I'm Getting a Sports Complex

Saquon for MVP? No doubt.

The deck is stacked against running backs, but come on. He’s the MVP.

Published December 2, 2024

For most of the year, people have been saying that Lamar Jackson is the front-runner to take home his third career NFL MVP award, with Bills QB Josh Allen also firmly in the mix. In fact, Allen may have taken the proverbial lead after Sunday’s result that saw him deep six the 49ers in the snow, while Jackson looked mostly mortal in losing to your Birds. But, about those Birds, we know who the real MVP is. And while QBs rack up the stats and are no doubt the lynch pin of any successful team, you cannot deny that Saquon Barkley has been the most valuable player in this league this year.

Each season is its own snapshot, and it goes against the spirit of an annual award to consider past performances or accolades. But, all you need to do is to reflect for about five seconds on how much of a mess the Philadelphia Eagles were over the final two months of last season. They stumbled into the playoffs thanks to some narrow early victories, were blown out in the first round, and then saw the retirements of All-Pro franchise legends on both the defensive and offensive lines. It looked pretty bleak, until a funny thing happened.

The Giants, in all their wisdom, decided they didn’t need their best player anymore, and he found his way to Philadelphia. It was certainly an upgrade at the position for the Eagles and would help the club pretty immediately, but there was no way that anyone could have guessed how big of an impact it would have.

The stats tell a big part of the story, as Barkley leads the league in carries, yards, and yards per carry to pace the top rushing attack in the NFL. Beyond that, however, anyone watching the games will note how Saquon has single-handedly changed the course of or put multiple games to bed with electric runs. The irony here is that Saquon dropping an easy pass ostensibly cost the Eagles a game against Atlanta way back in Week 2. But we won’t hold that against him any longer, because he’s just about single-handedly won several games for them since.

He’ll face stiff competition for the award, but let’s review. Derrick Henry has been almost equally as great as Saquon this year. But, as we saw on Sunday, Barkley’s heroics played a large role in elevating the Birds to a head-to-head W over the other Birds featuring Henry. The Eagles are also ticketed for a better record and higher seed than the Ravens. Barring anything unforeseen, I don’t know how anyone could elevate Henry over Barkley on their ballots.

Henry is also hurt by the fact that his QB, Lamar Jackson, would siphon votes from him. Now, is it fair to hold it against someone’s MVP candidacy if they have another viable candidate on their team? Not necessarily, but it’s a real method of thinking that holds sway in the sports world. So here’s hoping that some people also see the help that Lamar is getting from Henry and are less likely to vote for him. Plus, there is also a real tendency not to keep voting for the same guy over and over unless he has been undeniably elite. Lamar has been very good in 2024, but I wouldn’t call his performance so good that people should feel compelled to vote for him over some “new blood”.

Josh Allen is probably the winner among the national consensus if the season ended today, as he’s clearly been dominant. It’s one of those cases where he doesn’t have the best QB stats of the year, but even though he hasn’t been a world-beater for your fantasy team he’s been fantastic and has put his real club in a comfortable spot every week so that he doesn’t have to throw 50 passes. Of course, he’s also benefiting from an excellent team around him, which can really elevate a QB’s profile. There are also the Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield types that will probably get a smattering of votes as well, but none of these guys are a real threat to the aforementioned players.

So maybe Saquon won’t win it after all, but he’ll have a dang good case if this keeps up, especially if he eclipses 2,000 yards on the ground. It’s been an uphill battle for a running back to be named the MVP since it last happened with Adrian Peterson over a decade ago, but Barkley represents probably the best shot an RB has had at it since. Lastly, keep in mind that he’s currently tied for 3rd in the league in rushing TDs, but that he could easily have 4 or 5 more of those and lead the NFL if not for Jalen Hurts gobbling up a few scores via goal line lunges. I hope that, in the end, no voter will be dumb enough to hold that against him. If someone says “Saquon had 14 TD, which is good, but I didn’t vote for him because he would have needed about 20 TD to get my attention”, I would call for that writer/talking head to be canned.

Yes, points on the board are the ultimate goal, but I don’t see any other player in the league this year having as profound of an impact on their club as Saquon Barkley. He’s changing momentum every game, he’s wearing down opposing defenses, and he’s keeping his own defense fresh. The Eagles actually lost the possession time battle against Baltimore, but they had won it six weeks in a row prior to that. And that hasn’t been an easy feat for this club for a long time. That’s what an effective running game does, though.

Saquon is inevitable. He’s the MVP. Don’t overthink it.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles hurdles some bad football players.

We will be seeing this for 100 years. (Chris Szagola/AP)

Phillies Offseason Spending: I’ll Believe It When I See It

As the offseason rumor mill and free agency roll on, who knows what the Phillies will do.

Published November 24, 2024

The Philadelphia Phillies need to win now. That much is evident. But they can’t also go blowing up their future by trading some mix of Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and others, especially in a deal for a shaky commodity like left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet.

Unless they trade someone like Alec Bohm or Ranger Suárez to replenish the cupboard.

Or they could sign Juan Soto and absolutely max out on payroll, making inexpensive and controllable contracts even more precious going forward.

Or they could just bring back the same team next year, adjust during the season, and hopefully not mess the bed in October again.

The point is, it’s kind of a fool’s errand to dissect the moves they could or should or will make, because nobody knows. Dave Dombrowski doesn’t even know. Sure, there are things he wants to do, but it’ll take buy-in from other executives to pull off a trade and it will require convincing free agents and their representation to sign with the Phillies. So, no different than any other offseason, even though this is a crucial one for the team.

It would frankly be pretty disheartening to see them bring the same team back that failed so badly at the end of the 2024 season. There should be no loyalty to the likes of Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos. Thanks for your contributions, but sorry. If the team can find a better solution, you gotta go. And with J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber entering the final seasons of their contracts, there will of course be talks of extensions. The team has to be really careful with these two players, however, since they’ll be a combined 66 years old next year with about 1.5 good knees between the two of them. So you might as well get some kind of head start on shaking up the roster in the coming months, because it’s probably coming after 2025 regardless.

Bryce Harper will still be here. The top of the rotation is locked in for a couple more years. Trea Turner, for all his shortcomings, isn’t going anywhere either thanks to his contract. Several elements of the core will remain even if “the daycare” or Suárez or whomever else is deemed expendable and gets trimmed off. Heck, even if the Phillies don’t change anything, they’ll still be a good team and likely to win 90+ games next year. But once again it won’t matter if they can’t hit and pitch and field when it matters the most, and the Harper era will be looked upon as a failure no matter what kind of accolades he collects with the team.

The point is, you won’t see any “The Phillies should sign this guy/trade for this player” speculation or articles from me. I trust that they’ll make moves to keep themselves a contending club. Will it be good enough? People will fill volumes writing about that before next season and all throughout it until the final out is recorded. But, again, I’ve given up trying to prognosticate. The Phillies’ 2025 fate is extremely unclear, and so we shouldn’t get too wrapped up in trying to analyze what they do or don’t do this offseason. It’ll play out and we can break it down after the fact, but it’s a crapshoot right now that we can’t make any accurate guesses about.

Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski

Dave Dombrowski is primed for a big offseason. Or maybe he won't do anything. (John Geliebter-Imagn)

Evaluating Philadelphia’s 21st Century Title Performance

Unsurprisingly, Philly teams have won way fewer titles than they should have so far this century.

Published November 9, 2024

Championships are a special thing, as we can all attest. The 40-year old fans in this town have seen just two in their lifetimes, of course: the 2008 Phillies and the 2017 Eagles. There have been close calls along the way over the past quarter-century, although not all of those are created equal. So let’s give a rundown of the four local clubs (the Sixers are still in Philly, right?) and evaluate what they SHOULD HAVE given to us so far. You know, if we weren’t all so cursed.

FLYERS

21st century titles: 0, because they’re the Flyers

Titles they should have had: 2

While the last decade or so has been completely miserable from a Flyers perspective, they did have a good team back in the aughts, even in the years after the Eric Lindros era (which should have also produced a Cup in the 90s). At any rate, the two years I’m looking at here are 2004 and 2010.

2004 - The Flyers were a veteran-laden team that featured the likes of Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau, and more. They had an exciting playoff run all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals where they were simply outlasted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, dropping the final game 2-1 in a heartbreaker. And I do mean “outlasted”, because the Flyers were so beset by injury that they would have won this series if they were anywhere close to full strength. The Lightning, meanwhile, were completely healthy and still needed the full series to finally dispatch the Flyers before beating the Calgary Flames for the Cup. That series also went seven games, and the Flames probably got screwed. The Flyers would have won that series to take the Cup that year. Oh well, they’d probably get one in the next two decades, right? Right?

2010 - The only time that the Flyers have made the Stanley Cup Final this century, as they faced an up-and-coming Blackhawks team, but one that was eminently beatable. The Flyers lost in notable fashion, of course, taking a Game 6 OT gut punch to cap off a high-scoring series because neither team had any goaltending. Just think if the Flyers weren’t forced to go with Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher and had someone steady back there. Chicago probably would have still won Cups in subsequent years because they had a solid roster, but this was the Flyers’ lone shot with Chris Pronger and company, and they couldn’t get it done.

76ERS

21st century titles: 0, and they haven’t been out of the second round since 2001

Titles they should have had: 1, maybe?

Since the Sixers are taking this season off, I’ll just put in the bare minimum effort and say that they should have won a title during the Joel Embiid era. I can’t pick a specific year because the playoff choke jobs all run together. But the law of averages says that they should have done something by this point. And now it’s probably too late.

PHILLIES

21st century titles: 1

Titles they should have had: 3, maybe 4

We all know the deal, with the Phillies having won the 2008 World Series by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. It was awesome. But, they also shouldn’t have won that year. Boston was the best team, but the Red Sox blew their shot in the ALCS against Tampa, which really did the Phillies a favor. So, I contend that the Phillies SHOULD NOT HAVE WON the World Series in 2008, but still should have multiple titles to their name since then. Let’s discuss.

2009 - The way they blew the series against the Yankees was so miserable. After seeing Cliff Lee absolutely mow down New York in Game 1, Cole Hamels forgot how to pitch, everyone aside from Chase Utley did nothing at the plate, and the Phillies lost three straight before eventually falling in six games. Lee notched both Phillies wins in the series, while every Phillies pitcher not named Cliff Lee combined to have a 6.50 ERA. Come on.

2011 - The shoe was on the other foot this time, as Cliff Lee was the reason they blew their best-of-5 NLDS series against the Cardinals. Staked to a lead in Game 2 with a chance to put the Cards in an 0-2 hole, Lee couldn’t hold it, and the Phillies lost the game. The teams traded wins in St. Louis to set up the Game 5 showdown where even Roy Halladay’s greatness couldn’t save them. Toss in Ryan Howard suffering a career-wrecking injury, and 2011 was the ultimate case study in something going as wrong as possible. Yes, even if the Phillies won that series, they still had two more rounds to play. But they were the best team that year and should have won it. St. Louis, meanwhile, nabbed that World Series despite the notable handicap of not being a good baseball team. Infuriating.

2022 and/or 2023 - The Phillies dropped the 2022 World Series in six games, but that was to an extremely good Astros team, making their 2023 NLCS loss to Arizona feel like even more of a missed opportunity and close call. So, take your pick here. Either a few at bats go differently during the 2022 World Series to tilt it the Phillies’ way, or they don’t forget how to play baseball over the last five games against Arizona. Because they would have steamrolled Texas in the World Series. Or, be greedy and say they should have won both. The overall point is, they should be up there in the “team of the century” conversation with 3-4 titles. Instead, they’re tied with the White Sox, Royals, and others with one. Ugh.

EAGLES

21st century titles: 1

Titles they should have had: 3

What a catharsis it was to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LII to deliver the franchise’s first SB win and first NFL title since 1960. But it shouldn’t have been that long of a wait, and we should probably have another one since then. To wit:

2004 - The first Eagles/Patriots showdown was a tight affair. Maybe if Donovan McNabb hadn’t OD’d on Chunky soup before the game and spilled his guts near the end, the story would have been different. Yes, the Eagles were in a late hole, but this was a tie game at halftime and the Eagles were the best team in the league that year. New England just knew how to win, and the Eagles hadn’t gotten the memo yet.

2017 - As discussed, I’ll count this as the only Philly title of this century that the team should have won. Was it a fluke that Nick Foles outdueled Tom Brady, and New England would win this game about 90% of the time if you replayed it? Almost certainly. But I’ll allow it.

2022 - Yeah, the whole loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. While the much-maligned pass interference call at the end of the game didn’t specifically rob the Eagles of a title, it turned a fair shot into a near impossibility. It didn’t help matters that they choked away a halftime lead and the defense couldn’t get off the field. At any rate, it was theirs for the taking, and it didn’t happen. A real bummer for the legacy of Jason Kelce and others on the team.

Was it a cop out to say that the Eagles should have won all three of the Super Bowls that they’ve made this century? Probably. But even if you wanted to take away one of them, I absolutely have time for the argument that the 2002 and 2003 teams that both lost the NFC title game at home should have won it all. Back-to-back NFC Championship losses to Tampa and Carolina were pretty inexcusable, and they’re a lasting stain on fans’ memories as the final Eagles game at the Vet and the end of the first season at the Linc. Let’s put it this way, they should have won both of those games, and then flip a coin in the two Super Bowls. Maybe they go 1-1 there. No matter how you slice it, I’ll stick with 3 as being the bare minimum of titles the team SHOULD have this century.

That brings us to 9 or 10 titles, if you were counting. But I guess I should just be grateful for the two measly titles our teams have put up in almost 100 kicks at the can since Y2K. Sports are fun.

The Philadelphia Eagles celebrate at their Super Bowl championship parade.

This should have already been 2 or 3 titles ago. (Alex Brandon/AP)

October in Philadelphia: Three Tricks and a Treat

We’re almost done with the best month of the year, but it wasn’t so great for the local teams.

Published October 28, 2024

October’s the best month for a number of reasons, and sports are generally one of them. You’ve got the NFL in full swing, the NBA and NHL starting their seasons, and MLB playoffs. But, while we saw all Philadelphia teams in action, the results were less than sterling. Can’t say it was that hard to believe, unfortunately.

Three teams essentially made us smell their feet as we wrap up the ‘spooky season’.

Ah, the Phillies. Dead and buried for almost three weeks now. What a massive disappointment that we were all fooled into thinking their supposedly star-studded lineup would come through in the clutch or that their bullpen would continue the strong performances they’d been authoring all year.

The rotation certainly did their part in October, but that makes it all the more heartbreaking. I mean, Zack Wheeler gave the team seven phenomenal innings in Game 1 of the NLDS, was taken out of the game, and then never saw the mound again. Season over. Pathetic. Next year, stats won’t matter, home field advantage won’t matter, nothing will matter until the team puts up results in the playoffs. And if they don’t (or if they don’t even make the playoffs), time to blow it up sky high.

Then there are the Sixers, just three games into their 82-game slate but already causing problems. They’d be 0-3 if not for Tyrese Maxey dragging them to an OT win in their most recent game, and Joel Embiid and Paul George are a little ways away from suiting up for the first time this season. It’s particularly frustrating in Embiid’s case, as we all watched him win Olympic gold a few months ago, heard nothing about his health, and then got told about 5 minutes before the season started that his “recovery” was going well but that he’d miss a few games. Now the NBA is investigating them because they have nothing better to do.

What a lying, embarrassing franchise. I’d probably loathe them if they weren’t from Philadelphia, which of course they tried to pull during the offseason before getting their precious new arena approved. I’m sure they’ll have a good year and make the playoffs and all, but right now I don’t know why anyone would have anything good to say about them.

Speaking of having nothing good going on, the Flyers. Yeah. Two wins in nine games, multiple goaltenders who can’t make a save, and a general lack of being able to finish plays on offense. Matvei Michkov has been as advertised, somehow putting up nine points so far, but he doesn’t have much to work with unfortunately.

Aside from a few brief moments of excitement, the Flyers have been badly outplayed, and they haven’t even come close to playing a solid game from start to finish. It certainly looks like they’re going to be the second worst team in the NHL this season (San Jose is a putrid 0-7-2), and so really all that we have is Michkov and watching young guys develop. But as for Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and others who are supposed to be finished products and at their peaks right now, I don’t know what to tell you.

Three tricks down, but finally a treat, as your Philadelphia Eagles just pulled off a perfect October! Now, they hardly played their best football, and a bye week meant that they only played three games this month. But, still, perfect! At a fairly unlikely 5-2, maybe the Eagles are simply a team that’s “good enough” in a very pedestrian NFC. And they have room to get even better. So everyone who wanted Nick Sirianni fired just a few weeks ago can hold up.

Looking ahead, they’ve got a theoretical cupcake game against the Jags next week, followed by a trip to play the reeling Cowboys, before a potential first place showdown with the Commanders. The point is, it looks like they’re here to stay in 2024, despite the flaws that we are all aware of.

So, while “treat” is a relative term, at least we’re not looking at four flat-out fails. And I guess that’s the best we could do this October. Maybe next year will be better.

The Philadelphia Eagles engage in some sort of ritual, possibly human sacrifice, during a game.

The Birds kept it from being an even worse October than it was. (Andy Lyons/Getty)

We need Michkov Mania badly

Because what else do we have going on?

Published October 17, 2024

Some people probably still aren’t aware of it, but the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2024-25 season began last week way out in Western Canada, kicking off a 4-game road swing to open the season for the Orange and Black before they return home for their home opener this Saturday.

The Flyers aren’t expected to win all too many games this year, or do a heck of a lot overall, but there is one bright shining light in the darkness: Matvei Michkov. I won’t rehash all of the circumstances that brought us to this point with Michkov, but suffice to say it’s exciting to have him aboard even if the team results aren’t that great. After all, sports are about star athletes doing their thing, and we are now facing the distinct possibility of having one in our city. Not that we don’t already have “star” players mind you, but honestly it feels like we are owed this when you look at what else is going on.

Red October? That extended all the way to October 9th this year, when the Phillies peaced out meekly after four playoff games, their bats as cold as ice and their bullpen featuring a meltdown to rival Three Mile Island. Now, an offseason of discontent, even as the Phillies’ leadership doesn’t think there’s much of a problem or big changes that need to be made. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, we have a football team that’s 3-2, just half a game out of first in their division, but they sure don’t feel like it. With a negative point differential through five games, facing some key injuries, and featuring a head coach that might not be right in the head, the Eagles seem like they are on borrowed time before something gives. Maybe they get through this season as a “good” team and make the playoffs with something like a 10-7 record. But does anyone see them going far? Stranger things have happened, but they sure never seem to around here.

As for the Sixers, who are a few days away from opening their season, is Paul George really bringing that much of a renewed sense of optimism? Joel Embiid now embarks on his first full season on the wrong side of 30, while George is already banged up this preseason. Pencil them in for 50-ish wins and a second round exit right now.

What’s that, I’m being too negative? I’m trying to drag everything else down to elevate Michkov and the Flyers? Nah, not really. I’m just pointing out that it should actually be fun to watch his game grow and develop as the team (hopefully) improves around him even though this season is highly likely to feature many more L’s than W’s. After being held to just a single assist through his first two games for the Flyers, Michkov broke through with a pair of goals in the first period of their game on Tuesday, showing a nose for the net and a lethal shot. Now, he and the team have one final stop on their road trip before his highly anticipated home debut on Saturday.

Anyway, it just feels nice to have something to look forward to. Even as all of the supposed “4 for 4” people in the Delaware Valley have a clear pecking order that the Flyers are probably last in, it’s ok to get swept up in this Michkov Mania. It’s a good thing. Let’s enjoy what we have instead of dumping on it all the time.

I probably won’t take my own advice, but you should. Enjoy the Mania.

Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers

Michkov has been Putin on a show for Flyers fans. See what I did there? (Sergei Belski/Imagn Images)

RIP, Philly Sports Complex

We had a good run.

Published September 24, 2024

Don’t worry, PhillySportsComplex.com remains alive and (mostly) well. Be not afraid, PSC will continue its semi-regular Philly sports ramblings, just as it has for the past six years. I’m sure you’ve read every word.

Anyway, when I say RIP, I’m of course talking about the physical sports complex in South Philly, which we recently learned will be disrupted sometime next decade when the Sixers move into their brand new digs in Chinatown. More power to them I guess, but let’s pour one out for having all four clubs conveniently located in one big block of concrete. 1971-2032 (or thereabouts).

People throw around “4 for 4” a lot but, let’s be honest, the Flyers pull up the rear for the vast majority of Philly fans. That’s not the case for me, as the Sixers are last place by a mile for me, but I still want them to do well. And I commiserate with their more faithful fans when they have their spirits crushed by that team the way the Flyers do for me. It’s all one big community but, for me personally, not much changes with my 4th place team being the one to move out of the complex.

Maybe it will even somehow make things better for everyone. The Sixers get their toy, the Flyers can make plans without worrying about them, and maybe there’s like a 1% decrease in traffic at the complex at certain times of year. At any rate, we’re talking like eight years away, and I don’t even know what I’m doing this weekend, so we shouldn’t dwell on it too much right now. Joel Embiid won’t even be a thing anymore by the time the Sixers open up Josh Harris Memorial Arena (a boy can dream). And that brings me to the most annoying point about all this: the owner.

Josh Harris is terrible. He’s clearly doing all this just so he can get into the new place and cash out at peak value. Maybe by then he’ll have gathered up even more clubs to compete directly with Philly teams (he already owns the Devils and Commanders). I don’t know anything about him personally, and I’m not even fully aware of how he made all his money, but he’s a bum. Obviously a rich and successful bum, but it’ll be nice when a societal leech like him is out of our ownership ranks. At least the other teams in the city, despite their many flaws, act like the fans matter. And they don’t have their hands in a bunch of other cookie jars.

But, let’s just get back to the fact that we will no longer have the most densely contained group of teams in the nation. That honor will, I think, fall to Detroit, which I didn’t realize had everything so closely bunched until I went to see the Phillies out there this summer. Ford Field is beyond the outfield wall of Comerica Park, and Little Caesars Arena is like a block away. Honestly, their teams are probably closer than our sports complex to begin with, but that’s our little secret. At least the Sixers won’t be moving to New Jersey, which was patently ridiculous.

Hey, maybe this all somehow falls apart. There’s always a chance until the money is there and shovels are in the ground. But it certainly looks like the “4 for 4” fans of this town won’t be able to get off at a single SEPTA stop for all their sporting desires. For me, this takes my percentage chance of attending a Sixers game in a given season from about 1% down to 0.1%, as I foresee it being a nightmare to get in and out of games. I just hope it works out for the community around the new ‘76 Place’ and ends up being good for the city. Even if it ends up being a big mistake, Josh Harris will be just fine, of course.

Given that the Sixers’ move is so far away, let’s not even spare a thought at this time. It made for nice article filler, though.

An old-timey view of the Philadelphia sports complex

The sports complex has stood for like 800 years, I think. (Photo from BASEBALLRELICS)

A measured take on the Eagles 24 hours after an awful loss

Was it really that bad? Probably.

Published September 17, 2024

They stink. Season’s over.

Ok, we probably shouldn’t go that far, but there is a fine line between ‘2-0 and feeling good’ and ‘1-1 and the sky is falling’. It helps that the Cowboys got rocked this weekend, but those good vibes evaporated when everyone realized that, oh yeah, the Eagles have the Saints up next. Then they go to Tampa, then they have the dumb early bye week, and the next thing you know they’re not playing at home again until they’re 1-3 and it’s October 13th.

Again, just breathe. It was garbage, but it’s just one game. If Saquon Barkley catches a ball, they win. Heck, if they had just called a different play and gained no yards but kept the clock running, they almost assuredly would have won anyway. I guess the point might be that if they’re not good enough to execute winning football, then temper your expectations. Are they Super Bowl contenders? In all likelihood, probably not. Can they go 10-7 and win a playoff game or two and still have an exciting season? Absolutely. At any rate, a team just needs to get into the playoffs, and then anything can happen (except for last year, when they were so bad going into the playoffs that everyone and their mother knew that they most certainly would get smoked right away.)

Some takeaways from last night (which is one more takeaway than the Eagles’ defense forced)...

Dallas Goedert makes me sad. The Eagles had like 15 years of very good tight end play, from Brent Celek to an even better version of Celek in Zach Ertz. From there, he was supposed to pass the baton to Goedert, but we’re now in Year 7. He’s topped out at 59 catches and 830 yards in a season so far. He’s fine, but he’s just not anything special. You’d think they would have consciously gotten him into the mix with A.J. Brown out, but Britain Covey got the most targets of his life instead. I don’t know; I just expected more.

Bryce Huff, professional bust. I don’t pretend to be a talent evaluator of defensive players on other teams, because they are no good to me in fantasy football. But this guy was supposed to be good. Instead, he’s played at the level of his uniform number so far (which is zero, so, burn). I also feel like the defense is once again bereft of playmakers. Zack Baun’s monster performance in the season opener aside, I haven’t seen many big disruptive plays. Kirk Cousins had way too much time. Let’s see if they can do better against fellow statue Derek Carr next week.

Oh, and speaking of Brown, football injuries are the worst. Obviously some of them occur in very obvious fashion and you can point to the exact moment that a guy sustains a major injury, but so many of them are cumulative or hard to discern. You hear that a guy didn’t practice like two days before a game, then all of a sudden he’s out for “weeks” like Brown. I suppose that means he’ll miss two more, rest up through the bye, and then return for that Cleveland game, giving him a full month off. Hopefully he’s full throttle for the rest of the year after that, but it’s a bummer to deal with at any time.

As for the offensive line sans Kelce, there is room for improvement after all of the penalties. I have confidence that Jeff Stoutland can work his magic. And Hurts did only get sacked once, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom. At least Hurts looked like his old self, and Smith can carry the mail while Brown is out. Not all too many positives to take away otherwise. That’s the nature of losing on Monday night at home to a team you should have beaten.

We’ll know soon if it was just a blip or the first crack in the dam before another season washes away. Nick Sirianni will be swept away if that’s the case, which may or may not be a positive development, depending on how you view things.

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles drops a pass and blows a game.

Barkley forgot he wasn't a Giant anymore at the worst possible time. (Fox Sports)

10 Thoughts on the 2024 Eagles

10 days till the season starts, so let's do this.

Published August 27, 2024

I don't do a whole lot of Eagles content because it's such a saturated topic and all the “experts” out there have it generally covered. But today, I'm in the mood to offer 10 thoughts on the Birds, now that we are 10 days away from their season opener in Brazil. In fact, let's make that the first thought.

1. The Brazil game is a terrible idea.

If the Eagles lose to the Packers in Brazil, this game will be, by definition, ‘terrible’. But even if they show well and come back with a W, I just don't like how it starts their season off with a weird rhythm while we wait 10 more days for them to play their next game as they face Kirk Cousins on Monday Night Football for seemingly the 20th straight year in Week 2. Their whole schedule seems so disjointed, complete with a bye in Week 5 that's coming about a month too early. It just feels like stops and starts until we hit a groove in late October. Hopefully the on field results aren't so wonky.

2. Brown and Smith will be the best WR tandem in the league.

I know there are plenty of other good duos around the NFL, and you might be able to find two teammates elsewhere that account for more total receiving yards if one of them goes absolutely nuts. But I think that Brown and Smith will be the only pair of teammates to each eclipse 1,200 yards this year. Is this based on any kind of analysis? Of course not. Just enjoy the ride when it happens.

3. Multiple “young” players on defense will make a leap.

At least, they’d better. The team has placed a bunch of confidence in Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, and more. With the old guard moving on, this is their unit, and they have a golden opportunity to solidify themselves as the faces of it. I’m also not considering Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for a “leap” since he hasn’t played a down yet.

4. Boy, we'll miss Jason Kelce.

It’s gonna be so weird. I have confidence that Cam Jurgens can be a good center in the league, both because Jeff Stoutland can seemingly pull guys off the street and turn them into studs and because Jurgens apparently sells his own beef jerky. Have to get me some of that. Anyway, as for the departed Mr. Kelce, while Jurgens can be an adequate replacement, nobody can fully fill the shoes of perhaps the most ‘Philly’ athlete we’ve ever seen. Let’s hope the running game can still be productive even without everything that Kelce brought to the table.

5. I'm not convinced we'll miss Fletcher Cox as much.

Jason Kelce played every down and touched the football at the start of every snap on offense. His loss is huge. As for Fletcher Cox, who had settled into somewhat of a rotation in recent years, it was probably time to go. His 7-year stretch from 2014-20 was undeniably great, and it gets him in the Canton conversation. But his last three years were much less impressive. We were constantly told that he wasn’t putting up sacks because he was getting double teamed so frequently, but Father Time was clearly about to win. The Eagles will at least save some major cap room by not having to worry about Cox any longer. I’m just sad I won’t be able to make any more Cox jokes.

6. This season will completely define the Hurts/Sirianni era.

One year ago, it seemed like the Eagles were set with their head coach and QB for years. But last year (really, just the last two months of last year) has put all of that in disarray, and now we reach the tipping point. They don’t necessarily have to win the Super Bowl this year, but a solid season and at least a semi-deep playoff run will put the controversies to bed for the time being. But any return to the way that the team looked from the San Fran loss onward last year, and one or both of Sirianni and Hurts won’t be here in 2025. Put up or shut up.

7. 11-6 will win the division.

Will it be the Eagles? Maybe. Dallas? Also maybe. Probably not the Giants or the Commanders, but you never know. The point is, nobody in the NFC East is going to blow everyone away with 14 wins. Just mop up against bad teams and hang with the quality opponents, and the necessary 11 wins could be yours, if the price is right.

8. I'll make an attempt to sync up the radio call with the TV so I can hear Merrill, but I'll fail as always.

I just can't ever get it right. It's annoying. I'll only ever hear Merrill on the infrequent occasions that I'm in the car during a game. Anyway, it's his 48th season doing it, so listen while you can.

9. I do believe the Eagles will make the playoffs.

I can't tell you the context, and who knows what'll happen once they get there, but the Birds are one of the 7 best teams in the NFC. If they fail to qualify, burn it down.

10. I’m even less inclined to listen to sports radio now.

I generally have enough podcasts downloaded that I don’t need to revert to my ancient ways of putting on Philly sports radio. But, while it’s tolerable sometimes, it will soon go back to being the arid wasteland of mouth-breathers hyper-analyzing every detail of every Eagles game to the point that your brain rots in your skull. That’s why I like to carve out 3-4 hours each week for the Birds and then just devote my time to other things the rest of the time in the fall. Hang on, do I secretly hate other Eagles fans? Sounds like a topic for my next book. Anyway, go Birds!

DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles

We're kinda spoiled, considering we used to have to put up with WR like Na Brown. (Rick Schultz, AP)

Formatting a standard ‘The Phillies lost again’ article

A quick and easy template for those “serious” writers out there.

Published August 14, 2024

Well, your (not my) Philadelphia Phillies are facing a bit of an existential crisis after charging out of the gate as the best team in baseball for the first half of this season but falling off a cliff since. They’ve built enough of a cushion that it would take an absolutely catastrophic collapse to not make the playoffs, and even their slimmed down division lead is theoretically still a solid bet. But the home field advantage it looked like they were running away with has evaporated, and there will be many questions once the playoffs arrive if some major improvement isn’t seen over the next six weeks.

As such, I’ve been reading a lot of pieces about the Phillies spiraling lately, and so I figured it would just save everyone some time to write a boilerplate piece that can just be filled in after each loss for the time being. And so I present this to all of you:

The Philadelphia Phillies fell yet again on [day of the week], unable to put together any pitching or hitting in a defeat at the hands of the [team that the Phillies are supposedly way better than, but you wouldn’t know it if you actually watched]. Phillies manager Rob Thomson took the loss in stride, saying after the game that he “wouldn’t be pressing the panic button” just yet but that the club needs more production from [list half the team here] if they hope to pull out of their recent skid.

Things started off poorly for the Phillies yet again, as starting pitcher [anyone but Wheeler, but probably Nola] allowed [a number higher than 1] home runs to opposing hitters early in the contest. From there, the pitching settled down for a while, but the Phils’ bats just couldn’t get anything going against [opposing pitcher you’ve never heard of, having the best start of his career], collecting just [very few] hits over his [very many] strong innings. Also, Brandon Marsh popped out four times.

The Phillies did finally string together a few hits later in the game in their attempt to rally, but the opposing bullpen held them in check long enough before pulling away in the final innings for the easy win. J.T. Realmuto’s line drive with two on and two out in the seventh inning was corralled on a spectacular play by [uncoordinated opposing outfielder who looks like Willie Mays against the Phillies], ending the Phillies’ final real hope to stage a comeback. The Phillies finished 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

From there, [Jose Ruiz or his equivalent] was touched up for multiple runs, as the opposition put the game out of reach. Garrett Stubbs pitched the final inning of the blowout loss, his [#th] pitching appearance since the all-star break.

In his remarks delivered [from his office/inexplicably while naked in the shower], Thomson mentioned that the team is considering the possibility of maybe looking into perhaps mulling over a plan to decide on whether or not to ponder putting a placeholder on the calendar to discuss the pros and cons of holding a team meeting due to the club’s recently poor play. But, Thomson kicked that can down the road and said that he won’t really worry unless the Phillies lose their next game.

Journalists, please feel free to copy and paste this to make your jobs easier for the rest of the 2024 Phillies season. I will be providing an Eagles version this November.

Some Marlins player trots around the bases after homering against the Phillies.

This should be illegal. (Chris Szagola – The Associated Press)

The appeal and apathy of west coast baseball

The Phillies’ never-ending West Coast trip has seen some emotional swings.

Published August 11, 2024

(To be fair, I had most of this written before the Phillies’ Saturday night debacle of a loss.)

Baseball’s ‘every day’ pattern makes it stand out from other sports, and one of the times you notice it the most is when your club goes away to the other coast for a week or more, as the Phillies currently are. On some level, it feels like the games don’t even count, starting so late and ending usually after you’ve gone to bed unless you really want to push it.

But the games that the Phillies have been playing in Seattle, LA, and Arizona for the last week-plus count just as much as any others, and this trip in particular has managed to showcase both ends of the fan spectrum when it comes to supporting your team from some 3,000 miles away.

It’s generally accepted that a team going on such a trip and managing a .500 record can hold their heads high about it, and this one looked like it would be a challenge for the Phils, both because of the quality of competition and the recent skid they’ve been in. You just hope that you don’t have an absolute disaster of a trip, as we’ve seen multiple times from recent Phillies squads. On this particular trip, it couldn’t have gone worse in their first two games in Seattle, with the Phillies getting blown out in the opener and then coughing up a large lead and losing in extra innings the following night. The first game in particular is where a West Coast trip comes in handy. I was a little late tuning in, and when I finally did, the Phillies were down 8-0. I would say thanks for nothing, but they saved me from spending any time on them that night. Channel changed, Phillies dead to me for 24 hours.

That extra innings loss the next night was the opposite experience, as I hung with it for a long time, ultimately passing out before it ended. Then, I checked the score within about 15 seconds of waking up the next morning, and it immediately annoyed me. Nothing like starting off your day on an extremely sour note. Curse you, West Coast baseball!

At least the Phillies broke out the homer stick in the series finale, a Sunday “afternoon” game that stretched into the early evening back home. These 4:00-ish games are always odd, and seem like they should be the exclusive domain of football. Anyway, that took us to LA, where one bad inning from Aaron Nola ruined the opener and left many in the Delaware Valley regretting that they stayed up for most or all of it. But the next night was a reward for those who watched, as Kyle Schwarber’s three homers were a memorable event. And it’s gone back and forth since then.

These long trips are such a break from the rhythm of the season, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I guess it’s good to have just a pair of lengthier trips instead of a bunch of shorter ones. And it’s such a weird dynamic, with some people likely to declare that “real” fans stay up for all of these late contests no matter what. Sorry, ain’t gonna happen. Unless you don’t have a job or kids or something that requires your time other than baseball, you kind of have to pick and choose your engagement level on these. As stated, sometimes a poor start makes the decision for you, and sometimes you’re able to stick with it. In some ways, these trips are a bit of a gap in responsibility for even hardcore fans, and I personally forgive anyone who just can’t make it through every inning of a grueling trip such as this. People will be there when the games are truly crucial, and they won’t be starting at 10pm.

I find that these West Coast games are a mixture of the more forgettable ones you’ll ever come across, and the occasional “I stayed up until 12:30 and saw something amazing happen that I’m wearing as a badge of honor.” Yes, this is a late night rambling as the Phillies near the end of this long journey before coming back to reality. That’s what West Coast baseball has done to my brain. It’s the last time we’ll deal with it in 2024, but we’ll do it all over again next year.

Kyle Schwarber celebrates a home run with Philadelphia Phillies tammates.

A trio of Schwarbombs were the highlight of the trip. ( Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY)