he's not the same guy that he was before he got hurt. Since he's returned from his injury, his swing looks different. Instead of turning on the ball methodically, he seems to rise up on his toes and try to turn at the same time. The result is that he has to adjust the plane of his swing as he's turning (because not only is he turning, he now needs to lower himself to hit the ball on the appropriate plane), and he's been missing more than before or pounding the ball into the ground to the right side of the infield. Not a good time for four of your hitters to be slumping.
5. I had thought before the playoffs that the Phillies probably had a shot at winning an NLDS Series and then would have trouble in the NLCS. Not because I thought that the Dodgers were better, but because I thought that the Phillies' inconsistent and beat-up bullpen wasn't strong enough for the team to leverage the way it did in 2008. In 2008, everything went right in that bullpen. Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey had almost career years in long relief. Scott Eyre bounced right off the Cubs' scrap heap and did a great job as the #2 lefty reliever. J.C. Romero had an awesome year as the lefty set-up man. Ryan Madson grew up as a reliever, found 5 miles per hour on his fastball and was one of the best righty set-up men in baseball. And Brad Lidge was perfect. In 2009, Durbin and Condrey had long stints on the DL. Eyre was on the DL twice. Romero had a 50-game suspension for banned substances and wasn't right the whole year. Madson lost some confidence when he failed in his bid as substitute closer when Lidge was on the DL. Lidge pitched poorly for most of the year. Chan Ho Park bailed the team out with outstanding relief during a big run the team made after the All-Star break, only to land on the DL himself. Only Madson didn't end up on the DL. Lefty Jack Taschner, filling in for Romero, failed, and rookie Sergio Escalano did nothing memorable. Kyle Kendrick, up from AAA where he was starting, had one moment during the stretch to clinch the pennant, and Tyler Walker filled in admirably for many of the injured righties. But on balance, a bad year.
And that results in a lack of managerial confidence in the post-season. Charlie Manuel doesn't know who will perform at what level in the post-season. J.A. Happ started all year, so Manuel's logic about having more confidence in others because they have more experience as starters is puzzling because a) Happ at times was his most effective starter (and will probably be named N.L. Rookie of the year) and b) he hasn't had experience as a reliever, so what makes Manuel think he'll excel in that role (and he's struggled in the post-season). Brett Myers was hurt for much of the year and yielded a home run last night. And Joe Blanton has been a lost soldier.
In short, the front office and Manuel knew going into the playoffs that they'll have to reconstrucct the bullpen for 2010. This World Series confirms that sentiment. That's not to say that there's not enough gas left in the tank for the Phillies' bullpen to hold on and help save 3 games in this World Series, but given all of the goings on during the season, that would be a major achievement and somewhat of a surprise.
5. Another magnified weakness is the Phillies' bench. It's bad enough that Greg Dobbs, who didn't have that good a year, has been weakened with the flu. But Eric Bruntlett, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako (not to mention others such as John Mayberry, Jr. and Miguel Cairo) don't frighten anyone. Ben Francisco is a good fourth outfielder, but the Phillies will need to fortify their bench (and provide some meaningful relief for players who are used to playing 152 games a year but who will need more rest as they age) in the off-season. Bruntlett flied out feebly in a pinch-hit role last night, and Stairs, while he provides excitement every time he is up, misses much more than he connects. I wouldn't expect either Stairs or Bruntlett to return to the team next year.
6. Positives for the Phillies: Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz have performed well, and Utley was spectacular in Game 1. Cliff Lee excelled in Game 1, and if somehow the team can beat CC Sabathia tonight, they go into Game 5 at home with Cliff Lee on full rest primed to help the team take a 3-2 lead back to Yankee Stadium (still a tall order). On paper, the Blanton-Sabathia matchup doesn't look great for the Phillies, but Blanton's been steady for much of the year and he is a different pitcher from the guy who pitched several seasons in Oakland. Then again, Sabathia is a much better playoff pitcher than he was before this post-season began. Finally, the Phillies have a particular amount of grit, and they're bound to keep fighting. They were one of the least talked about teams going into last season, and they won it all. This margin -- down 2-1 -- isn't insurmountable. Down 3-1 is another story, but if somehow they can knock out the Yankees' ace and take Game 3, it will perhaps be the Yankee fans who wake up with the glum feeling the morning after, feeling similar to the way most Phillies' fans are feeling now.
7. Positives for the Yankees: the veteran nucleus is well-primed for a last hurrah (or even another next year). It's going to be hard to sustain repeat World Series performances when Rivera is 40, Pettitte and Posada 37, Jeter, Damon and Matsui 35, but this group has played great as a whole. Yes, Sabathaia, Teixeira, Burnett and Cano (not to mention Chamberlain and Hughes) are younger, but this particular group is pretty special. I don't know whether Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Jeter all will go into the Hall (Rivera and Jeter are locks), but they are a special foursome. In addition, they're getting very timely hitting, their starting pitching has been awesome, Rivera is his usual post-season self, Nick Swisher has woken up and A-Rod, despite strikeouts and miscues in the field, is more than holding his own -- his home run last night was a game changer. And, they have Sabathia going tonight. Those are a lot of positives, and, after Game 3, there aren't many negatives.
But tides can turn in the World Series, and sure things don't always turn out to be so sure. Given the groundswell of confidence in Sabathia going into Game 4, the Yankees have to be very confident. But if somehow the Phillies were to get to Sabathia, get good pitching from Blanton and have the bullpen hold the lead, the tide can turn back to the Phillies in a hurry.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Is Princeton Women's Basketball Team Ready to Challenge for the Ivy Title?
The Trenton Times thinks so.
The team finished third in the Ivies last year and has perhaps its most talented core of players in some time. Last year's team was exciting, and you could see from watching it near season's end that it has significant upside. This program has had its fits and starts over the years, but it could well be that third-year coach Courtney Banghart is on the cusp of establishing the program as a perennial contender in the Ivies.
For those who live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania or central New Jersey, check out Princeton sports for some good, earnest entertainment. As an event-oriented society we might get more stoked by going to a professional event, but these kids play for the love of the game -- and it shows.
The team finished third in the Ivies last year and has perhaps its most talented core of players in some time. Last year's team was exciting, and you could see from watching it near season's end that it has significant upside. This program has had its fits and starts over the years, but it could well be that third-year coach Courtney Banghart is on the cusp of establishing the program as a perennial contender in the Ivies.
For those who live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania or central New Jersey, check out Princeton sports for some good, earnest entertainment. As an event-oriented society we might get more stoked by going to a professional event, but these kids play for the love of the game -- and it shows.
How Much Will the Recession Affect Ticket Sales in the NBA and NHL?
Was it me, but when I saw the highlights on television, there appeared to be many good seats open?
Or, was there a Halloween giveaway, and did 10,000 people opt to go to the game dressed as empty seats?
I was wondering about the effect on the recession on hockey and pro basketball, particularly because ticketholders already had committed in 2008 before the recession hit. I do wonder how serious a drop these sports will suffer. Baseball, which you have to believe is more popular, suffered a 6% drop over last season. Given that baseball tickets generally are a better bargain, you'd have to believe that the NHL and NBA will suffer more considerably (as most certainly the NBA did last season).
Or, was there a Halloween giveaway, and did 10,000 people opt to go to the game dressed as empty seats?
I was wondering about the effect on the recession on hockey and pro basketball, particularly because ticketholders already had committed in 2008 before the recession hit. I do wonder how serious a drop these sports will suffer. Baseball, which you have to believe is more popular, suffered a 6% drop over last season. Given that baseball tickets generally are a better bargain, you'd have to believe that the NHL and NBA will suffer more considerably (as most certainly the NBA did last season).
The Dynamics of the StubHub Market for World Series Tickets in Philadelphia
Sounds like the title for an article in an academic journal, doesn't it?
StubHub fascinates me. Yes, they get their poundage out of every sale, but they also have created a very efficient (and safe) marketplace. I've used StubHub to buy and sell tickets, and I've found the site to be very easy to deal with. My great curiosity is how StubHub and the leagues with whom they have affiliations will use the data that they're accumulating to price tickets/make them available in the future. Especially the outstanding teams with the most demand.
I've noticed one thing about StubHub, which is that if you have tickets to a "hot" game or event, if you have four (instead of two), you're more likely to draw a higher price per ticket for the group. The reason is fairly simple -- many people are looking for four seats together if they can find them, but most people seemingly only have two tickets to sell. It stands to reason that more people purchase season- or partial season-ticket plans for two tickets and not four. As a result, groups of four are more scarce and, therefore, in the right circumstances, more valuable. Of course, if the team isn't a stalwart or the game isn't a "hot" one, the owner of four tickets always can sell his block of four tickets in two-ticket increments.
Now, if you're looking for an odd number of tickets, good luck (although I once bought three to a Phillies game a few years ago). So, if you're a family of four, you're in decent shape, but if you're a family of three or five, well, the dynamics are more challenging.
This article discusses the prices for tickets at Citizens Bank Park for Games 3, 4 and 5 and how the average asking price has dropped over the past day or so. Here's my thinking as to why: the number of available tickets this close to the time of the game (approximately 4,500 or so) is not a "scarce enough" number. That is to day, about 10% of the tickets are available for sale. Why? Because as die-hard as any team's fans can be, the economy isn't great, and many are thinking that if they can take a ticket that cost them $150 and parlay it into, say $1,000 twice over, they'll take the profit, watch from the comfort of their family rooms, not have to deal with traffic should public transportation go on strike (which it might) and run. After all, many of these same fans witnessed Series bliss last season (albeit on rainy nights) and the novelty has worn off -- they won't be missing the experience, in a sense, because they've been there and done that. Okay, so speculating about the reasons for the relatively large number of tickets available this close to game time might not be that accurate, but were the number of available tickets to be, say, 1,500, the average price per ticket, it stands to reason, would be higher (unless the remaining available ticket population is comprised mostly of standing room only tickets).
See what someone who likes stats and data can get totally intrigued by a site like StubHub? You see an efficient marketplace unfold before your eyes. Right now, that marketplace says that the profiteers will have to adjust their expectations accordingly in order to make a deal.
A friend at work came to me on Wednesday. He's a Yankee fan, he had a chance to buy a ticket at Citizens Bank Park, to go with a friend who is a rabid Phillies' fan. He asked me what I'd pay for a ticket, to get into the park. He knows I'm a huge Phillies' fan, but he also knows that I wouldn't pay a king's ransome for a ticket. So, I said "$500." After all, it is the World Series, he hasn't been, and, perhaps, every now and then you have to splurge (Phillies' fans know this well; they hadn't been to the Series for 15 years before 1998, it was 15 years before then, and who knows when this group of stars starts to show their age when they'll get back to the Series). His friend got the tickets through a connection , they're in the nosebleed section (but still a decent place to watch the game), and he paid $350. Good deal, I think.
Another colleague said that her son, who is in his mid-20's, bought a ticket for about $600 -- standing room only. Clearly, the Generation Whatever group wants to be at the game for the baseball but also for the party-like experience. That's a lot of money for that young man, because his income isn't what my collegue's is.
Then, another friend from work relayed a story about someone ponying up what seemed to be a huge amount for four tickets in the Diamond Club right behind home plate -- enough money to pay for a substantial portion of next year's season tickets. Those are good seats, but paying a couple thousand apiece seemed to be a bit much. So, the secondary market differs all over the stadium -- depending on who you know, where you want to sit, and whether friends have a connection.
So check out StubHub -- if for nothing other than the dynamics of markets for tickets to championship games.
StubHub fascinates me. Yes, they get their poundage out of every sale, but they also have created a very efficient (and safe) marketplace. I've used StubHub to buy and sell tickets, and I've found the site to be very easy to deal with. My great curiosity is how StubHub and the leagues with whom they have affiliations will use the data that they're accumulating to price tickets/make them available in the future. Especially the outstanding teams with the most demand.
I've noticed one thing about StubHub, which is that if you have tickets to a "hot" game or event, if you have four (instead of two), you're more likely to draw a higher price per ticket for the group. The reason is fairly simple -- many people are looking for four seats together if they can find them, but most people seemingly only have two tickets to sell. It stands to reason that more people purchase season- or partial season-ticket plans for two tickets and not four. As a result, groups of four are more scarce and, therefore, in the right circumstances, more valuable. Of course, if the team isn't a stalwart or the game isn't a "hot" one, the owner of four tickets always can sell his block of four tickets in two-ticket increments.
Now, if you're looking for an odd number of tickets, good luck (although I once bought three to a Phillies game a few years ago). So, if you're a family of four, you're in decent shape, but if you're a family of three or five, well, the dynamics are more challenging.
This article discusses the prices for tickets at Citizens Bank Park for Games 3, 4 and 5 and how the average asking price has dropped over the past day or so. Here's my thinking as to why: the number of available tickets this close to the time of the game (approximately 4,500 or so) is not a "scarce enough" number. That is to day, about 10% of the tickets are available for sale. Why? Because as die-hard as any team's fans can be, the economy isn't great, and many are thinking that if they can take a ticket that cost them $150 and parlay it into, say $1,000 twice over, they'll take the profit, watch from the comfort of their family rooms, not have to deal with traffic should public transportation go on strike (which it might) and run. After all, many of these same fans witnessed Series bliss last season (albeit on rainy nights) and the novelty has worn off -- they won't be missing the experience, in a sense, because they've been there and done that. Okay, so speculating about the reasons for the relatively large number of tickets available this close to game time might not be that accurate, but were the number of available tickets to be, say, 1,500, the average price per ticket, it stands to reason, would be higher (unless the remaining available ticket population is comprised mostly of standing room only tickets).
See what someone who likes stats and data can get totally intrigued by a site like StubHub? You see an efficient marketplace unfold before your eyes. Right now, that marketplace says that the profiteers will have to adjust their expectations accordingly in order to make a deal.
A friend at work came to me on Wednesday. He's a Yankee fan, he had a chance to buy a ticket at Citizens Bank Park, to go with a friend who is a rabid Phillies' fan. He asked me what I'd pay for a ticket, to get into the park. He knows I'm a huge Phillies' fan, but he also knows that I wouldn't pay a king's ransome for a ticket. So, I said "$500." After all, it is the World Series, he hasn't been, and, perhaps, every now and then you have to splurge (Phillies' fans know this well; they hadn't been to the Series for 15 years before 1998, it was 15 years before then, and who knows when this group of stars starts to show their age when they'll get back to the Series). His friend got the tickets through a connection , they're in the nosebleed section (but still a decent place to watch the game), and he paid $350. Good deal, I think.
Another colleague said that her son, who is in his mid-20's, bought a ticket for about $600 -- standing room only. Clearly, the Generation Whatever group wants to be at the game for the baseball but also for the party-like experience. That's a lot of money for that young man, because his income isn't what my collegue's is.
Then, another friend from work relayed a story about someone ponying up what seemed to be a huge amount for four tickets in the Diamond Club right behind home plate -- enough money to pay for a substantial portion of next year's season tickets. Those are good seats, but paying a couple thousand apiece seemed to be a bit much. So, the secondary market differs all over the stadium -- depending on who you know, where you want to sit, and whether friends have a connection.
So check out StubHub -- if for nothing other than the dynamics of markets for tickets to championship games.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Congress, the NFL, Head Injuries and the Antitrust Exemption
All of these came up at a Congressional hearing, with one lawmaker threatening to have the NFL's antitrust exemption revoked.
You just cannot make up some of this stuff.
Look, the issue of head injuries is serious. The Players' Association's leadership would be failing its membership if it didn't advocate for more resources and attention to this issue. You're not only talking about players' livelihoods, you're also talking about life after football -- which begins for many in the mid-20's and shouldn't render some former players disabled or with serious brain damage. I get all that.
What I don't get is where certain members of Congress get off using their positions to bully and threaten. What they should do -- assuming the expenditure of time on this particular issue is warranted given all of th other problems the country has -- is to work to get all of the facts out and then press for a solution. Most assuredly, there is a public health aspect to all of this, as many young boys start playing the game as early as 6 -- we need all players to be as safe as possible. But let's not make threats on a grand scale.
I also get that the NFL's and NFLPA's track record on this issue isn't perfect. The league -- with all its money -- is a day late and many dollars short. The union doesn't seem to be focused on anything more than the here and now given how short players' careers are. Let's hope that something good can happen from a public spotlight -- that the league and union come together with a solution before an unfortunate one gets legislated for them.
You just cannot make up some of this stuff.
Look, the issue of head injuries is serious. The Players' Association's leadership would be failing its membership if it didn't advocate for more resources and attention to this issue. You're not only talking about players' livelihoods, you're also talking about life after football -- which begins for many in the mid-20's and shouldn't render some former players disabled or with serious brain damage. I get all that.
What I don't get is where certain members of Congress get off using their positions to bully and threaten. What they should do -- assuming the expenditure of time on this particular issue is warranted given all of th other problems the country has -- is to work to get all of the facts out and then press for a solution. Most assuredly, there is a public health aspect to all of this, as many young boys start playing the game as early as 6 -- we need all players to be as safe as possible. But let's not make threats on a grand scale.
I also get that the NFL's and NFLPA's track record on this issue isn't perfect. The league -- with all its money -- is a day late and many dollars short. The union doesn't seem to be focused on anything more than the here and now given how short players' careers are. Let's hope that something good can happen from a public spotlight -- that the league and union come together with a solution before an unfortunate one gets legislated for them.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
World Series Prediction: Phillies in 6
Here's the reasoning:
1. The Phillies are defending champions. That means something.
2. The Yankees are an excellent team, but so are the Phillies.
3. Yes, I'd rather have Mariano Rivera over Brad Lidge, but a) I'm not so sure about the rest of the Yankees' bullpen and b) Lidge has looked better of late. In other words, I don't think that the difference between bullpens is as pronounced as some say.
4. Could this be a "last hurrah" for the Yankees' core of Posada, Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte? All are outstanding, at least two are Hall of Famers? Jeter, at 35, is the youngest of the four. This intangible bodes well for the Yankees.
5. There's just something about the Phillies that has them keep on coming back. They have the best record in baseball from September 1 on of any team in the majors. In the past two seasons, they keep on finding an extra gear. They, too, have an excellent nucleus.
6. It will take a great effort from either team to beat the other. Each is the best in its league.
7. Am I making a predictable pick in that I'm a Phillies' fan and that it's easy to say "don't bet against the defending champions?" Perhaps, but the Yankees have a lot of talent and are worthy of considerable respect.
8. In other words, my reasoning is pretty thin, perhaps based on a hunch that the lineup still has enough hits left in its bats and that the bullpen has enough resilience, with Brett Myers now back, and with Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ available. Somehow, I think that the Phillies' bullpen has enough left in it to get the job done. And, because of that, I think that they'll win the Series.
9. But not without many anxious moments.
10. Here's to hoping for a memorable Series.
1. The Phillies are defending champions. That means something.
2. The Yankees are an excellent team, but so are the Phillies.
3. Yes, I'd rather have Mariano Rivera over Brad Lidge, but a) I'm not so sure about the rest of the Yankees' bullpen and b) Lidge has looked better of late. In other words, I don't think that the difference between bullpens is as pronounced as some say.
4. Could this be a "last hurrah" for the Yankees' core of Posada, Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte? All are outstanding, at least two are Hall of Famers? Jeter, at 35, is the youngest of the four. This intangible bodes well for the Yankees.
5. There's just something about the Phillies that has them keep on coming back. They have the best record in baseball from September 1 on of any team in the majors. In the past two seasons, they keep on finding an extra gear. They, too, have an excellent nucleus.
6. It will take a great effort from either team to beat the other. Each is the best in its league.
7. Am I making a predictable pick in that I'm a Phillies' fan and that it's easy to say "don't bet against the defending champions?" Perhaps, but the Yankees have a lot of talent and are worthy of considerable respect.
8. In other words, my reasoning is pretty thin, perhaps based on a hunch that the lineup still has enough hits left in its bats and that the bullpen has enough resilience, with Brett Myers now back, and with Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ available. Somehow, I think that the Phillies' bullpen has enough left in it to get the job done. And, because of that, I think that they'll win the Series.
9. But not without many anxious moments.
10. Here's to hoping for a memorable Series.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
World Series Is Hell for Mets' Fans -- Here's the Case for Supporting the Phillies
At least that's what you might infer from A.G. Sulzberger's piece in the New York Times.
It basically boils down to this -- root for the Yankees, and you're rooting for the team whose fans look down upon your team, whose team tries to buy a pennant all the time, whose fans are Cinderella's wicked stepsisters. You'd be selling out, giving in, succumbing, even if you're going to take the side of the other team from your area. Or, root for the Phillies, and you're rooting for your bitter rival in the National League East, the team that helped cause the Mets' disastrous slides at the end of the 2007 and 2008 seasons, and for a team whose fans you hold in utter contempt and whose city you view as a wannabe, the pesty kid who always wants in, is insecure, and, in your mind, is nothing more than a glorified outpost. You'd be lowering your standards, giving credence to a town and its fans whom you abhor, if only because you dislike your step-siblings more than your rivals.
Heckuva choice.
So here's the sales pitch for Philadelphia:
1. Many New Yorkers go to college there, particularly Villanova and Penn. Have the ardent Yankee fans who are Penn alums so forgetful of their time in University City that they cannot muster up some affinity for the City of Brotherly Love?
Big 5 Basketball.
Chubby Checker.
Bobby Rydell.
Boyz II Men.
Patti LaBelle.
Ed Rendell.
2. Cheese steaks. Whether it's Pat's, Geno's, John's Roast Pork, Steve's Prince of Steaks, Jim's, Tony Luke's, they're all good. Perhaps you could even strike a deal -- a frequent eater deal with the first sandwich free -- if you'd switch your allegiance -- however temporarily -- to the Phillies.
3. Rocky. It was a great movie, it took place in Philadelphia, and even New Yorkers deep down like to root for the underdog. Given how much money the Yankees have spent for their players, perhaps you can see the Phillies in that role and root for them. Again, temporarily. Different stadiums play different music to charge up their teams, but the theme from Rocky in the late innings along with exhortations on the scoreboard from the likes of Mick do stir up the crowd. Be a part of it -- temporarily.
4. Football as a Metaphor. Sure, the Eagles and the Giants are a strong rivalry, but did you get a load of the Cowboys this weekend? Their defensive backs were primping more after big hits than the Pussycat Dolls after an encore. Sure, both teams have their hardcore fans, but neither has that over-the-top new building, the Hollywood quarterback who blows a gasket in the clutch and the prepossessing owner who is as annoying as can be. So, if you can unite in the dislike of Dallas, perhaps in a moment of transferance you can unite with Phillies' fans and root against the Yankees.
5. We Grow Our Own. Mostly, and especially when compared to the Yankees. In this age of organics and "green", the nucleus of the Phillies -- Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley -- came up through the farm system. The team hasn't spend big on free agents, rebuilt its farm system after disastrous yields in the late 1980's and most of the 1990's, traded some of the yield for important players (traded Michael Bourn for Brad Lidge in a trade that involved other players) and recycled others not thought to be Major League material (nabbing Shane Victorino in the Rule 5 draft from the Dodgers, signing Jayson Werth as a free agent, ditto for Pedro Martinez). When you compare that type of game plan to that of the Yankees, well, the Phillies win out clearly. And. . .
6. One of Our Megastars Wasn't Implicated with either Steroids or Madonna. We're getting to the part where we almost have to invoke the "mercy rule". How can you possibly tilt toward the Yankees now?
7. We Also Play Exciting Baseball. You have to give the Phillies that. They come from behind, they made it to the World Series despite a bullpen that at times resembled that of the Nationals, and the players are pretty much likable (okay, you cannot stand Jimmy Rollins, but he's irked his own fans at times too).
8. We Have a Good Uncle Managing the Club. And, in times like these, we all need a good uncle who believes in us. He's warm and welcoming, is Charlie Manuel.
So. . . the choice appears to be clear. Don't worry, both the Yankees and Phillies have plenty of fans -- but the Phillies would more than welcome all Mets' fans to support their NL East 'mates and defeat the "varsity", as Mike Francesa once called his beloved Yankees. Don't you want to contribute to the defeat of the "varsity" too?
It basically boils down to this -- root for the Yankees, and you're rooting for the team whose fans look down upon your team, whose team tries to buy a pennant all the time, whose fans are Cinderella's wicked stepsisters. You'd be selling out, giving in, succumbing, even if you're going to take the side of the other team from your area. Or, root for the Phillies, and you're rooting for your bitter rival in the National League East, the team that helped cause the Mets' disastrous slides at the end of the 2007 and 2008 seasons, and for a team whose fans you hold in utter contempt and whose city you view as a wannabe, the pesty kid who always wants in, is insecure, and, in your mind, is nothing more than a glorified outpost. You'd be lowering your standards, giving credence to a town and its fans whom you abhor, if only because you dislike your step-siblings more than your rivals.
Heckuva choice.
So here's the sales pitch for Philadelphia:
1. Many New Yorkers go to college there, particularly Villanova and Penn. Have the ardent Yankee fans who are Penn alums so forgetful of their time in University City that they cannot muster up some affinity for the City of Brotherly Love?
Big 5 Basketball.
Chubby Checker.
Bobby Rydell.
Boyz II Men.
Patti LaBelle.
Ed Rendell.
2. Cheese steaks. Whether it's Pat's, Geno's, John's Roast Pork, Steve's Prince of Steaks, Jim's, Tony Luke's, they're all good. Perhaps you could even strike a deal -- a frequent eater deal with the first sandwich free -- if you'd switch your allegiance -- however temporarily -- to the Phillies.
3. Rocky. It was a great movie, it took place in Philadelphia, and even New Yorkers deep down like to root for the underdog. Given how much money the Yankees have spent for their players, perhaps you can see the Phillies in that role and root for them. Again, temporarily. Different stadiums play different music to charge up their teams, but the theme from Rocky in the late innings along with exhortations on the scoreboard from the likes of Mick do stir up the crowd. Be a part of it -- temporarily.
4. Football as a Metaphor. Sure, the Eagles and the Giants are a strong rivalry, but did you get a load of the Cowboys this weekend? Their defensive backs were primping more after big hits than the Pussycat Dolls after an encore. Sure, both teams have their hardcore fans, but neither has that over-the-top new building, the Hollywood quarterback who blows a gasket in the clutch and the prepossessing owner who is as annoying as can be. So, if you can unite in the dislike of Dallas, perhaps in a moment of transferance you can unite with Phillies' fans and root against the Yankees.
5. We Grow Our Own. Mostly, and especially when compared to the Yankees. In this age of organics and "green", the nucleus of the Phillies -- Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley -- came up through the farm system. The team hasn't spend big on free agents, rebuilt its farm system after disastrous yields in the late 1980's and most of the 1990's, traded some of the yield for important players (traded Michael Bourn for Brad Lidge in a trade that involved other players) and recycled others not thought to be Major League material (nabbing Shane Victorino in the Rule 5 draft from the Dodgers, signing Jayson Werth as a free agent, ditto for Pedro Martinez). When you compare that type of game plan to that of the Yankees, well, the Phillies win out clearly. And. . .
6. One of Our Megastars Wasn't Implicated with either Steroids or Madonna. We're getting to the part where we almost have to invoke the "mercy rule". How can you possibly tilt toward the Yankees now?
7. We Also Play Exciting Baseball. You have to give the Phillies that. They come from behind, they made it to the World Series despite a bullpen that at times resembled that of the Nationals, and the players are pretty much likable (okay, you cannot stand Jimmy Rollins, but he's irked his own fans at times too).
8. We Have a Good Uncle Managing the Club. And, in times like these, we all need a good uncle who believes in us. He's warm and welcoming, is Charlie Manuel.
So. . . the choice appears to be clear. Don't worry, both the Yankees and Phillies have plenty of fans -- but the Phillies would more than welcome all Mets' fans to support their NL East 'mates and defeat the "varsity", as Mike Francesa once called his beloved Yankees. Don't you want to contribute to the defeat of the "varsity" too?
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Young Man Who Brought Bill Bradley to Tears
Meet Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle, the one-time Florida State defensive back who passed up entry into the NFL last year to accept his Rhodes scholarship and a two-year stint in Oxford (England, that is, for those SEC fans whose thinking doesn't appear to run north of Lexington, Kentucky), is featured in this New York Times article. Rolle apparently brought former U.S. Senator, New York Knick and Princeton Tiger Bill Bradley to tears when he told Bradley that Bradley helped inspire him to want to become a Rhodes Scholar.
Read the whole article, as it touches upon not only Rolle's broad view of the world and his potential role in it but also his preparations for the upcoming NFL draft. Good piece.
Read the whole article, as it touches upon not only Rolle's broad view of the world and his potential role in it but also his preparations for the upcoming NFL draft. Good piece.
The Quarterback Maker
Steve Clarkson, one-time starting quarterback for San Jose State in the early 1980's, is one of the premier quarterback tutors in the country. He coaches kids as early as the seventh grade, and he picks who he coaches. His client list is impressive; his fees, prodigious.
First Take on Phillies-Yankees World Series
It seems like many of the pundits are favoring the Yankees. There appear to be three main reasons for this: 1) the Yankees pitching is better than the Phillies from top to bottom; 2) the Yankees' hitting is formidable; and 3) the Yankees are very hot at home and have the home field advantage. All are good reasons.
That said, the Phillies played well on the road this year and in Yankee Stadium. Their hitting is formidable too, and they have a knack for being resilient and coming from behind. Their pitching, on paper, isn't as strong as that of the Yankees, but, then again, they don't have Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Ryan Franklin, either, not to mention the dynamic combination of Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday. Yes, Cole Hamels is a question mark, yes, three good post-season appearances doesn't sell many that Brad Lidge is the same as he was in 2008, and, no Phillies' fan can say with great certainty whether Pedro Martinez the future Hall of Famer will show up in Game 2 or whether either Joe Blanton or J.A. Happ will pitch better in this series than they did in either the NLDS or NLCS.
So, if you live in Central New Jersey or north, the Phillies shouldn't have a chance. The AL is the superior league, A-Rod is showing up in the post-season, Jeter and Posada have been their before, Andy Pettitte is clutch, Mark Teixeira is awesome and who has a better #1 starter than C.C. Sabathia? All good points.
But, the Phillies are the defending national champions. Their lineup resembles that of an American League team. Rollins more than holds his own against Jeter, Carlos Ruiz is a good field general and clutch hitter, Cliff Lee has been good in the post-season, Ryan Howard has far out-hit Teixeira in the post-season, and the Phillies' outfield is (much) better than the Yankees'. Also, the much-criticized bullpen has bent but not broken, Brad Lidge seems more relaxed, and somehow they find a way to win -- they keep coming at you. That will be the view espoused from northern Delaware through south Jersey, Philadelphia and the four counties surrounding it.
This ought to be a great series. This year the best team in each league is representing its league in the World Series. Both have great players, both have great fan bases, and both represent large cities. It's a match-up of the defending world champs against the most-heralded franchise in baseball. What more could a fan ask for?
That said, the Phillies played well on the road this year and in Yankee Stadium. Their hitting is formidable too, and they have a knack for being resilient and coming from behind. Their pitching, on paper, isn't as strong as that of the Yankees, but, then again, they don't have Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Ryan Franklin, either, not to mention the dynamic combination of Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday. Yes, Cole Hamels is a question mark, yes, three good post-season appearances doesn't sell many that Brad Lidge is the same as he was in 2008, and, no Phillies' fan can say with great certainty whether Pedro Martinez the future Hall of Famer will show up in Game 2 or whether either Joe Blanton or J.A. Happ will pitch better in this series than they did in either the NLDS or NLCS.
So, if you live in Central New Jersey or north, the Phillies shouldn't have a chance. The AL is the superior league, A-Rod is showing up in the post-season, Jeter and Posada have been their before, Andy Pettitte is clutch, Mark Teixeira is awesome and who has a better #1 starter than C.C. Sabathia? All good points.
But, the Phillies are the defending national champions. Their lineup resembles that of an American League team. Rollins more than holds his own against Jeter, Carlos Ruiz is a good field general and clutch hitter, Cliff Lee has been good in the post-season, Ryan Howard has far out-hit Teixeira in the post-season, and the Phillies' outfield is (much) better than the Yankees'. Also, the much-criticized bullpen has bent but not broken, Brad Lidge seems more relaxed, and somehow they find a way to win -- they keep coming at you. That will be the view espoused from northern Delaware through south Jersey, Philadelphia and the four counties surrounding it.
This ought to be a great series. This year the best team in each league is representing its league in the World Series. Both have great players, both have great fan bases, and both represent large cities. It's a match-up of the defending world champs against the most-heralded franchise in baseball. What more could a fan ask for?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Next Big-Time College Football Coach Hire
Temple is now 5-2, having won 5 straight in the MAC. This is great news for the football program, but perhaps bittersweet as well. You have to believe that if the Owls keep up their roll, that head coach Al Golden will be in line for a bigger gig, perhaps in a BCS conference. If that were to be the case, here's to hoping that the Owls will be able to promote his defensive coordinator, Mark D'Onofrio, to head coach.
And, yes, for those who were wondering, in honor of my father's memory, I'd consider buying Temple gear and making the trip to wherever they're playing in a bowl game.
Go Owls!
And, yes, for those who were wondering, in honor of my father's memory, I'd consider buying Temple gear and making the trip to wherever they're playing in a bowl game.
Go Owls!
Is Darren Sharper a Hall of Famer?
The vote here is yes.
He's in the top 10 on the all-time interceptions list and #2 (behind Rod Woodson) all time for the number of interceptions returned for a touchdown.
Perhaps he hasn't had the ink during his career that others have had, but he's worthy of consideration, to say the least.
He's in the top 10 on the all-time interceptions list and #2 (behind Rod Woodson) all time for the number of interceptions returned for a touchdown.
Perhaps he hasn't had the ink during his career that others have had, but he's worthy of consideration, to say the least.
Report: Mark McGwire to Become Hitting Coach of the Cardinals
This is reminiscent of the reports on December 7, 1941, when wire transmissions from Pearl Harbor said "Air Raid, Pearl Harbor, this is no joke."
What's next? Will Jose Canseco be named the Athletics' hitting coach? Will Rafael Palmeiro do the same for the Cubs?
How can Major League Baseball continue to ban Pete Rose and permit an uncontrite McGwire to return? He and Sammy Sosa made a mockery of the game when they had their chase to break Babe Ruth's record.
This is ridiculous, and I'll tell you one thing, if Roger Goodell were the Commissioner of Baseball, he wouldn't permit it for a moment.
This is an outrage.
What's next? Will Jose Canseco be named the Athletics' hitting coach? Will Rafael Palmeiro do the same for the Cubs?
How can Major League Baseball continue to ban Pete Rose and permit an uncontrite McGwire to return? He and Sammy Sosa made a mockery of the game when they had their chase to break Babe Ruth's record.
This is ridiculous, and I'll tell you one thing, if Roger Goodell were the Commissioner of Baseball, he wouldn't permit it for a moment.
This is an outrage.
Indians Made a Great Choice
I like Manny Acta. He didn't have much talent in Washington, but his teams played hard. If GM Mark Shapiro can get Acta enough talent, the Indians should be able to challenge in the AL Central. Given what I've seen in the AL Central, any team that makes the investment should be able to challenge for the title. From what I've read, the Royals are a dark horse to contend for that division's title next year.
Look, not every manager does well in his first gig. Terry Francona skippered an undermanned Phillies' team before Larry Bowa replaced him, and he learned enough to morph into a manager of world champions. Okay, so the BoSox provided him with sufficient talent, but he managed well enough to win two World Series. Acta is a good manager -- Indians' fans will be happy with the choice.
Look, not every manager does well in his first gig. Terry Francona skippered an undermanned Phillies' team before Larry Bowa replaced him, and he learned enough to morph into a manager of world champions. Okay, so the BoSox provided him with sufficient talent, but he managed well enough to win two World Series. Acta is a good manager -- Indians' fans will be happy with the choice.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Book Review: "Fading Echoes" by Mike Sielski
Mike Sielski is a young sports columnist for the Bucks County Courier Times (I'd suggest that the trio of Reuben Frank, Randall Miller and Sielski are as good if not better than any trio the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News have to offer.) He's also very good and insightful, and a major example of his ability is in the book Fading Echoes, about two former high school football stars, Bryan Buckley of Central Bucks West and Colby Umbrell of Central Bucks East. Both were outstanding players and captains of their teams in 1998, both played college football, and both went into the military.
They went to the same middle school in the Central Bucks School District, one of the ten largest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The school district is in the Philadelphia suburbs; about half a century ago I think it would have been fair to categorize the area as mostly farm country (the population boom meant the construction of many developments in the four-county area surrounding Philadelphia, Bucks among those counties). At the time they were in middle school, they had a choice of which high school they could attend -- East (which is in Buckingham, Pennsylvania) or West (which, unlike East, has its own football stadium; East played its home games at West's stadium).
For certain aspiring football players, the choice would have been a no-brainer. At the time, West was perhaps the premier high school football program in the state and found itself nationally ranked in USA Today's polls. Mike Pettine, Sr. was the head coach, and he would retire with multiple state championships and a career record that was mind-boggling -- well over 300 wins and less than 50 losses. (For the cognoscenti, Pettine is the father of Mike Pettine, the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets). East, on the other hand, lacked the same football tradition. But Colby Umbrell decided easily to follow a tradition -- he went to East because his father, Mark, had played there. Bryan Buckley headed to West.
The book would have been easier and more Hollywood-like to write had Buckley and Umbrell been buddies since kindergarten and then decided to go in different directions after middle school, like twins separated at birth. They knew each other in middle school but were in different groups. Both turned out to be outstanding high school football players -- "program kids", not necessarily the superstars, but the leaders, those who enforced discipline among their own ranks, and those who led by their determination and level of effort.
Buckley's West team won state championships his junior and senior year (and, for good measure, the year after he graduated from West). He went to prep school in Massachusetts for a post-graduate year, hated it (in part because he believed that the coach who recruited him had misled him and his father into believing that he'd get enough carries as a running back to impress college coaches; instead, he found himself in an offense that threw the ball 90% of the time). He ended up at UMass under heralded coach Mark Whipple, had his moments in the football program (first as a linebacker and then as a fullback), but all the while was thinking about what challenges he wanted out of life. After 9/11, he solidified his thinking. He wanted to join the military. (To do so, he ended up transferring to Villanova University to enroll in their Naval ROTC program and didn't play football again).
Umbrell's East team didn't come close to West's success. With future Penn Stater and NFL defensive back Bryan Scott, East got off to a good start in Umbrell's and Scott's senior season (Scott was perhaps the premier running back in the state). But then Umbrell tore his anterior cruciate ligament, thereby putting the two-way lineman on the bench (Buckley was also a linebacker and a ferocious hitter at that; he was in a rotation of running backs but saw his playing time at running back diminish as the season went on). It's hard to say that East would have made it to the state playoffs had Umbrell not gotten hurt, but without him and then with him playing injured, they didn't have a chance.
Buckley wasn't the best student, but neither was Umbrell, although the latter had more natural ability as evidenced by his test scores. Umbrell has hoped to play football for West Point, but once he hurt his knee his chances to draw the attention of college scouts and scholarship money diminished. So he, too, went off to prep school, to Wyoming Seminary in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he could show college scouts that he could play and get more serious about tapping into his potential as a student. After his post-graduate year at "Sem", he ended up going to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, an elite academic school whose claim to fame in NCAA athletics is its top drawer Division I men's lacrosse team (he passed on Division I-AA Lehigh).
Umbrell's career was shortened by a combination of injuries and the fact that Hopkins was enjoying one of its best football teams at the time he was there (and the defensive tackles ahead of him were good). That combination meant very little playing time by the time he was a junior, and he left the team somewhere around that time, also to focus on life after college. During that time, he, too, decided he wanted to join the military.
Both became officers, and both looked for the hardest challenges that they could attempt en route to leading platoons in Iraq. Buckley became a Marine; Umbrell was in the Army, an Army Ranger. Their personalities were different -- Buckley the more serious type, Umbrell more the prankster, but both excelled in preparing themselves and their men for whatever the insurgents and al-Qaeda had to offer.
One came home; the other did not.
Sielski does a great job in telling the story of how two leaders on their high school football teams in towns with strong values and outstanding parental support made their way to helping lead other young men in combat. Regardless of whether you supported the war or not (and Sielski does reference Quaker protesters of the war in nearby Doylestown in the book), this book gives you a glimpse into America's backbone and soul, as to how the lights on weekend nights illuminate a stage for even greater roles and opportunities for boys like Bryan Buckley and Colby Umbrell, how coaches like Larry Greene and Mike Pettine, Sr. play a role in shaping these young men, and how many others encourage and coach our boys into trying to achieve something more.
Buy this book.
They went to the same middle school in the Central Bucks School District, one of the ten largest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The school district is in the Philadelphia suburbs; about half a century ago I think it would have been fair to categorize the area as mostly farm country (the population boom meant the construction of many developments in the four-county area surrounding Philadelphia, Bucks among those counties). At the time they were in middle school, they had a choice of which high school they could attend -- East (which is in Buckingham, Pennsylvania) or West (which, unlike East, has its own football stadium; East played its home games at West's stadium).
For certain aspiring football players, the choice would have been a no-brainer. At the time, West was perhaps the premier high school football program in the state and found itself nationally ranked in USA Today's polls. Mike Pettine, Sr. was the head coach, and he would retire with multiple state championships and a career record that was mind-boggling -- well over 300 wins and less than 50 losses. (For the cognoscenti, Pettine is the father of Mike Pettine, the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets). East, on the other hand, lacked the same football tradition. But Colby Umbrell decided easily to follow a tradition -- he went to East because his father, Mark, had played there. Bryan Buckley headed to West.
The book would have been easier and more Hollywood-like to write had Buckley and Umbrell been buddies since kindergarten and then decided to go in different directions after middle school, like twins separated at birth. They knew each other in middle school but were in different groups. Both turned out to be outstanding high school football players -- "program kids", not necessarily the superstars, but the leaders, those who enforced discipline among their own ranks, and those who led by their determination and level of effort.
Buckley's West team won state championships his junior and senior year (and, for good measure, the year after he graduated from West). He went to prep school in Massachusetts for a post-graduate year, hated it (in part because he believed that the coach who recruited him had misled him and his father into believing that he'd get enough carries as a running back to impress college coaches; instead, he found himself in an offense that threw the ball 90% of the time). He ended up at UMass under heralded coach Mark Whipple, had his moments in the football program (first as a linebacker and then as a fullback), but all the while was thinking about what challenges he wanted out of life. After 9/11, he solidified his thinking. He wanted to join the military. (To do so, he ended up transferring to Villanova University to enroll in their Naval ROTC program and didn't play football again).
Umbrell's East team didn't come close to West's success. With future Penn Stater and NFL defensive back Bryan Scott, East got off to a good start in Umbrell's and Scott's senior season (Scott was perhaps the premier running back in the state). But then Umbrell tore his anterior cruciate ligament, thereby putting the two-way lineman on the bench (Buckley was also a linebacker and a ferocious hitter at that; he was in a rotation of running backs but saw his playing time at running back diminish as the season went on). It's hard to say that East would have made it to the state playoffs had Umbrell not gotten hurt, but without him and then with him playing injured, they didn't have a chance.
Buckley wasn't the best student, but neither was Umbrell, although the latter had more natural ability as evidenced by his test scores. Umbrell has hoped to play football for West Point, but once he hurt his knee his chances to draw the attention of college scouts and scholarship money diminished. So he, too, went off to prep school, to Wyoming Seminary in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he could show college scouts that he could play and get more serious about tapping into his potential as a student. After his post-graduate year at "Sem", he ended up going to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, an elite academic school whose claim to fame in NCAA athletics is its top drawer Division I men's lacrosse team (he passed on Division I-AA Lehigh).
Umbrell's career was shortened by a combination of injuries and the fact that Hopkins was enjoying one of its best football teams at the time he was there (and the defensive tackles ahead of him were good). That combination meant very little playing time by the time he was a junior, and he left the team somewhere around that time, also to focus on life after college. During that time, he, too, decided he wanted to join the military.
Both became officers, and both looked for the hardest challenges that they could attempt en route to leading platoons in Iraq. Buckley became a Marine; Umbrell was in the Army, an Army Ranger. Their personalities were different -- Buckley the more serious type, Umbrell more the prankster, but both excelled in preparing themselves and their men for whatever the insurgents and al-Qaeda had to offer.
One came home; the other did not.
Sielski does a great job in telling the story of how two leaders on their high school football teams in towns with strong values and outstanding parental support made their way to helping lead other young men in combat. Regardless of whether you supported the war or not (and Sielski does reference Quaker protesters of the war in nearby Doylestown in the book), this book gives you a glimpse into America's backbone and soul, as to how the lights on weekend nights illuminate a stage for even greater roles and opportunities for boys like Bryan Buckley and Colby Umbrell, how coaches like Larry Greene and Mike Pettine, Sr. play a role in shaping these young men, and how many others encourage and coach our boys into trying to achieve something more.
Buy this book.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Free Carlos Ruiz!
I've had four comments already to my post about the absence of Carlos Ruiz t-shirts and Carlos Ruiz jerseys from any Philadelphia-area sporting good stores or at Citizens Bank Park.
Write your congressman, write your local newspaper, write the Phillies! Let them know that they need to remedy this injustice. There are plenty of wannabe Chase Utleys, Ryan Howards, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lees out there. And there are even some J.A. Happs, Shane Victorinos, Jayson Werths, Jamie Moyers, Brad Lidges and someone even spotted an Antonio Bastardo of all people.
But where is Carlos Ruiz?
C'mon, Phillies, we all want to know! Free up Carlos Ruiz shirts and jerseys! Urge people to take the "Chooch" train to the World Series, but, gosh darn it, produce Ruiz t-shirts and now!
An admiring public wants to wear them.
Write your congressman, write your local newspaper, write the Phillies! Let them know that they need to remedy this injustice. There are plenty of wannabe Chase Utleys, Ryan Howards, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lees out there. And there are even some J.A. Happs, Shane Victorinos, Jayson Werths, Jamie Moyers, Brad Lidges and someone even spotted an Antonio Bastardo of all people.
But where is Carlos Ruiz?
C'mon, Phillies, we all want to know! Free up Carlos Ruiz shirts and jerseys! Urge people to take the "Chooch" train to the World Series, but, gosh darn it, produce Ruiz t-shirts and now!
An admiring public wants to wear them.
The Silly Sports Story of the Day
At least in my local newspaper was that Rutgers' freshman QB Tom Savage could set a school record by being the first freshman to win on the road were Rutgers to beat Army in West Point tonight.
Now, that's really digging.
Now, that's really digging.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Scene at Modell's
At lunchtime I went to this sporting goods chain to buy a pair of locker room t-shirts commemorating the Phillies' victory in the National League Championship series. Modell's advertised in the morning paper "Open Now", which I read at 6:50 a.m., and that implied that perhaps they were open all night after the Phillies beat the Dodgers 10-4 last night. Which means that they were probably open at midnight in the Philadelphia area.
Modell's and the Phillies are printing money right now (which isn't all that unusual in the United States at this point in our history, as the government probably will be printing a bunch of money to satisfy the country's staggering amount of debt). At least the retailer and the ball club are printing their money on merit. Okay, so I've digressed, but there was tons of championship wear -- toddler shirts, youth shirts, women's shirts, grown-ups shirts, the standard shirts with a player's name and number on the back and "Phillies" on the front, a shirt that referenced the back-to-back titles, a shirt that said "He's Werth It" and a shirt that said "UnbeLeeavble" or something like that. Still no tips of the cap, so to speak, to Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz, but there should be Ruiz wear at some point soon.
There were magnets, pennants, flags, hats, sweatshirts, uniform jerseys, you name it, they were flying off the shelves. People can lose a sense of rationality when they go into a smorgasbord, and the Phillies were happy to enable the provision of a cornucopia of championship togs and trinkets.
So, if you're looking for that special shirt, go to Modell's. They do a great job of providing what you need -- and more.
Modell's and the Phillies are printing money right now (which isn't all that unusual in the United States at this point in our history, as the government probably will be printing a bunch of money to satisfy the country's staggering amount of debt). At least the retailer and the ball club are printing their money on merit. Okay, so I've digressed, but there was tons of championship wear -- toddler shirts, youth shirts, women's shirts, grown-ups shirts, the standard shirts with a player's name and number on the back and "Phillies" on the front, a shirt that referenced the back-to-back titles, a shirt that said "He's Werth It" and a shirt that said "UnbeLeeavble" or something like that. Still no tips of the cap, so to speak, to Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz, but there should be Ruiz wear at some point soon.
There were magnets, pennants, flags, hats, sweatshirts, uniform jerseys, you name it, they were flying off the shelves. People can lose a sense of rationality when they go into a smorgasbord, and the Phillies were happy to enable the provision of a cornucopia of championship togs and trinkets.
So, if you're looking for that special shirt, go to Modell's. They do a great job of providing what you need -- and more.
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