No news, is good news , unless it is happening in the world of sports ….
With the recent firing of Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel by the front office of that organization , led by GM Reuben Amaro . It should now come as no surprise that the team is likely to be in a rebuilding mode . Lackluster performances throughout much of the season and a number of injuries did not quite render this year as meaningless . Yet the question has to be asked , how damn naïve was Amaro to begin with , in thinking that he could enter the season with a roster of overpaid stars and barely anyone performing at their best ? A team payroll exceeding $165 million and projected payroll for 2014 in the region of $114 million , the ball-club will have a little more wiggle room than anticipated .
==========================================================================
============================================================================
Slideshow.
One of the more asinine assumptions I have read concerning the franchise , has been the fact that with their television contract due to expire in 2015 , with Comcast , the ball-club is likely to seek a more valuable deal , accordingly, something similar to the two-decade almost $8 billion deal that the Los Angeles Dodgers now has with Time Warner Cable Inc . Now the last time I looked, the city of Philadelphia may well have been in one of the nation’s largest ad-markets, but there is no way in hell that the franchise will be able to negotiate a deal with Comcast that is likely to net the Phillies remotely anywhere the financial reward they hope to gain .
The person offering his opinion on this all, has no idea as to the integral business template of a concern such as Comcast, who are still having to deal with the difficulties of their loss-making concerning NBC-Universal , the broadcast and film studios outlet bought from industrial giant GE . Consider the fact, that NBC is hemorrhaging red ink by the thankful, in terms of its bottom line . Only an idiot, would now believe that Comcast would be willing to shell out as much as $400 million annually over the next two decades to a ball-club, who this season has shown the competitive zeal of a baby seal , on the cusp of being clubbed to death .
With Ryne Sandberg’s installation as the interim-manager until the end of the season , it remains to be seen whether or not his audition will prove to be successful enough whereby he is offered the position on a full-time basis, and that of multi-year contract. From my own perspective , I do believe that team owner David Montgomery should have also sought the termination of Reuben Amaro’s contract as the team’s general manager . Those who witnessed the press conference announcing Charlie Manuel’s firing , while the former manager was seated alongside the general manager , obviously were able to see the dis-ingenuity of the executive, as he in part blamed the manager also on several issues , none of which , had to do with the fact that the team’s record of 64-77 , that had them languishing third , in the NL East and barely baseball that would prove to be entertaining enough for their fans to eagerly enjoy .
With two weeks to go before the regular season reaches its culmination, the Philadelphia Phillies still lie third within the division and their being of late some resilience being shown , having gone 6-4 in their last ten games. It would be safe to say that this off-season is likely to be a tumultuous one for the organization . The biggest off-season decision, possibly for the Phillies, is whether or to bring back to being back starting pitcher Roy Halladay and of closer Jonathan Papelbon . Both have said successful careers in their chosen roles, but if the truth be known, 2013 has provided us all with an insight into what can indeed go wrong when you have an overpaid star underachieve. While not the most expensive stars on the roster , they are the ones deemed superfluous to the team’s needs.
The Phillies’ issues beyond injuries and the inconsistent play, has been the fact, that there is said to be no vocal leader, with the likes seasoned veterans Jimmy Rollins , Cliff Lee and Chase Utley and Michael Young simply going about , business as usual . Whatever sense of urgency there was said to be, certainly wasn’t being shown under Charlie Manuel and in reality , although this recent ten-game stretch has shown that when this team is ready to play, they can do so. I do believe that it is all too little and far too late . The Philadelphia Phillies are now playing for their self-respect and pride , if nothing else . Sunday afternoon, will see the team face the Washington Nationals at Nationals Ballpark , in the nation’s capital of Washington, DC . Monday, the Phillies will then host their fellow divisional rivals the Miami Marlins in a three-game series , of teams said to be heading in the wrong direction .
For the Philadelphia Phillies and the likelihood of their cash windfall in 2015 , let us get one thing clear , fans are not likely to tune in to see a ball club whose product in 2013 was horrendous , and in 2014 , there is no likelihood or guarantee that Reuben Amaro is likely to show the insight needed to get have the best possible product on the field of play . Amaro has gambled, failed miserably in 2012 and 2013, so should the fans actually expect any different in 2014 , even with stars such as Ryan Howard , Cole Hamels , Cliff Lee and perhaps a number of prospects from the team’s farm system on board ? The Nationals and Atlanta Braves are likely to get considerably better and so too might the New York Mets , if their front office can actually find a way of not aiming the gun at their own damn feet and aiming it instead at their chosen target
The hype certainly was not worth it, , as once again the sport of boxing perpetrated another massive fraud on the public . On Saturday night, pound-for-pound king , welterweight champion Floyd ‘Money ‘ Weather ‘ defended his titles against Mexican fighter Saul ‘Canilo’ Alvarez . The unbeaten challenger, it was said, would give the champion the toughest test, he was yet to have faced in his unbeaten career . Pardon me for saying this, , but since when was it feasible to produce this hyperbole over a challenger whose record is as soft as a newborn baby’s ass ? Much of the blame for this charade, lays with Alvarez’s promoters, Golden Boy Promotions and its proprietor Oscar de La Hoya . The fight’s main card and under-cards were jointly promoted by Golden Boy Promotion and Mayweather Promotions and Entertainment Inc , a company wholly owned by the fighter , that oversees his professional and business interests. Mayweather’s business partner and legal counsel Leonard Ellerbee runs the business side, with the fighter simply making sure that the revenues are simply deposited into his now sizable and growing bank account. This title fight was the second of a six-fight deal with cable outlet provider Showtime Inc (parent company Viacom) , that will net Floyd Mayweather in excess of $200 million over the next eighteen months .
The only fireworks produced in this bout was the explosiveness and rapid succession in which Mayweather was allowed to land his blows, with his challenger simply being able to land a punch of any consequence . If Saul Canilo Alvarez is said to represent what was said to be a new breed and wave of tough up and coming Mexican boxers , then I am sorry, but Alvarez should now be hanging his head in shame, because the tradition of the great Mexican fighters of years past of which this young man wishes to join , will not be happening anytime soon. For twelve rounds the challenger offered nothing of substance, as the champion came away with a majority verdict , something of a farce given the lopsidedness of the victory , that now pushes his record to 45-0 (26 KO’s) . In suffering his first loss , Alvarez will have to revisit the drawing board and assess where he went wrong in this bout. From my own perspective , he simply was not ready for a fight of this magnitude in spite of record which to my mind is nothing more than a damn paperweight ! There are octogenarians and double amputees, who have shown more life than Saul Alvarez was able to exhibit on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Casino Arena & Resort Complex in Las Vegas , Nevada. Sooner or later the Nevada State Athletic Commission will have to start vetting a great many more of these title fights, taking place within the state’s line , particular those involving Floyd Mayweather . They either need to make sure that the title holder is not fighting a cadaver and that the opponent is in fact licensed to fight not only within the state, but nationwide .
As to who Mayweather’s next big money opponent might be , after his clinical and surgical dismantling of his challenger on Saturday night . Well, let us just say, that for twelve rounds of work, the champion will take a home $41 million guaranteed before the anticipated ancillary figures are known , which could very well add a further $45 million to $55 million to his take home pay for this one bout . Premium ringside seats went for high as $25,000 , but that included one’s accommodation and a limousine for the duration of the attendee’s stay in Las Vegas . The PPV (pay per view) figures are expected to top 2.4 million buys, making it the largest in the sport’s history and then weigh in the fact, that to subscribe for the event itself, the consumer was being asked to fork over $59-95 , an extortionate fee . One can now understand why this sport is now not signaling its own death knell, but the very fact that Mayweather’s only regard beyond what he alleges will be his legacy , is simply to ” break the bank ” with each purse he now earns in terms of his fights . He has already surpassed the lifetime earnings of both Mike Tyson and Oscar de La Hoya , two of the biggest names in the sport of boxing over the last two decades and he could be well on the way to becoming the first boxer to earn in excess of half-a-billion dollars ($500,000,000) solely from ring earnings ( estimated career earnings $392 million ) .
Well so much for that high-powered offense exhibited last week by the Philadelphia Eagles in their victory over the Washington Redskins . The team’s week two schedule , a game against the Mike McCoy coached San Diego Chargers has quickly brought Chip Kelly and his players back to earth with a crashing thud . Fans and analysts alike seemed to be overly excited with what many inane idiots were trying to suggest , that this was a new era in the NFL . How quickly they seem to forget and perhaps never seem to learn . For that type of efficiency and consistency , you have a team that is said to be on the same page as the coaching staff . Sunday afternoon and the Philadelphia Eagles may well have proved to us all that reading is fundamental , because everything about Philadelphia in this game suggested that not many of the team learned the playbook . Playing against a Chargers’ team led by quarterback Philip Rivers , the Eagles were made to pay for their errors as they were upstaged at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania .
And as exciting as Chip Kelly’s play-calling may well be, someone should remind the former Oregon coach, that this is not the Pac-12 , where just about no one plays any defense . He is now playing in amongst the big boys of the NFL , where a game strategy is made up offense as well as defense . The Eagles’ veteran quarterback , Michael Vick had a career high day in his team’s defeat, but the Eagles’ defense , it appears may well remained in the locker room , because for a large part of this game they were simply nowhere to be seen .
For the moment the Philadelphia Eagles remain tied atop of the NFC East at 1-1 , but that is likely to end after week two’s results are indeed a matter of record .
For those, who might still have doubts as to how good Aaron Rodgers might just be . Consider the following, the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback through three-quarters of work in Sunday’s game threw for an astonishing 374 yards , but fell a mere twenty yards of having a 500 yards’ career passing day . The opposition in this case just happened to be the hapless Washington Redskins , who have now fallen to 0-2 , albeit that Robert Griffin III , their sophomore quarterback continues to show growth as a player and as a quarterback in the NFL . Unfortunately, for Mike Shanahan , it has been the defense that has let this team down. And the likelihood is , this continues to be the norm , then defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and defensive lines’ coach Jacob Burney , will be abruptly shown the door.
This game may well have cemented the Packers as one of the teams to indeed watch within the NFC alongside both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks . I am sorry folks , but it is still far too early to be talking about the Dallas Cowboys as a viable contender in spite of the force-fed diatribe of Skip Bayless , Merril Hoge , Ron Jaworski and the team’s owner Jerry Jones .
Speaking of the Seahawks and 49ers , well those two teams put on a stellar display in an NFC match-up that could prove to be a precursor and dress rehearsal for the NFC championship game . If ever there was a time for San Francisco’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick to prove that last season was no fluke , then Sunday’s display by the quarterback may well have a been a real cause for concern for the player’s fans and an even greater argument for his detractors . Pete Carroll’s …. defense simply harried the Kaepernick into making errant plays , while their offense led by opposing quarterback Russell Wilson , simply shredded and picked apart the Niners’ much vaunted defense , in coming away with a clinical and lopsided 29-3 victory . Can the Seahawks now be considered the most balanced and perhaps the best team in the NFL at present ? I will let you be the judge of that , but most certainly, do offer up your own thoughts on that .
The “Manning Bowl “ this past Sunday , provided us with a chance to see a sibling rivalry, in which the elder of the two siblings , Peyton Manning has the upper hand over his younger brother Eli Manning . In Sunday’s third meeting between these two seasoned and celebrated quarterbacks to display their skills before a national audience of millions besides the over 63,000 in attendance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Aerial display and a rushing offense, provided the fans with over 780 all-purpose offensive yards . Defense seemed to be at a minimum as the Broncos came away with their second victory of the season with a 41-23 victory to put the Broncos atop of the AFC West and Peyton Manning with a 3-0 lead in regular season games over his younger brother . As to Archie and Olivia Manning , they must have been pleased with the performances of their two sons. Whether or not, there was said to be any favoritism being shown by the parents to one son over the other, that is a question, that can be asked of the individuals themselves .
===================================================================
====================================================================
Picture gallery .
As exciting as this sport’s weekend was said to be , there were still a great many stories that I could have touched on, but with a limited amount of time and a patronage that quite possibly would not be interested in things such as NASCAR and EPL (English Premiership) soccer , I will simply leave it to the topics covered . So by all means, do leave a comment as you see fit and thanks as always for the continued support of this site as it has always been greatly appreciated!
😉
Picture and slideshow gallery details below .
===========================================================================
(1) Phillies’ starting pitcher Tyler Cloyd seen here delivering a pitch during the first inning of a game played against the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Ballpark in Washington , DC . The Nationals would go on to defeat the Phillies in a lopsided game 11-2 , with pitcher Jordan Zimmerman of the Nationals 1 gaining his eighteenth victory of the season . AP Photo / Susan Walsh …..
(2) The Nationals’ Bryce Harper steals second, as he makes his way to third base during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Ballpark in Washington , DC. Washington would go on to win the game 11-2 . AP Photo / Susan Walsh …
(3) Deposed manager Charlie Manuel, right, is seen here alongside GM Reuben Amaro Jr . Manuel the Philadelphia Phillies’ most successful manager, was fired earlier this month and replaced by Ryne Sandberg as the ball-club’s interim manager until the end of the season . Since his installment, Sandberg has not really fared that much better than his predecessor, having post a 16-13 record . Getty Images / Nick Walters ….
(4) Saul Alvarez, right , of Mexico is here in his WBC welterweight title fight against title holder Floyd Mayweather . The champion would win in dominating fashion with a unanimous verdict and pushing his unbeaten record to 45-0 . A forty-one million dollar payday was the reward for the champion, with the likelihood that his purse could be as high as $ 80 million after budgetary costs are taken into account for the staging of the title bout at the MGM Grand Casino Resort Hotel & Casino Complex in Las Vegas , Nevada . Getty Images North America / Rick Parsons ….
(5) (L-R) Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a right at Canelo Alvarez during their WBC / WBA 154-pound title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 14, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather successfully defended his WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine titles with a unanimous verdict over his challenger . Getty Images / Ethan Miller ……
(6) Floyd Mayweather Jr. (R) hits Canelo Alvarez in the seventh round of their WBC/WBA 154-pound title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 14, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather won by a majority decision. Getty Images / Ethan Miller …..
(7) Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles attempts a pass to James Casey during the game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The Eagles’ defense were woefully inept as they allowed Philip Rivers and the Chargers back into this contest , as the home team dropped to their first defeat of the season . AP Photo / Matt Rourke …..
(8) Eddie Royal of the Chargers makes it into the end-zone as he evades Nate Allen of the Eagles . AP Photo Matt Rourke ….
(9) Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers attempts a pass during the game against the Washington Redskins played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin . Green Bay would defeat their NFC rivals 38-20 to improve their record 1-1 within the NFC North and dropping the win-less Redskins to 0-2 within the NFC East and at the bottom of the division. AP Photo Mike Roemer ….
(10) Peyton Manning (18) congratulates his younger brother Eli Manning after the game between their two the teams met in a scheduled regular season game ____ the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants , on Sunday afternoon . This was the third regular season meeting between the pair of siblings , with the elder Manning having won all three contests . The Broncos defeated the Giants 41-23 to improve their record to 2-0 in the AFC West , while the Giants sit at 0-2 within the NFC East . AP Photo / Frank Franklin II …
=================================================================
—–
🙂
tophatal …… 09/15/2013
==================
MLB schedule 16th September 2013
MLB probable pitchers 16th September
MLB standings divisional and wildcard standings
This month in MLB history
This day in MLB history (16th September)
🙂
NFL news and news around from around the league
NFL week two schedule & results
🙂 ….. 🙂
Latest boxing news courtesy of Yahoo Sports
Share this:
Tophatal's Blog 
The fans in Philly when they claim to be intelligent concerning their teams , does that mean a light bulb has to be switched on first , before they are able to awaken and actually say something intelligent ? Only the Phillies’ fans would indeed be stupid enough to think that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts would be willing to pay $7-8$ billion over the next two decades to their ball-club , especially where the core of that team is now up in age and way past their primes in terms of productivity . The team’s farm system is not that exceptional and the offense at present is marginal at best , as too is the pitching when you consider the lack of productivity from key pitchers such as Halliday , Lee , Kyle Kendrick , Jonathan Pettibone and John Lannan .
” What do you mean the game of baseball has been integrated ? When did this happen ” ? Phillies’ owner David Montgomery
I’m not saying that Montgomery is out of the loop when it comes to the Phillies , but the only other owners that might be just as it pitiful , could very well be Lew Wolff of the A’s and Peter Angelos of the Orioles . 250mg of either Cialis or Viagra might be the only thing that keeps all three alive , ready of action and completely aware and completely cognizant of their surroundings .
For God’s sake Philly fan, as well supported as the Phillies are , you are not the Los Angeles Dodgers or the , New York Yankees for that fact matter and team owner , David Montgomery either is dead from the neck up or from the waste down, to have let Reuben Amaro to create such a mess with this organization over the past two years .
Proud to be a Mexican American , Oscar de La Hoya and his protege` Saul Alvarez . Someone should have reminded the young fighter once you get your ass kicked, having yourself mouthed off as what your intent was, concerning the champion , there is nowhere to hide afterwards . The same applies to Oscar . What’s that white powder up your nostrils Oscar ? Say it ain’t so , crack is whack
Sorry Money , but your credibility is fu##ed , if you’ve got to have ‘ Weezy’ (Lil’ Wayne) and Justin Bieber in your corner throwing their support behind you . LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
Oscar de La Hoya is at present in rehab for his addiction to a controled substance and alcohol . Perhaps after this ass kicking suffered by Saul Alvarez , he should consider having the young Mexican fighter join him for a spell in rehab, also.
Personally, I would like to know which of the judges could not deliberate enough to make this a majority decision , because throughout these twelves rounds of boxing , not one round was won by the young challenger . And that is an emphatic fact . The Nevada State Athletic Commission should conduct an in-depth investigation of the judges .
Mayweather gets a cool $41 million for beating the shizz-nit out of Saul Alvarez and they are now suggesting that his next payday will be in excess of $70 million for the tomato can that will be lined up for him next . Who the ##ck now takes the sport of boxing seriously after this charade ?
High powered offense from the Eagles ? Can someone also explain to this idiot, Chip Kelly that defense is also needed , if his team is meant to be taken as a serious contender ?
Sorry San Fran , you’re good , but just not as good as advertized ! The Seahawks now has your number on both sides of the ball .
The Manning Bowl ? How ’bout just simply calling it Peyton whips up on little brother’s ass once again . ?
Josh Freeman allegedly will seek a trade away from the Bucs ? Question is , who will be better off should that actually come to fruition ? Greg Schicano at this juncture might just be the most overrated coach in the NFL and perhaps its dumbest overall ! Two weeks straight , and his ill-disciplined team loses a game in its waning moments . Is that something now being taught by the coach and his staff ? If it is , will it now become the norm for the rest of the season ? This Bucs’ team is so bad that there is simply no light at the end of the tunnel to be seen , in terms of them actually improving . Greg Schiano is likely to come up with the same lame excuses while the lame fans and the guys from the Pewter Report continue to buy into his bull-crap .
I am sure that Schiano will relish taking this team to 0-3 in the NFC South after the Bucs play the Patriots at Gillette Stadium , in Foxborough , Massachusetts , this upcoming Sunday .
Bucs Bucs’ play by play in their loss to the Saints
Freeman was 9/22 for 125 yds , 1 TD and 1 INT . Yeah, those are the sort of stats that are really eye-popping if you’re on crack-cocaine .
That Bucs’ secondary is as porous as a used feminine hygiene product .
Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson justify your paychecks at least .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
I don’t really follow boxing any more. I’ve converted to MMA. Floyd Mayweather barely registers with me. I doubt he would be undefeated if he fought during the 80’s or early 90’s when there were a multitude of great fighters out there. But in today’s boxing era, there is no competition for a guy like Mayweather. He can pick an chose his opponents and can refuse to fight anyone who might be a threat to him.
LikeLike
Maurice
Floyd Mayweather would have been killed by guys like Roberto Duran , Tommy Hearns , and Pernell Whittaker . He now cherry picks his bouts and the one fight that the fans wanted to see , against Manny Pacquiao , simply never took place because of the greed and egos of both fighters .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
I’ve been an avid follower of MMA , specifically under the UFC banner . Other promotional bodies such as Bellator , K1 are minnows by comparison . I use to teach unarmed combat to service members in the military while serving in the Royal Marines .
tophatal …………
LikeLike
Everyone was so excited by the thrill a minute action of the game between the Packers and Redskins . Yet in all honesty , ask yourself this , does Mike Shanahan’s players actually have a concept of the word defense and how it is meant to be played ? .
RGIII tried in vain to put his team back in this contest , but the defense was simply disinterested in helping their teammate and the facts and stats bears this out . Someone try to suggest otherwise , if you can ?
🙂
Proud to show off her assets, when called upon to do so .
😉
tophatal ………..
LikeLike
RGIII isn’t back to 100% yet. Yes, he’s brought the Redskins back late in the past few games, but he’s gotten off to slow starts too. Offenses have to sustain drives to keep the other team’s offenses off the field and take pressure off of your own defense. Successive three and outs can kill your own defense in today’s NFL.
But so far it seems like Griffin is reluctant to run the football, and he’s clearly rusty. He didn’t have enough reps in the off-season due to rehabbing his knee, so I think it’s going to take a little while before he get back into the groove of things not only physically but mentally as well. We’ll see how the Redskins look at mid season..
LikeLike
Maurice ……..
What damn protection is Griffin getting to begin with ? His O line is pedantic . As an offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is damn overrated and as I stated to you before, he is getting by on his father’s name alone . Jim Haslett and Jacob Burney have all of the creativity of dried up fecal matter and that was clearly on show in both of these losses suffered by the Redskins as their defense was nowhere to be found .
tophatal …………….
LikeLike
RGIII’s play covered up the Redskins defensive liabilities last season. But the same can be said about other good QB’s. But when the franchise QB isn’t 100% and unable to carry the team, then all of those liabilities that were covered up, all of a sudden come to the fore front.
And I agree with you about Jim Haslett. His defenses have been terrible since Mike Shanahan took over. He should have been fired by now, but it’s like I said, RGIII came along and helped people keep their jobs, who should have been fired. Now that RGIII is struggling, there’s nothing else there to take up the slack for it.
Shanahan is already on the hot seat with me for creating the situation that led to RGIII’s torn ACL any way, when he failed to take him out of the game in the playoffs. So he had better find a way out of this, or he may be gone along with Haslett if things don’t turn around.
LikeLike
By mid-season if the Redskins are 3-5 , they might still be in with a chance, within the division . Anything short of that and their season is done . The NFC East this year will be a great deal tougher than in 2012 .
tophatal ………..
LikeLike
Cynthia J ” CJ” Ross one the judges in the Alvarez vs Mayweather welterweight title bout , is clearly not qualified to be the judge of a title fight , but t somehow the head of the State Athletic Commission in Nevada , Keith Kizer believes that there was no controversy by way of the judges’ scoring and the final outcome of this fight .
Courtesy of USA Today
Ross’ scorecard had the bout as a draw with scoring the bout 114-114 apiece for Alvarez and Mayweather, in other words a draw .
” C J gives ‘good head’ , that’s all I can tell you concerning this situation at present but I have implicit faith in her ability to go down hard and do the job right ” ! . Keith Kizer of the NSAC .
Keith Kizer , Executive Director of the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) . Another state agency within the state of Nevada known for its incompetency and being wholly corrupt .
As I have repeatedly said, the sport of boxing is irrelevant , and even if Floyd Mayweather remains the face of the sport for next two years , the fighter knows at age thirty-six , time will soon begin to catch up with him all too quickly . He may well fulfill his six-fight deal with Showtime before riding off into the sunset (deal guarantees Mayweather $200 million) .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
If you have no idea about the business of sports and would now suggest that Comcast would be willing to part with anywhere between $6 to $ 8 billion over the next two decades to have the rights to the Phillies’ coverage in that media market . Then you have to be doing some form or hallucinogenic or another more serious controlled substance . Get a damn clue please , before coming to such an asinine conclusion . As I stated , Philadelphia is not Los Angeles or New York .
Phillies’ remaining regular season schedule and their standing within the NL East .
tophatal …………
LikeLike
The Eagles “D” is piss poor. Kelly blew in the final two and a half minutes. Run out the clock and kick the FG with a few seconds left on clock. Rivers was tearing the schmucks a new a-hole. Kelly gets genius of the game award. The skins are overrated RG3 is hurt- The “D” sucks The NYG are bad. Dallas O coordinator gets the moron award.
LikeLike
If Chip Kelly has not now realized that he is now in the NFL , then he never will . All of these idiots hyping up that victory over what now seems to be a hapless and helpless Redkins’ team should tell you need to know about that week one victory . The Eagles were seriously challenged on defense last season and here we are in 2013 and not a damn thing has changed at all in that context . High-powered offense my ass, the Eagles are simply average . The NFC East as a division is already a damn eyesore by simply looking the teams records within the division statistics on defense and offense . ,
On paper the Chargers are not that good a team , but yet somehow the Eagles’ defense made them look like the Rams of 1999 . A team that went on to win the Superbowl that season , while shattering so many league records along the way .
Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly may well be deemed a genius in some circles , but to my mind , I see him in a similar vein as former Bucs’ coach Jon Gruden . Geat X’s and O’s coach but not someone who likes to accept the blame when his teams screw up royally and are made to look like complete a#sholes . LeSean McCoy may well went off , for over 170 yards of rushing and he was celebrating that feat , but that dumb @ss was about as much use, as a team player , because he was nowhere to be seen when it came to showing any type of leadership on that team and neither was Michael Vick for that matter . The Eagles are not a team but a jigsaw puzzle put together of ill-fitting pieces and only a damn moron such as Ron Jaworski believes that there was a positive to come out of this defeat . If Jaworski had his way , his male appendage would now be fitted firmly in Chip Kelly or Vick’s sphincter (@ss) .
Running back stats in week two
tophatal ……………
LikeLike
The offense scored 30 points in 19 minutes of possession. The last three minutes of game- game management sucker. Three missed field goals killed us- The D sucks
LikeLike
bobby
This season the NFC East could end up being one of the worst divisions in the entire NFL . It would not surprise me if the winner of the division made it to the playoffs with less than a double-digit win tally.
8-8 or quite possibly 9-7 might just be enough for one of the four teams to either sneak or squeak into the playoffs as the case maybe. And that is damn awful when you consider the caliber of the quarterbacks within that division .
Defensively the Eagles are just a bad team all round . Clock management as you say , is horrendous and Chip Kelly is showing his inexperience in that specific category ,
tophatal …………………….
LikeLike
NFC is bad. The tema that wins it could be 8-8, 9-7, 10-6 at best.
LikeLike
bobby gee
The Redskins won the NFC East last season with a 10-6 record , going away from the rest of the division . This season they are 0-2 and idiots are questioning Robert Griffin III’s injury status when there is none , where the real reasons for the team’s failure has been a goddamn awful defense .
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett needs to put on his game face on and does D-lines’ coach Jacob Burney . Remedy that situation immediately and things should turn out alright for the team . If they do not , then look for the Redskins to fall back to earth with a tremendous thud .
Next up for Mike Shanahan’s players in week three , is a game at home against the Lions . And that ought to be a pretty interesting contest for a number of reasons .
tophatal ……………..
LikeLike
I see the situation for what it is, and it’s all tied to RGIII’s injury. The offense can’t sustain drives like last season, and that took the pressure off of the defense then. RGIII is reluctant to run the ball, but I think he’s still recovering from his injury not only physically but mentally.
He doesn’t want to hurt that knee, and I can’t blame him for feeling that way, as his rehab must have taken a lot out of him. It’s tough enough being a starting QB in the NFL, but to come off of a torn ACL makes the task even more daunting. And he’s still a young QB too, so he’s still learning the game.
So I’m not questioning RGIII, as I figured he would start the season slowly because he hasn’t played or gotten the necessary reps to be a sharp as possible. Once he gets that edge back, I think the Redskins will be fine.
LikeLike
That’s part of the problem, that 19 minutes of possession. That means the Eagles defense was on the field for 41 minutes, and in the NFL that’s a problem. While Chip Kelly’s offense puts plenty of pressure on the opposing defense, it also forces it’s own defense to play an extreme amount of minutes, which will wear them down by the end of the game when it’s on the line.
LikeLike
I agree. The “D” is bad right now. Adjustments will be made.
LikeLike
All of this hype over a coach who in the end could turn out to be another Steve Spurrier in the making when it comes to being a coach in the NFL . Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman went with the hype and hoopla , rather than making an expedient choice in terms of a successor to Andy Reid .
When the Chiefs and Eagles meet tomorrow night , should Reid and his team come away victorious , then there will be questions asked of the Eagles’ front office as well as of the team itself .
tophatal …………
LikeLike
Maurice
The problem is and will remain Chip Kelly and his defensive coaching staff led by Jim Haslett . If they can’t figure that out themselves then this team will be doomed to mediocrity over the course of this season .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
bobby
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to make the Eagles’ season even more problematical and abysmal when the two teams meet on Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ,.
I am not about to suggest that the Steelers are heading downhill fast , but someone needs to start pumping the brakes before their season goes out of control and completely runs off the road . Mike Tomlin has lost control of the team and their offense is simply abysmal , At best the defense is barely above average if that . The Steelers looked pitiful in their 20-10 loss to the Bengals , a team that I believe will provide a scare to the rest of the AFC !
tophatal …………
tophatal …..
LikeLike
The Steelers are going to have a long assed season. The are older and they need younger players. The bums may surprise a few folks this year
LikeLike
The Steelers have drafted well over the past two seasons , it is just that those players are not producing up to the standards normally expected of that organization . Also the franchise did not do themselves any favors by allowing players to leave over the past eighteen months . Guys such as James Harrison and Mike Wallace are not going to be that easy to replace . Simply idiotic , by the front office, and from my own perspective having Todd Haley as the team’s offensive coordinator is not an upgrade over someone like Bruce Arians who now was the interim coach last season for the Indianapolis Colts while Chuck Pagano underwent chemotherapy Hodgkin’s Lymphoma . Things worked out OK for Arians , who is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals .
The relationship between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley is said to have hit an all-time low and become really tense . Not a good relationship at all to have between the team’s starting quarterback and the offensive coordinator . Mike Tomlin does need to do something fast , before the season spirals completely out of control .
tophatal ………..
LikeLike
This happens to the best of them even Green Bay and the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers
LikeLike
bobby
I did not expect this sort of drop-off in from from the Steelers and in ..that time frame , they have looked so bad in just about every facet of their game . The offense has been this season and it has been left to the defense to try and keep them in games at , yet they remain erratic, but that still has not aided them in a 0-2 start . They are unlikely to win the AFC North and likely to struggle to gain a off berth this season .
Steelers roster and depth chart . Team statistics and regular season schedule .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
bobby
If Chip Kelly is going to make adjustments concerning the Eagles’ defense then his options are thin , because there no real depth or talent on the roster at the positions needed . The franchise’s draft of players at those defensive positions over the past five years, has simply been abysmal .
tophatal …………..
LikeLike
We will find tonight Eagles and Chiefs
LikeLike
Chip Kelly’s post-game interviews will now become mono-toned. . The Eagles are a pathetic team on both sides of the ball . The Chiefs showed the country that Philly is simply overrated .
tophatal ………..
LikeLike
I wrote on one of your blogs- The schmucks will go 4-12 to 6-10
LikeLike
bobby
This is a bad Eagles’ team heading in the wrong direction way too early in the season , because all of the their flaws have been exposed for everyone to see . Now you have an idiot such Ron Jaworski suggesting that Chip Kelly will, be able to work out the kinks as to what is wrong with the team;s game .
Well , he was not able to make the necessary changes needed between game’s two and three . So what makes the former Eagles’; quarterback so sure that Kelly and his staff will get it right for game four of their regular season schedule ?
Eagles’ team stats
NFC East standings and the NFC standings . .
tophatal ……………..
LikeLike
Reid was fired for the shitty job he did the last three season. He should have shit canned two years ago.
LikeLike
bobby
Reid out of loyalty , had way too much implicit faith in Michael Vick and it cost him his job . The Eagles quarterback can only momentarily give you flashes of brilliance .
In week four , their game against the Broncos will be of utmost importance . And given the way that Denver are playing at the moment , how much of a a chance do you believe that the Eagles will have against a Peyton Manning led offense ?
tophatal …………………..
LikeLike
The Eagles will get killed.
LikeLike
The Tampa Bay Rays are doing their damn-dest to play themselves out of contention in the AL wildcard race . Simply look at their results over their last ten , and then twenty games . All this and team manager Joe Maddon acts as if he is walking through a field of blossoming red roses , when in reality this team has been simply been stinking up the joint with their play in terms of their pitching and hitting .
Tampa lost 6-4 to the Twins on Sunday , then beat the Rangers 6-2 on Monday and will now play three two more games of a four-game set against the AL West team beginning Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday before beginning a four game home series against the Orioles on Friday , 20th September .
Maddon needs to emphasize to his players that they now cannot take anything for granted , as their fate lies in their own hands and not in the hands of others . So it makes no damn sense to be looking up at the scoreboard, to see how the other teams in the wildcard race are said to be doing . Get the damn job done, and the rest should take care of itself . Yet as usual , you will tend to hear some of the most asinine excuses being made by the atypical idiot Rays’ fans, when things start to go wrong.
tophatal ……………………….
LikeLike
Why do I get the feeling that Bieber looks and feels so out of place in this picture below ? The kids wants to act tough and all gangsta, but he’s friggin’ Canadian . They produce rashers of bacon tougher than this kid , Much like Drake acting tough and rhyming with bangin’ beats , it simply doesn’t give you street cred . The toughest thing the Biebs and Drake, have , probably ever felt , was being beaten across the ass by a parent for doing something wrong .
“Floyd can I borrow your belt to take home and show it to my Mom ” ? Justin Bieber .
Wait a minute , Weezy is thinking ________ ” What I can come up with to rhyme with belt , ? Felt , spelt ,, pelt , melt ? Ah sh_t , can’t use those words because then I can’t say I f##ked a girl and felt her spelt ” ! Lil’ Wayne
Meanwhile, Money is thinking ……… ‘hey white boy is your Mama down with the homies and into some vaginal massage ‘?
tophatal ……………
tophatal ……………………….
LikeLike
The Phillies had their day in the sun, but now it’s the time to rebuild.
Mayweather is a great boxer, but he will never fight anyone he considers a threat to his perfect record.
The NFC EAST has only one team that’s playing defense and as much as I hate to say it, that would be Dallas and their still stuck with Romo.
The Packers should win the North, but again no defense.
The Bucs and Rays are both in trouble and need to come out swinging.
Peace be with you my friend.
LikeLike
aero
I’ve always maintained you can’t simply throw money at a situation as a way of solving it ! It has proven to be damn useless for the Phillies since their World Series win in 2008 . In the subsequent years GM Reuben Amaro has simply thrown good money after bad , and now he has not got a pot to pi$s in or and a window to throw it out of .
Many of the players on that pitching staff are now past their prime and it shows in not just the team stats but also their play . Never mind the fact that the offense has been woefully inept for much of the season and now their lame ingrate fans believe because of a renewed television contract in 2015 , will presumably get a deal worth as much as $ 7-$8 billion over twenty-years and in aid them in their rebuilding ? This is the Philadelphia Phillies we’re talking about and not a team in a top ten ad-market . Plain @ss dumb are what some of the Phillies’ fans are in spite of their rabid fan-base . Before you can have any of that , you have got to have general manager who know what the hell he is actually doing and judging by Amaro’s track record over the past two season , his success rate has simply been downright abysmal .
The NFC East this season could end up being 2011’s AFC West when Tim Tebow and an 8-8 Broncos’ team jointly with the Chargers atop of the division , then went on to the postseason . As we all know the team did not fare that well ,especially in that AFC divisional game against the Patriots , where Tom Brady and his team laid the Broncos out to waste .
This world title fight between Floyd Mayweather and Saul Alvarez should never have taken place to begin with . The challenger’s record was softer than a roll of Charmin tissue paper . As for the female judge Cynthia ‘CJ’ Ross , she must be damn well to delusional to believe that bout was actually a draw . The State Athletic Commission in Nevada , has no damn integrity left whatsoever after this fiasco and neither do either the WBA or WBC for that matter in sanctioning the bout to begin with .
tophatal …………
LikeLike
aero
It would appear that the only serious challengers to the Packers in the NFC North may well be Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears . Yet, I have never had any implicit faith in the Bears’ quarterback , as I simply do not believe he is a top-five quarterback in the NFL .
The Bucs and the Rays are not too dissimilar in the way that they approach the game . They simply tend to lose because of their complacency and stupidity . Greg Schiano and Joe Maddon just do not ask enough of their respective players . And that can be seen the Rays` results and that of the Bucs’ this season .
Josh Freeman beyond his immaturity , lack of leadership ability and continued poor play , is surely making it a great deal easier for the organization not to re-sign him at the end of this season .
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ news
Tampa Bay Rays’ news
tophatal ……..
LikeLike
Virtually no D at all was played in that SD-Philly game on Sunday. As long as Vick stays healthy the Eagles will score a ton of points. However, it looks like there are going to be a lot of 38-35 and 40-34 track meets.
LikeLike
Drew
The Eagles are simply not good enough to maintain that type of consistency over a sixteen-game schedule > and they will come unglued at some point during their season . Their defense sucks and Michael Vick is but a torn hamstring or Achilles’ tendon away from the team’s season imploding .
Since his return from being incarcerated , Vick has yet to complete regular sixteen-game schedule season . Two weeks into the season and we are already seeing how pitiful the NFC East just happens to be and is likely to remain that way over the course of the year .
tophatal ……….
LikeLike
At Oregon Chip Kelly could run the score up on 99% of his opponents, and they could never catch him, but there aren’t any Philip Rivers on the other sideline in college. In the NFL you can’t just blow everyone out because there are QB’s capable of picking apart defenses like you don’t see in college.
LikeLike
I don’t care if Kelly were running a lemonade stand , because in reality the chickens have already come home roost as far his offense is concerned . You can have all the firepower there is , but if you can’t defend ground , you end up losing the battle and then the war itself . All of these morons salivating over one damn game as if they’d take a 250 mg capsule of Viagra . The Eagles’ play overall may well be deemed exhilarating but it was the Chargers who ended up with the last laugh .
Mike Shanahan continually finds ways to outlive his welcome or simply wear on people’s nerves as an individual . Sooner or later, it will not be GM Bruce Allen who actually fires him , but Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder in person .
The Redskins are a complete mess at present and unfortunately Griffin is being asked to haul them out of this mess because not one of the veteran players ;la[ has stepped up to the plate to be vocal , because they have become damn complacent .
tophatal ………..
LikeLike
Drew
In the words ” Defense “ and “dumb ” ,the first letter is the fourth letter in the alphabet . The letter D and it also can be placed in front of the letters i-c-k to produce the word dick , which would be the best way to describe Chip Kelly and his coaching philosophy , which does not place a precedence when it comes to defense , of which the Eagles are now placed lower echelons of the NFC and the league itself .
tophatal ……………………
LikeLike
Yep, odds are pretty high that Vick won’t play 16 games this season. Then it will be up to to the immortal Nick Foles! Eagles would be fortunate to get 12 or 13 games from MV.
LikeLike
Drew
Michael Vick in his declining years as an NFL quarterback has become softer than a roll of Charmin’ tissue paper . And if you notice in the tv ads for that product, the bears use the paper to wipe their @ss . I think that best sums up the Eagles’ quarterback !
🙂
__
—
tophatal ………………….
LikeLike
This season the Chargers s will continue to show that they remain one more average teams in the NFL , in spite of their victory over the Eagles , which should have not come as a surprise considering how porous that home team’s defense just happened to be . .
This might not be only time this season that we see a Chip Kelly coached team lose such a game . Meanwhile the Eagles coach remains nonplussed as to the reason why they succumbed to defeat.
tophatal ……………..
LikeLike
I am now posing this question to you the patrons now visiting the site to leave comment . Are any of you truly surprised by the fact that the Browns have seen fit to trade Trent Richardson to the Colts for two future draft pick considerations.
This NFC North franchise has been a considerable mess with Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren running the show . Now it is former Eagles VP Joe Banner in charge, alongside head coach Rob Chudzinski . In all honesty , who amongst you expected the Browns to be of any consequence within the division , much less the conference or league as a whole ?
🙂
Trent Richardson
RB Trent Richardson . The Browns will now begin a major overhaul of their roster and are likely to bail on Brandon Weeden , who as a fast aging thirty year old, has proven that he is not good enough to play in the NFL . So that is now two failed professional sports’ careers for the Browns’ quarterback who was at one time a member of the Yankees’ farm system as an outfielder . Enough said ! e
NFL transactions
tophatal …………….
LikeLike
Maurice
Do you know why Mike Garret was removed from his position as AD at USC ? Here is a hint , he lied to the trustees and university president C L Nikiakis of USC, concerning the activities of the athletics department and that of several of the program’s compliance officers . So like I said, Garrett knew , made a judgment call based on on greed, rather than what was doing what was in the best interest of the program. As for Pete Carroll , he flew the coop, rather than being fired .
tophatal …….
LikeLike
Should the Eagles get crushed in week four of their game against the Broncos . Then look for the following signs of impending disaster within the organization . Wide receiver Riley Cooper admits to his fascination and wanting to have sex with an African American female while dressed up as female , himself , with the female also reciprocating by using a strap-on to ##ck Cooper in the @ss . GM Howie Roseman admitting that he did not want to succeed Joe Banner in the first place and owner Jeff Lurie finally figuring what an a#s$hole he really is and offering to still pay Michael Vick for doing such as a lousy job as the team’s quarterback .
All-time head to head match-ups between the Broncos and Eagles
Manning and the Broncos have should have an easy time against the Raiders on Monday night , The Broncos quarterback will have then surpassed 60,000 career passing yards and in this game, I believe his team will beat the Oakland by double digits with the margin of victory being no less than fifteen points . The Raiders’ defense are not particularly good against the run or pass . A clear problem for the Raiders is scoring and first down efficiency .
LikeLike
So Money Mayweather made $100 million off his last fight.
Does it bother anyone else that that’s more than the entire payroll of the Tampa Bay Rays?
LikeLike
Chris Humpherys
I am not saying Mayweather doesn’t deserve the money he is being paid , as he goes out there and puts it all on the line . Can the same be said of the Rays given their inconsistency ?
tophatal ……………
LikeLike
Heya cool blog site! Man. Superb. Wonderful. Let me take a note of your web site plus consider the rss feeds also? I am grateful to get a number of valuable info through your publish, we’d like grow extra tactics with this reverence, appreciation for expressing.
LikeLike
Thanks !
LikeLike