It Still Astounds Me

As many of you know, I was born in Philadelphia, although I don't reside there, and always enjoy going back there when I can. It's a wonderful place filled with some interesting characters, fun places to visit and freakin awesome food. It's also home to some of the most passionate sports fans...well, anywhere. But to the naked eye, fans of Philadelphia teams (in particular, the Eagles) seem only passionate. The other adjective that can be used to describe them: ignorant (to put it nicer, stubborn and/or misinformed).

Now before anyone jumps the gun (I have family reading), I'm not talking about every Eagles fan. I'm speaking of the vast majority, or at least the vast majority of whom I come into contact. Scenario: The Eagles are playing the Buccaneers (first team that popped into my head). If you ask a Bucs fan how the game is going to go, you may hear something like this: "I feel like we [the Bucs] can win this game because our defense has been playing well the past few weeks, and Jeff Garcia has really emerged as a leader on the field. Plus, the Eagles are banged up and they haven't been playing well lately. If they're going to have a chance of winning, the offense needs to really come alive and I just don't see that happening." 

Anyone who knows anything about football, or logic, will say that the above response is a good answer to the question. It was very intelligent, and offered two viewpoints [why the Bucs would win and how the Eagles could win].

Ask a typical Eagles fan that very same question, however, and you'll probably hear a different response: "I think the Eagles are going to win this game because we're just better than anyone else out there. Donovan McNabb is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and is a future Hall of Famer. And we have Brian Westbrook, he's real good. Plus, DeSean Jackson is the most underrated receiver in the league. So is Kevin Curtis. We have two of the best receivers in the league, and no one recognizes them. They're so good. They're both so fast. And our defense has been stopping everyone. The Bucs won't be able to stop us. We used to have Garcia, we know all of his plays and how he runs an offense. We'll get to him. There's no way we can lose. We're going to the Super Bowl."

You may think I'm making that up, but everything in there (with the exception of the team) was taken from actual conversations I've had with Eagles fans. I understand they love their team and of course I'd expect them to show support, but that's just stupid. Incredibly stupid. See, it's not the passion that makes people dislike Eagles fans, it's the ignorance and stubbornness proven by statements like these. That, and throwing snowballs at Santa. Oh, and cheering when Michael Irvin broke his leg. (I know he's an arch-rival, but a crowd should never cheer when someone gets hurt. It's despicable.)

Now, being a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and going to school in the Lehigh Valley, I get a lot of heat for disliking the Eagles. I still have trouble understanding why this is, since the two teams rarely play each other during the regular season. And the last time they did play each other, the Ravens won easily by a score of 38-7. And yes, it was as big of a blowout as the score indicates. That game wasn't even close. Look up the numbers if you think I'm just being biased (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29690&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&season=2008&week=REG12).

Even after that game, I was still getting heat somehow. I still don't know how it was justified, or rationalized, but I kept hearing the same comments: "Oh, how about those Ravens? What happened out there? Wow, rookie QB/Head Coach combo can't handle the pressure." I could give more examples, but that's enough of the stupid. I still can't understand how it made sense to criticize my team when they had a better record than, and destroyed the Eagles in their game. And to add in another fun twist, the Eagles tied. They tied the Cincinnati Bengals. The same Cincinnati Bengals that finished the 2008 season with a wonderful record of 4-11-1. How any fan of any team could criticize another after that embarrassment is beyond logic and rational thought. And that's still not the most ridiculous comment I've received this year.

Fast forward to last weekend's Conference Championships. By some stroke of luck and good fortune, the Ravens advanced to meet the Steelers in the AFC; and by some act of God, the Eagles advanced to face the Cardinals in the NFC. Long story short, both the Eagles (in a mostly one-sided game) and Ravens (in one of the best games all year) lost their respective games. I figured that would be the end of it since there was no real leverage. Turns out I was wrong.

In this week that has followed the games, I can't tell you how many Eagles fans have ripped on me for not only being a Ravens fan, but for rooting against the Eagles (because, you know, the two things are a hundred percent related to each other, I swear). I got at least four texts saying something to the effect of: "See what happens when you root for the Cardinals?" Each time I questioned this comment, I got a different response. Two said he/she was just taking a shot to ease the pain, which is fine. At least it's a reason. And one said something I'd rather not repeat (by "rather not repeat" I mean I forget what it said). But there were a few that still boggle my mind. 

Apparently, through some twist of fate, it was because of me that the Ravens lost. Somehow, by being a fan, I caused the Steelers victory, and it was my fault the Ravens "got their asses handed to them." I didn't know I could do that from a remote location, but you're welcome, Steelers. And apparently to some people out there, that game was one of the most boring games they'd ever seen. If you happened to see the game, and can legitimately call yourself a football fan, you would know that it was anything but boring. It was a classic defensive battle that came down to one big play late in the game. How anyone who actually knows football can say otherwise is beyond me. It's been almost seven days and I'm still astounded. But that's not all.

To some (this is where the Eagles come in), the Ravens "had the game wrapped up, but still lost." Again, if you actually watched the game, you would know that the Ravens never even had a lead in the game. And I'd hardly call being down by two with the ball at their own 20 yard line with five minutes left to play, "having the game wrapped up." And, while he made the key play in the game, even Steelers fans admit that Troy Polamalu did not "have that rookie's number." How any of these comments make any sense at all to anyone, I may never know.

As promised, here's how the Eagles...tie in I suppose. Around the time I tried to make sense of the statement about having the game wrapped up, I received two texts that were quite similar. Pretty much what they said was that the Eagles weren't even expected to make it as far as they did, so they were expected to lose. This was just unreal. First, the fact that the Eagles are professional choke artists still has absolutely nothing to do with the Baltimore Ravens. And second, Baltimore wasn't expected to win. Putting my loyalty to the team aside, the AFC Championship Game was one of the hardest picks to make. There was no way anyone knew who would win that game, especially a few ignorant Eagles fans who think that the Patriots cheated in Super Bowl XXXIX and that Donovan McNabb is one of the top quarterbacks in the league today. Yeah, I'm not sure how they knew either. Trey Wingo should start sending out resumes.

So as I sit and try to make sense of all this, and you think about what a jerk I am, you may be wondering what my point is. Basically, here's what I'm trying to get out there. If you're an Eagles fan like those I've described, and you're wondering why people think you're an idiot, there's a very logical explanation: you most likely are (at least when it comes to football). And if you're wondering what you can do about it, here's a simple solution: expand your NFL knowledge. Start watching teams other than your own. Do some homework next season on your opponents. That way, when someone asks you about a game, the two of you can have a nice, intelligent discussion about football and he or she won't want to throw you in front of a bus. It's not hard to broaden your horizons, and it will make so many lives a lot easier. 

I'm not asking you to do it for me, I'm asking you to do it for yourselves. Get to know what you're going to be discussing and get rid of the harsh (but accurate) stereotypes about Eagles fans. Trust me, it will only lead to good things. Feel free to thank me anytime.

Pat

The Trio

Turnovers pt. 1: The Story of the Playoffs

This pretty obviously is the going to discuss the Conference Championship games, and how they have followed the pattern of the rest of the playoffs in having turnovers be the deciding factor in the game.

NFC Championship:

First game first, the NFC Championship game.  Much to the dismay of Eagles fans (and I must say a little to my joy) the Eagles, Donovan McNabb, and Andy Reid choke in the NFC Championship game for the fourth time out of five in the past 8 years.  A lot of fans are blaming McNabb which is a little unfair.  He can be a very capable quarterback at times he just really hasn't had what he needed to win the big one.  People will argue the year they had TO he had enough but really he had just had enough of TO and the tension in the locker room clearly spilled over onto the field.  The real problem is Reid, but that's for later in the article.

Now on to the actual game.  My first reaction was "Wow."  A large part of that was due to the incredible Larry Fitzgerald who, as every analyst has pointed out since he actually got to the playoffs, is likely the best receiver in the league.  I have always liked Fitz especially considering I got to see him play fairly often during his time at Pitt and he has only gotten bigger and faster since he came to the NFL.  My theory is that he has something to prove because he lost the Heisman to Jason White.  (Where is he now exactly?  He owns an Oklahoma U memorabilia store.  Way to put that Heisman to good use, Jason.)  

So Larry pulled down 9 receptions for 150+ yards and 3 touchdowns.  In the first half.  The Eagles defense looked completely bewildered all first half and the Cardinals seemed unstoppable on offense.  And surprisingly, their defense continued their dominance as well after being practically non-existent during the regular season.  So far in this playoffs they have procured 12 turnovers.  Which explains the title of this article.  This is 100% the reason they have made it this far.  They have repeatedly taken the ball away and then kept control of it.

So the first half ended at 24-6, a tough deficit to make up for any team in any game, let alone the Eagles in the NFC Championship.  Needless to say they came up short again.  David Akers had one of the worst performances of his career missing not only a field goal but also shanking an extra point wide right.  There was a glimmer of hope towards the end of the game, but it was quickly snatched away by the Cardinals and the final score was 32-25 in a contest that brings to light the true potential of this Arizona Cardinals ball club after closing out the game on a time consuming 8 minute drive as well as the 4th down stop to truly put a cap on the contest.

AFC Championship:

Now onto the AFC, which was really one of the best games I have seen all season.  I mean you couldn't have planned a better matchup.  The number 1 and number 2 defenses in the league, a bitter division rivalry, and two teams that had already faced each other in two close games earlier in the year.  The advertising wrote itself (and the networks used it.)  Before the game I had discussed with many people how the key to this game was going to be the quarterbacks, and fortunately for the Steelers, the Ben that had come out against the Chargers came out in this game.  Also Joe Flacco couldn't quite get the job done, which was partially his fault and partially the fault of his receivers who started the game by dropping 3 big passes.  Both the quarterback battle and the previous trend of turnovers is what decided this game.  As Pat pointed out in his article before the game, this game was going to come down to one big play either way to win the game which came in the form of a turnover, a 40 yard interception return by Troy Polamalu with about 4 minutes left in the game.  After that the game was pretty uneventful besides the near decapitation of Willis McGahee by Ryan Clark.  Luckily Willis is okay and will make a full recovery with no negative repercussions to come.  Poor guy has had a lot of injuries in his career and luckily this one didn't end it.

This should be quite a Super Bowl matchup (Go Steelers).  The best defense against one of the best receiving corps ever seen and a defense that has come to life in the playoffs against an offense that has some great game, but also has the potential to be disastrous.  More to come on that matchup next week.

I will write the article Turnovers pt. 2:  Coach Edition soon to recap the coaching changes in the NFL and how I feel about them.  Tune in Tuesday at 1 pm for the show at http://desales.edu/wdsr.

Please feel free to comment on any of the articles on here.

Thanks for reading,

Tim

World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic rosters were announced Monday night with much anticipation, at least from me. The 2nd annual Classic will begin on March 5. The games, first and second round, will be broadcasted on the MLB Network, with the semifinals and final will be on ESPN.

The big question here was, What MLB players would be playing in the Classic? Ryan Braun, Miguel Cabrera, Felix Hernandez, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and Ichiro Suzuki. These are just some of the major names that are playing for their country.

The World Baseball Classic is an event that could parallel the Olympics before it is all said and done. Fans and players all cheering for their country in athletic events that will be broadcasted throughout the world. In my opinion, there is nothing better, no Championships, Division Titles, or single season records can match up to bragging rights for an entire country, without war.

Each country went through the MLB and their countries to find the best players to represent their countries and try and do what Japan did in 2006 and outlast baseball powerhouses like USA, Cuba, and Dominican Republic to bring home the trophy.

The rosters are not yet done, so don't give the trophy away yet, but I will in a little bit. The final rosters are not set until Feburary 24th and will have 28 players on them, which is 3 more players that a major league roster, 25. These rosters must have 13 pitchers, which leaves room for 15 open roster spots. What each country will do with those 15 spots is anyone's guess.

The first round games will be in Tokoyo, Mexico City, Toronto, and Puerto Rico.

The brackets look like this:

• Tokoyo: Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, and Korea (March 5-9)
• Toronto: USA, Canada, Venezuela, and Italy (March 7-11)
• Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, and Panama (March 7-11)
• Mexico City: Mexico, Cuba, South Africa, and Australia (March 8-12)

The Classic will be a Double Elimination tournament in the first two rounds. The winners of Toronto will meet the winners from Puerto Rico in Miami and the winners of Mexico City and Tokoyo will meet in San Diego. The semifinals and finals will be played in Los Angeles and will be single elimination. The finals will be played on March 23rd.

Now that the first set of rosters are out, go out start talking smack for your team. Be supportive, enjoy it. Hopefully this year turns out better for the USA, but that is just my hope.

The United States were taken out early in 2006 when the lost in the second round. This year, they have vowed to have a better outcome. They have gotten younger, more powerful and, in this writers professional opinion, better.

They added the likes of the American League MVP Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, World Series Champions Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels, AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and teammate on the Rays Scott Kazmir. Others who are looking to represent the US are David Wright, Ryan Braun and Grady Sizemore. All young and very good players and the future of the MLB. Look at the potential roster for the USA and it will give you chills because of the potential it has.

With all the talk about the Classic, who are the favorites for this year. I have looked over the rosters and the brackets and there are many teams that have so much talent that it is tough to decide an absolute favorite, however I will give it the good old college try. It is tough to leave out Japan, last years winners, Dominican Republic, in my professional opinion, had the best roster in 2006 and have the best roster this year too. Cuba, a team that people could leave out based on not knowing the players, but they are one of the best teams and won the Silver Medal in the Olympics this year and are looking for revenge. A surprising team this year could be, Korea. Korea came in third place in 2006 and won the Gold Medal in the Olympics. I do not think they will win it all, however they could make a huge splash.

Based on everything I just said, here are my picks based on the 45 man rosters. These may change once the final rosters come out, but here they are:

(Picks in Bold)

First Round

• Pool A: Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, and Korea
  
• Pool B: Mexico, Cuba, South Africa, and Australia
  
• Pool C: USA, Canada, Venezuela, and Italy
• Pool D: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, and Panama

The top 2 teams in each bracket will advance to the second round.

Second Round

• Pool 1: Japan (Pool A winner), Korea (Pool A runner up), Cuba (Pool B Winner), Mexico (Pool B runner up)
• Pool 2: USA (Pool C winner), Venezuela (Pool C runner up), Dominican Republic (Pool D winner), Panama (Pool D runner up)

Semifinals

• Game 1: Dominican Republic (Pool 2 winner) v Japan (Pool 1 runner up)
• Game 2: Cuba (Pool 1 winner) v USA (Pool 2 runner up)

Finals

• Finals: Dominican Republic (Game 1 winner) v USA (Game 2 winner)
  

2009 World Baseball Classic Champions: Dominican Republic

These are my picks for now. They may change when the final rosters are made and major names are left off the roster, because with rosters this stacked on each side, there will be some major names left out of the World Baseball Classic.

With 45 days left until the first game, the countdown begins.

-Kaelber

Conference Champions Are Anyone's Guess

To a casual football fan, the last few games have been exciting. To an avid fan, they've been eye opening. To a Cowboys fan, they've been painful. After a regular season that saw both players and officials amidst controversy, the playoffs looked to be that much more exciting. Thus far, they have certainly not disappointed.

Let's get serious. No one expected San Diego to make the postseason, let alone win a game. No one expected Arizona or Philadelphia to win, let alone win twice, and now the two teams are set to face off for a trip to the big dance. And while Pittsburgh was a virtual lock for the playoffs from the beginning, some figured the Titans would ride their wave of success all the way to at least a showdown in the Steel City. Now they are left to watch as the Ravens try to make the third time the charm and punch their ticket to Tampa Bay. If the regular season and previous playoff games were any indication, these two games will prove that any team really can win on any given Sunday.

The more surprsing matchup of the two may also be one-sided. Yes, I understand that the Eagles shouldn't even be here and that they have played well in the post-season, but I wouldn't make them a sure pick to win. While their defense has been on the past two weeks, and their offense hasn't totally fallen apart, they have been known to come up short in big games. Before beating the Falcons to advance to Super Bowl XXXIX, they had fallen in the three previous NFC Championship contests. Even worse, they failed to capture the crown as they fell to the New England Patriots that year.

While it can be argued that those teams are not the same as the current team, this year's club hasn't necessarily been dominant on either side of the ball. Donovan McNabb has only a 74.0 passer rating in the playoffs, and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. Brian Westbrook has been virtually shut down in both games, gaining only 74 yards on the ground and only scoring one touchdown. Still, despite these lackluster numbers by the two main weapons, the Eagles keep finding ways to win. The defense hasn't been exceptional, aside from Asante Samuel, but they are doing enough to win games. Despite this recent success, they will have to seriously step it up against a Cardinals team that has been playing out of its mind the past two weeks.

If there was any doubt about the Cardinals' ability in the post-season, it is gone now. Kurt Warner, who resurrected his career this season, hasn't slowed down in the playoffs. Throwing four touchdowns and boasting a 93.9 passer rating have certainly helped Arizona open some eyes. Larry Fitzgerald has been Warner's favorite target, gaining 267 receiving yards. Combine this with a healthy Anquan Boldin and two backs who have rushed for more yards than the entire Eagles team, and you have one scary opponent. This is a team that took the Falcons to the limit, and won. And the same team that walked all over the heavily favored Panthers, while holding them to just 13 points (without Boldin, no less). And as if their offense wasn't scary enough, the defense has been just as impressive. Forcing two fumbles, getting five sacks, and coming away with seven interceptions all helped the Cardinals prove that they are for real.

While many are writing this off as a game that doesn't mean much, it should be a good one. This NFC Championship game pits two teams with a myriad of weapons on offense, talented players on defense, and that have been on fire the past two weeks. So if you're expecting to see a throw away game, you'll definitely be surprised.

The AFC Championship game, although not a surprise, is not an easy pick. Two teams that know one another very well in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, are set to face off one more time. Although the Steelers won both of the regular season games, that should only motivate the Ravens that much more. This game is essentially a battle of two outstanding defenses, numbers one and two respectively, against two not-so-great offenses. As per usual with these teams, it will come down to one big play. Whether it's a long pass or run, or a key fourth quarter turnover, that's all it will take. No matter who wins (go Ravens), one thing is for sure: it's going to be a good old time slobberknocker.

With the league's top defense, the Steelers should feel very confident going into this game. This confidence should be amplified by the fact that they defeated the Ravens twice already this year. But the Steelers aren't going to look past this game. Expect that number one defense to show up and do what it has done all year: shut down opposing offenses, and create plays for its own. With the Defensive Player of the Year (James Harrison), along with many other big names patrolling the field, scoring points won't be easy for the Ravens. However, keeping the Steelers off the scoreboard to stay in the game may be an easier task (relatively speaking).

Although Willie Parker is back and ready to go, the real key to Pittsburgh's offense will be Ben Roethlisberger. While his game against the Chargers was one of his best performances this year, the Steelers can't be sure if that Ben will be on the field. If he is, advantage Steelers. If the Big Ben who was around for most of the year arrives, though, Mr. Momentum could shift his weight in a hurry. If he can minimize his mistakes, it's going to be a long day for the Ravens defense. If he can't, this game could get ugly fast.

Whether or not the Big Ben that romped San Diego shows up, the Ravens defense will not have any easy day. As if facing the Steelers with a healthy Willie Parker wasn't enough, they may have to do it without Samari Rolle, and possibly Terrell Suggs. Still, facing this number two defense will be no easy task. Led by Ray Lewis and arguably the second best defensive player this year, Ed Reed, the Ravens managed to snag four sacks, force four fumbles, and come away with five interceptions this post-season. Despite having some guys banged up, expect the Ravens to come out in full force, with plenty of capable players filling the gaps. Causing offensive miscues, and avoiding miscues of their own, will be imperative. Some Ravens may be down, but they are certainly not out. Don't expect a high score for either team.

With the three headed monster of McClain, Rice and McGahee on the ground; and Mason, Clayton and Heap in the air, the Ravens have plenty of weapons. But if the wild card for Pittsburgh is Big Ben, Baltimore's is definitely Joe Flacco. While he hasn't put up stellar numbers in the playoffs, he has found ways to keep his team in the game. Also he has not been sacked, and has yet to throw an interception. However, being in an AFC title game in your rookie season is no picnic, especially when you're facing the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. But the key to his success will be his confidence. If he can keep his composure and keep the ball on his side, this game will stay close. If John Harbaugh can trust Flacco with the ball, and Flacco can trust himself, then we're going to see a heck of a game.

I said this during the baseball playoffs, and I'm going to say it again: No matter who wins these games, these are going to be great games. In the NFC, two teams that have gone under the radar look to prove themselves. In the AFC, two rivals square off one last time before the big dance. I'm telling you, these are two games you do not want to miss. The last two weeks have seen some of the most entertaining action all year, and the Conference Championships will be no exception. It's expected to be an exciting day for football, and these four teams will certainly not disappoint.

Pat
The Trio

Welcome

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the blog in attachment with The Trio sports radio show on WDSR.  We are still in the process of working out how everything will work with this but we are hoping to have 3 posts a week on various sports topics.  If you have a topic that you want us to write an article on let us know and we'll do our best to get it to you.  

Myself (Tim), Pat, and Brian are all very excited about the show this semester's and hopefully you are as well.  Our show times will be at 1 PM on Tuesday and Thursday.  If you happen to miss the show we will post the link for you to listen online at a later date.  We are starting the show this Thursday, January 15.

We hope you enjoy the show as well as this blog.

Talk to you soon.