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Wing Bowl 2010 arrives
The odds-on favorite is a contestant that goes by the name of Super Squid. He is the event’s defending champion and is listed as a 2-1 favorite.
Personally, I am rooting for The Wild Turkey. Anyone who can put down 5 dbl cheeseburgers and 3lbs of mashed potatoes in 7 minutes has my vote.
I will be there and will have a full report and hopefully pictures at some point Friday.
Here is the complete breakdown courtesy of WIP.com
Super Squib
Hometown: Berlin, NJ
Height- 6`4
Weight- 215 lbs
The defending champion
Odds: 2-1
Bam Bam Wingalow
Hometown: Lincoln University, PA
Height- 6`1
Weight- 225 lbs
Eating Stunt: 36 Wings in 5mins
Odds: 40-1
The Wild Turkey
Hometown: Collegeville, PA
Height- 6`1
Weight- 265 lbs
Eating Stunt: 5 dbl cheeseburgers & 3lbs of mashed potatoes in 7 mins
Odds: 10-1
Hot Pockets
Hometown: Abington, PA
Height- 6`2
Weight- 225 lbs
Eating Stunt: 20 meatballs, sauce and cheese
Odds: 35-1
Snack-Jack
Hometown: Bainbridge, PA
Height- 5`10
Weight- 220 lbs
Eating Stunt: 100 Won Tons
Odds: 100-1
The Polish Assassin
Hometown: Newark, DE
Height- 6`0
Weight- 185 lbs
Eating Stunt: 12 Perogies and 8” of Kelbasa in 3 mins
Odds: 10-1
Hungry Hungry Hebrew
Hometown: Center City Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`2
Weight- 205 lbs
Eating Stunt: 30 Latkes in 5 mins
Odds: 75-1
Hank the Tank
Hometown: South Philadelphia
Height- 6`1
Weight- 320 lbs
Eating Stunt: WIP Vending Machine in 24 mins
Odds: 12-1
Obi Wing
Hometown: The Main Line, PA
Height- 6`2
Weight- 250 lbs
Eating Stunt: Various Fruits
Odds: 15-1
Rick the Manager
Hometown: Royersford, PA
Height- 5`10
Weight- 230 lbs
Eating Stunt: 7 International Foods in 6mins
Odds: 25-1
Pot Pie the Sailor Man
Hometown: Blackwood, NJ
Height- 5`10
Weight- 290 lbs
Eating Stunt: TGI Fridays Desert menu
Odds: 10-1
Fat Bastard
Hometown: Warrington, PA
Height-
Weight-
Eating Stunt: 67 Wings in 10mins @ Rock Bottom
Odds: 30-1
Stormin Norman
Hometown: South Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`5
Weight- 300 lbs
Eating Stunt: 4.5 Vesuvio Pizzas in 10 mins
Odds: 12-1
The Mouth of the South
Hometown: Havertown, PA
Height-6′5″
Weight-326
Eating Stunt: 14 Soft Tacos in 6mins
Odds: 5-1
Buffalo 7
Hometown: Medford, NJ
Height- 5`10
Weight- 170 lbs
Eating Stunt: 30 Egg Omelet in 6 minutes
Odds: 30-1
Damaging Doug
Hometown: Parts Unknown
Height- 6`2
Weight- 504 lbs
Eating Stunt: 52 Wings @ PJ Whelihans
Odds: 6-1
Tiger Wing
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Height-
Weight-
Eating Stunt: 10 Pretzel Dogs in 5mins
Odds: 35-1
Not Rich
Hometown: Schwenksville, PA
Height- 6`1
Weight- 225 lbs
Eating Stunt: 20 Hot Dogs in 3mins
Odds: 3-1
Cheesecake Beefcake
Hometown: Drexel Hill, PA
Height- 5`7
Weight- 168 lbs
Eating Stunt: 50 Wings @ Paddy Whacks
Odds: 12-1
The Heavy Weight
Hometown: University of Delaware
Height- 5`9
Weight- 285 lbs
Eating Stunt: 30 Munchkins in 1:59 minutes
Odds: 20-1
Freak of Nature
Hometown: Woodbury, NJ
Height-
Weight-
Eating Stunt: 48 Wings @ PJ Whelihans
Odds: 16-1
Kenzo Kev
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Height- 5`8
Weight- 240 lbs
Eating Stunt: 56 Wings @ Christine`s Cabaret
Odds: 35-1
Qwazy
Hometown: Conshohocken, PA
Height- 6`5
Weight- 340 lbs
Eating Stunt: 52 wings at Catch It Grog & Grill
Odds: 25-1
Big Bambino
Hometown: South Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`1
Weight- 380 lbs
Eating Stunt: 2.5 lbs of Fettuccini Alfredo in 4 mins
Odds: 4-1
Dud Light
Home Town: Phoenixville PA
Height- 6`2
Weight- 180 lbs
Eating Stunt: 6 fluffernutters in 10 minutes..did it on a little over 5min
Odds: 20-1
Farmer Bob
Home Town: Warrington, PA
Height- 6`7
Weight- 280 lbs
Eating Stunt: 48 Wings @ Cheeseburger in Paradise
Odds: 17-1
Oink Oink
Home Town: Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`4 Weight- 210 lbs
Eating Stunt: 38 Wings @ Tonelli`s
Odds: 18-1
The Shocker
Home Town: Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`1
Weight- 310 lbs
Eating Stunt: Studio Wing Off Winner
Odds: 24-1
Lights Out Taylor
Home Town: Philadelphia, PA
Height- 6`3
Weight- 215 lbs
Eating Stunt: Second Studio Wing Off Winner
Odds: 9-1
Time to upgrade late night sports talk
I wish I could say the same about his radio career.
As a member of 610 WIP, Cobb brings his insights to the late night listeners. Cobb doesn’t lack in experience - he was a CBS sports anchor for eight years, runs his own web site gcobb.com and is a columnist for the Philadelphia Bulleton.
What he lacks is range.
When it comes to talking about the Eagles, few on the station do it better than Cobb. As a former player he knows the ins and outs of the game and provides quality insight.
When it comes to the Flyers, he gives you nothing.
The Sixers? A little.
The Phillies? Well, he does his best.
On Wednesday night Cobb made a big error though. Every disk jockey will make a mistake here and there, mixing up a fact or two, and that’s to be expected. No one is perfect.
However Cobb’s error showed a clear lack of knowledge about a sport he is paid to talk about.
While talking about what the Phillies need to do to win the World Series next year, Cobb turned the focus to Cole Hamels and eventually Brad Lidge. The point being made was a good one. Cobb said that the their ability to return to their 2008 form would be critical for Phillies success.
That point is right on target. This was not.
Cobb went on to say that had Lidge not blown those 10 saves the Phillies could have had home-field advantage in the World Series. I waited for the retraction. And then I waited some more. It never came.
This tells me that Cobb truly believes that the team with the better record gets home-field advantage in the World Series. Any true baseball fans knows that home field in the World Series goes to the team form the league that wins the All-Star game. It has been that way for years.
That Cobb doesn’t know that after being a sports anchor for eight years astonishes me. I don’t ask for perfection, I just ask for common sports knowledge.
Is that too much to ask for these days?
Rival fan base lashing out at ownership
While the Phillies have locked up their key pieces and brought in the best pitcher in baseball the New York Mets have done little to suggest they will compete this season. The team did acquire Jason Bay and is expecting a healthy return from the likes of Jose Reyes and Johan Santana, but that has done little to ease the nerves of the team’s fan base. The team is short on quality starters, and experience at first base and catcher. Meanwhile Luis Castio is still the starting second baseman.
In the last week fans have seen Ben Sheets, John Garland, Joel Pinero, and Bengie Molina signed away by other teams and now there is little, to nothing left on the market.
Here is a small sample of how Mets fans feel about their organization right now.
“In the final analysis, what the front office has done was cut the budget significantly while saying publicly they will spend what it takes….to just get by. Getting Bay was good, but they have done nothing else but pick up some cheap risk and retreads. Meanwhile our division rivals got stronger. There is no commitment to winning on the part of this ownership. It’s all a ruse.”
“the nats are strasburg and harper away from kicking the mets butt.”
“Why should I pay to see this team play”
“This current ownership and FO would screw up a 1 car funeral. Until they leave and professional management is brought in it will NEVER improve.”
About the ownership: “I wouldn’t trust those idiots to bag a McDonalds order right.”
On the Mets options this season: “1) trade the prospects for the best pitcher they can get
2) throw away this season and play with what they have.”
On the Nats signing Orlando Hudson instead of the Mets: “Awesome!!! You have a player that has wanted to be a Met for the past 2 years now and the Nats make the moves to get him! Yeah.. this team don’t deserve a player like that! The Mets will take the place of the Nats in dead last in the NL East! Way to go Mets! You can thank Omar for his brilliant move on Castillo as to why Hudson is not a Met.”
Season outlook: “This team will be lucky to win 75 games….But you should buy tickets because it is a new Stadium, there will be dedications to some former Mets, Omar/Fred spent 140 Mil, If you don’t go then you are not a “real fan” and the sadistic fans could watch Santana struggle to win 10 games because his team is soooooooo bad!”
It looks like not everyone is excited about Spring Training.
Coach and reporter refuse to play nice
got into it with New York Post hockey writer Larry Brooks. As you can see Tortorella was the clear winner of this exchange.
My favorite part of the series comes at the 40 second mark when Tortorell tells Brooks that he probably got beat up at the bus stop a lot. At this point a fellow reporter laughs in the background and Brooks looks back to see who would dare laugh at that thought. Check it out, it’s gold.
I don’t know a lot about Tortorell and I know even less about Brooks. What I do know is that while there should be no place in profession sports for stuff like this, it does make for good entertainment.
Watching this spar between coach and reporter makes me think back to a couple of years ago when 610 radio jockey Howard Eskin got into it with Charlie Manuel. Eskin got into it with the Phils skipper about not showing enough fire in front of his players, to which Manuel responding by saying he could show Eskin that fire in a fight.
Needless to day, the encounters always happen when a team is on hard times. You don’t see coaches and reporters go at it when a team is on a nice winning streak. These are acts of frustration. The coaches aren’t happy and the media isn’t happy.
However, when it comes at the expense of the Rangers, we Philadelphia fans couldn’t be happier.
Owner takes bowling way too far
Maybe he even glued down a few of the pins to drive the bowlers there nuts?
Hey it’s all in the name of good practical joking right?
Not with this whack job.
Steven Henry Smink, the operator of Pike Lanes Family Fun Center in Deerfield, was arrested Tuesday for the conspiracy to burn down Loyle Lanes, destroying Vineland’s only bowling alley. Felix Antonio Manzano (21) and a 17-year-old boy in connection with the Jan. 11 blaze were also arrested.
Talk about sick. What could have possibly gone through Smink’s mind? If he was losing customers to a rival ally, he could have thought about lowering prices, making special deals or updating his equipment. Instead he hired a couple young men to do the unthinkable.
I hope Smink gets the book thrown at him. And while he is in jail he should be banned from any type of activities. He took bowling away from Vineland residents, the system should all recreation away from him.
How did we get to this point? When I think of amateur bowling, I think about Bob Saget making bad impressions while showing clips like this on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Now That We Know, What Do We Do?
Okay, Mark McGwire came out and told us all about his sins, and he did it so he could be welcomed back into Baseball as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. We also know that Andy Pettite took stuff, and we know that Barry Bonds admitted to taking either “the cream” or “the clear” (he’s still “the creep”) and of course we know that Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa both failed the tests years ago that were supposed to have been kept out of the public. Oops.
The question now becomes where will these guys fall in history? What do you do when they come up for Hall Of Fame election? I’ve heard alot of opinions on the subject over the past day or so listening to XM radio from both the fans, players, former players as well as the shows hosts. Some have said that in McGwire’s case his numbers aren’t Hall Of Fame worthy anyway and that they werent’ surprised. Others have said anyone who admitted to taking any performance enhancers should be shut out completely.
My opinion is that you can’t rewrite history. We all saw what was going on back in the late 1990’s as balls were flying out of yards other than Coors Field at an alarming rate. We all saw McGwire’s frame change from that skinny rookie to something out of Rambo – same for Barry Bonds as well as Sammy Sosa. Nobody questioned when Sosa went from 40 homers in 1996 to 66 in 1998, nor did anyone find it even remotely funny that a record that had stood since 1961 got broken twice in the same season. When I say “we all”, I mean Bud Selig, MLB Executives, Managers and Coaches, fans and the media. Since Baseball did nothing during that time I can’t fault the players for doing what they felt they had to do to keep up with the other players and you can’t keep an entire generation of players out of the Hall Of Fame. The same hypocrites in the media who were writing about how McGwire saved the sport back in 1998 are now roasting him on a spit and its not fair. What he did was wrong – they are all wrong, but you can’t go back now with the revisionist glasses on and say it didn’t happen because it did. It happened and everyone involved loved every ‘roid enhanced homer that was hit and as I recall we cried for more.
By turning his back on the problem until forced to handle it, Bud Selig signed a deal with the devil. Baseball made alot of money during the past couple of decades. Do you think we’d have the MLB Network right now without the McGwire’s or Bonds of the world? Probably not. The Hall Of Fame’s purpose, as stated in their mission statement, is to educate people about the sport. Knowing that you have to allow these guys in because they are a part of the sport’s history. Richard Nixon cheated to win an election back in 1972. Last I saw he is still listed as a former President, but along with his legacy Watergate is mentioned as well as his having to resign. If the numbers, however inflated, are worthy then put the players in but make sure that its noted whether or not he admitted to or was found to have done steroids. Otherwise you’re trying to tell the public that the era didn’t happen, and it sure did. To try to say it didn’t insults the intelligence of too many people.
McGwire Comes Clean, Admits To Steroid Use
Some of you may be surprised, others may not be. Mark McGwire issued a statement Monday saying that he did take steroids during the 1990’s including the 1998 season where he broke Roger Maris single season homerun record, a record that had stood since 1961.
The big first baseman, who hit 49 homers as a rookie for the Oakland A’s in 1987, said in a statement issued at 3pm on Monday, “I used steroids during my career and I apologize.”. The statement went on to say “It (using steroids) was foolish and a mistake.”. Major League Baseball’s steroid policy was established after McGwire retired in 2001 so McGwire was never tested for steroids at any time in his career.
An emotional McGwire, sometimes fighting back tears, was interviewed last night on MLB Network by Bob Costas where McGwire admitted that he took steroids because he was frustrated by the injuries that cost him significant time during the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons. He said there was a time in 1996 that he had considered retirement because of his inability to stay healthy during those years. McGwire went on to say he was sorry and when asked if he felt he would’ve hit the homers he hit without steroids, McGwire answered “Yes”. McGwire refused to connect sterioids and performance enhancement, saying that he was given the ability to hit homeruns and that the “low dosage” of steroids he took were taken only to keep him healthy enough to play regularly. He also said during the interview that he called Roger Maris widow, Pat Maris to tell her what he had done. When asked what she said, McGwire told Bob Costas that she said she was disappointed.
I for one applaud McGwire for coming out and admitting what he did because he didn’t have to. There were no positive test results like what brought A-Rod’s admission out. McGwire played at a time where there was no testing policy in place so he literally could’ve just said all he took was Androstinedione – an over the counter supplement that was legal when he took it – and I think most people would’ve believed him. McGwire, unlike Bonds and Sosa, had a huge homer season or two before the steroid allegations, hitting 49 back in 1987. Before Bonds hit 70 he had never hit more than 50 in a season, and its entirely possible that he was on steroids when he hit his first career high of 46 in 1993, his first year with the Giants. Sosa had hit just 40 homers once, in 1996, before that famous summer in 1998 when he and McGwire chased Maris – Sosa finished with 66 homers that year. Lest we forget about Brady Anderson, who went from 16 homers in 1995 to 50 in 1996 and afterwards hit no more than 24 in any following season.
Do I believe that steroids enhance performance? Do a degree I do. I believe that if you are stronger then the balls will fly further. I never tried steroids, but I did take Andro for a season back in 1998-1999 while playing Softball. Granted, I wasn’t trying to hit 90 mph fastballs, but I can tell you two things. The balls I hit flew farther, and my recovery was much shorter to where I could play a few days in a row without feeling the normal aches and pains. In McGwire’s case, he was already strong and was hitting homers. He might never have hit the season totals he hit, but I believe he would’ve finished between 400 and 500 if not a few more and that just might’ve been good enough for the Hall Of Fame. I cannot say the same for Bonds and Sosa – I don’t think either would’ve hit more than 35 or so in a season. Bonds certainly would not have passed Hank Aaron’s career homer mark of 755.
Think what you want, but you have to give McGwire credit for sitting on live television and coming forward. It was a very difficult thing to do and I applaud him for it. I’m disappointed but it doesn’t change my overall view of McGwire. I’d still vote for him on my Hall Of Fame ballot and I hope now that he’s been honest he isn’t penalized for it.
Is it spring yet ?
The Philadelphia Wings of the National Indoor Lacrosse League returned to action this weekend playing the Titans, the former NY team, in Orlando at their new home. The Wings lost by a surprising 13-8 score in the first professional lacrosse game ever played in Orlando. It is true the Titans were winners of the NILL championship for the 2009 season, but it was thought the Wings would be more competative, espeically with the changes made to the defense on this years team. Allowing 13 in their first game was hardly what the preseason expectations were. We will have to wait til next Saturday, the 16th, when the Wings play their home opener at the Wachovia center against the Boston Blazers to see if this team is as talented on the field as it appears to be on paper.
This team returns NILL All-Stars Geoff Snider, Taylor Wray, Drew Westervelt and Spingfield (Delco) native Kyle Sweeney. Mat Giles, the Wings’ top scorer in 2009, returns for his 12th season. Defensively, the Wings stay formidable with the return of captains Thomas Hajek and Shawn Nadelen. Transition player John Christmas returns after taking a year off to start LEAPS, his program to spark lacrosse interest in the city. Jason Crosbie returns after playing a season in Toronto. Netminders Brandon Miller and veteran Rob Blasdell also return.
Notable newcomers include forwards Bill McGlone – a Ridley native – and Dan Teat, who arrived from Edmonton via trade. Teat was the leading scorer for the Rush last season (28 goals, 41 assists) and will bolster an attack stung by the loss of 2008 NILL Player of the Year Athan Iannucci, out for the year to rehab a recurring knee injury suffered last season.
Now that the Eagles failed to get it done, these Wings may represent the best chance the city has for a championship run until the Phillies begin play next spring. The Flyers are confusing, looking formidable one week, and pathetic the next.
And it is a consensus belief that the Sixers just plain suck for 2009-2010.
The Wings are owners of 6 championships in the past 22 years, since the re-inception of the NLL< but it helps that the league has always been small when compared to the big 4, and it is smaller yet this year, with the western division reduced to 5 teams, giving the Philly franchise a 1-11 shot at winning the championship if all teams were considered equal. The Wings actually possess the most championships in the legaue and are the only team to play every season for the same city since the league took on it’s current name in 1987.
So from now until March 4th, when the Phitens begin their 2010 campaign against those DamYankees that prevented them from capturing their 2nd straight World title, I will be watching the Wings.
Is it March yet ?
How about now ?
Please ????
If I Had A HOF Vote
If I had the privlege to vote for the Hall Of Fame candidates, and my wife will remind me that I don’t, the following are the ten candidates that I’d vote for. Unlike many writers, I’d always vote for ten candidates and I would more often than not take into account what they did on the field as a player and not so much what may have happened off the field during or after their playing days. I mean really does Mickey Mantle’s plaque indicate that he was not faithful to his wife during his career as well as afterwards? Didn’t think so. I can also tell you that for this year I would not vote for either Roberto Alomar or Barry Larkin, not because I don’t think they are worthy. I believe they both are – Alomar now, Larkin later, but I don’t believe either needs my vote this year.
So, here are my votes – all ten of them:
Bert Blyleven – Starting Pitcher – I’m not sure what is keeping this guy out. Had he pitched for better teams throughout his career he’d have over 300 wins (he has 287) and he ranks fifth all time in strikeouts with 3701 and 9th with 60 shutouts. He received 62.7 percent of the vote last year.
Andre Dawson – OF – Being a fan of the Phillies meant that I got to see a young centerfielder named Andre Dawson spring onto the scene in the mid-1970’s. He ran like a deer, had a cannon for an arm and could hit for power. He looked like Canada’s version of Willie Mays until his knees betrayed him and he signed with the Cubs so he could play on grass. Dawson hit ..279 with 438 homers, 1591 runs batted in and 314 stolen bases, all numbers that would make him worthy. His career on-base percentage of .323 is the one number that voters like to point to that could keep him out. I don’t think Dawson should be penalized because he swung the bat and drove in runs. Its like telling Mickey Mantle that the homers were great, but he didn’t play in enough games because he couldn’t stay healthy. There is always some number that you can point a negative finger at for most players. Dawson got 67 percent of the vote last year and if he isn’t inducted should really come close.
Edgar Martinez – DH – This is Edgar’s first year on the ballot and you bet I’d vote for him. Edgar was a 7 time All-Star for the American League. Try to remember that the DH position is only on the ballot every other year. Nobody can dispute that Edgar could hit, and he has a career on-base percentage of .418 and a .312 lifetime batting average. Paul Molitor got to extend his career as a designated hitter, so I don’t see the issue here. Known simply as Edgar to Mariner fans, he came up as a thirdbaseman for good in 1990 and moved to the DH spot for good in 1994 after missing most of the 1993 season with an injury. To not vote for him is punishing him for a decision that his franchise made for him. Had the M’s been an NL team, then Edgar would’ve played the field, but they played in the AL and had the DH spot so they decided to put their best pure hitter at the position. Playing on the same team as Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson and A-Rod made Edgar more obscure than if he had played in New York, but he was a superstar plain and simple. Hitters like Edgar are why the Hall Of Fame was created.
Mark McGwire – 1B – Alot has been said about McGwire, and he received just 21 percent of the vote last year. McGwire is 8th on the All-Time homerun list and is number one in homeruns per at-bat. My issue with McGwire is that he used a substance (Androstinedion) that wasn’t illegal when he used it. I believe it was banned by Baseball in 1999, one year after McGwire broke Maris’ single season home run record. Baseball had no testing policy back then, and McGwire has never been found guilty of anything. Back in the late 1990’s nobody seemed to care that balls were flying out of parks at an alarming rate, and I’ll be darned if I’m going to do the job now in keeping McGwire out of the Hall because Bud Selig was weak back then. The same writers who wrote headline after headline about McGwire now won’t vote for him, and its a shame because the man has never been found with anything, and there is no evidence showing he did anything. McGwire hit 49 homers in his rookie season in a ballpark that was brutal for hitters – except for 1991 McGwire hit at least 30 homers in every season from 1987-1992, topping 40 homers in 1987 and 1992. Sorry, but until you show me the smoking syringe I’m casting my vote for McGwire.
Tim Raines – OF – Remember when guys like Davey Lopes, Ron LeFlore and Omar Moreno stole bases like today’s hitters hit home runs? Tim Raines broke into the majors with Montreal briefly in 1980 and became their regular left fielder in 1981 – the year the Expos came within a Rick Monday homer of winning the National League pennant after outlasting the defending champion Phillies in the strike created division series. He and his AL counterpart Rickey Henderson were the most dangerous base stealers during the early part of the 1980’s. If you were a Phillies fan, you knew just how dangerous Tim Raines was at the top of that Expos lineup in front of guys like Valentine, Parrish, Dawson, Carter and Cromartie. Raines stole no fewer than 70 bases from 1981 through the 1986 season. His career batting average of .294 is higher than Henderson’s .279 although his career on-base percentage of .385 is lower than Henderson’s .401. Both Raines and Henderson played on two World Series champions. Raines is fifth on the all-time stolen base list. He recieved only 22 percent of the vote last year, hard to believe considering that his overall numbers compare well with Henderson, who was voted in last year. Raines won’t make it this year, but he deserves to get in. Raines may suffer the same issue as Dawson, starring on an Expo team playing in front of small Montreal crowds in a baseball market that no longer exists. Had he played in New York he might’ve been more of a household name.
Lee Smith – rp – One of the game’s dominating closers during the 1980’s, Lee Smith was a good a closer in the 1980’s as Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage were in the 1970’s. When Lee Smith notched his first save back in 1981, Rollie Fingers held the career save record at 272, which Smith surpassed by more than 200 notching 478 saves when he retired following the 1997 season. He held that record until Trevor Hoffman broke it in 2006, and was passed by Mariano Rivera in 2008. Fingers, Sutter and Gossage are all in the Hall Of Fame, and none had the long success of Smith, who saved 30 or more games nine times in his career for four different teams. Smith received 44.5 percent of the vote last year – but make no mistake about it he deserves to be in just as much as his predecessors.
Jack Morris – p – The winningest pitcher of the 1980’s, Jack Morris pitched the game not to impress people with stats like era, whip and quality starts – he pitched to win. Morris pitched to the scoreboard many times, throwing fastballs down the middle hoping to get hitters out. He also gave up a few homeruns as a result, like Robin Roberts did decades earlier for the Phillies. As a result, Morris era is 3.90, a number that critics point to that don’t feel he is worthy of Hall consideration. Morris was on four World Champions (Tigers 1984, Twins 1991, Blue Jays 1992-1993) and pitched what might be one of the best World Series games ever – game 7 in 1991 against the Braves. Morris went all 10 innings in a 1-0 win to clinch the Twins second World Series in 5 years. Morris also completed at least 10 games every season from 1980-1991 except 1984 when he completed 8 games, including five straight games at one stretch. Sparky Anderson called Morris, who received 44 percent of the vote last year, the best pitcher he ever managed. I’d have to say that Sparky knows a thing or two about talent having managed one of the best teams ever in the Reds of 1975-76. Morris has just 4 more shots before he goes to the Veteran’s Committee, but he would get my vote this year.
Fred McGriff -1b – The “Crime Dog” played his prime years for the Blue Jays, Padres and Braves before turning in a couple good years with Tampa Bay at the end of his career. He won a World Series with the Braves in 1995. From 1988-1994 McGriff topped the 30 homer plateau and finished with 493 homers and 1550 rbi for his career. He has a lifetime batting average of .284 with an on-base percentage of .377 while slugging .509 for his career. He never topped 40 homers (37 was his career high) and drove in 100 runs eight times. His overall numbers compare with Hall Of Famer Tony Perez – Perez hit 379 homers to McGriff’s 493 and Perez drove in 1652 runs to McGriff’s 1550. Perez on-base percentage was just .341 and he slugged .463 for his career.
Andres Galarraga – 1b – The “Big Cat” came up with the Montreal Expos back in 1986 and although he had a few good seasons he slumped as the 1990’s began and went from the Expos to the Cardinals. It was with the Cardinals that he was united with hitting coah Don Baylor, and Baylor liked Galarraga so much that when he became the manager of the expansion Rockies in 1993 he went after Galarraga, and he won the National League batting title that year, hitting .370 in the rarified Colorado air. Like McGriff, Galarraga fell short of a home run milestone, hitting 399 homers for his career. Teamed with Dante Bichette and Larry Walker they were known as the “Blake Street Bombers” in Colorado, and Galarraga led the NL in homers (47) and runs batted in (150) in 1996. Galarraga left Colorado following the 1997 season to make room for Todd Helton and he replaced McGriff in Atlanta finishing the 1998 season with 44 homers and 121 runs batted in, his third consecutive 40 homer season. After missing the 1999 season he returned to the Braves in 2000 and hit 28 homers with 100 runs batted in, his fifth consecutive 100 rbi season. A slick defensive first baseman, Galarraga won a Gold Glove in 1989 and 1990 with the Expos. Galarraga did not win a World Series but otherwise his numbers also compare to Tony Perez. Galarraga drove in 1425 runs and batted .288 with a .347 on-base percentage and .499 slugging percentage. Galarraga probably will not garner enough support from the writers but could eventually make it in via the Veterans Committe.
Dale Murphy – OF – One of the nicest guys to ever put on a uniform, Dale Murphy came up as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves and after switching to the outfield in 1980 became one of the premier sluggers in the National League through the decade of the 1980’s winning back-to-back MVP awards in 1982-1983. Murphy had more total bases during the decade than any player and only Mike Schmidt had more homers during that time. Eddie Murray and Mike Schmidt are the only players in Baseball who were more productive during the 1980’s than Murphy. Murphy’s lifetime batting average of .265 doesn’t help his case. Murphy hit .287 through 1987, but hit only .238 during the final six years of his career as his production declined as he went from the Braves to the Phillies before a short stint with Colorado. Murphy received just 11 percent of the vote last year and although worthy of Hall consideration will probably not get in until he is voted in by the Veteran’s Committe. Like Galarraga, Murphy finished just shy of the 400 homer plateau with 398 and drove in a total of 1266 runs in his career. Murphy topped the 100 rbi plateau 5 times from 1982-1987 with the ‘86 season being the only sub-100 rbi season. Murphy hit 30 homers 5 times in his career, hitting more than 40 just once (44 in 1987).
So, there you have it – my Hall Of Fame votes. The real voting results will come out on January 6th so it will be interesting to see who will get the honor of enshrinement in 2010.
A Philly Sports Christmas List – If You Believe In Santa
Well, its just about time for Christmas and I thought it would be nice to come up with some Holiday wishes for the Philly Sports fans who believe in Santa Claus.
So, If You Still Believe In Santa, Then………
You believe that Andy Reid is a Super Bowl winning coach, and Donovan McNabb is that games MVP
You believe that Alan Iverson is not only teaching the young 76ers how to be unselfish on the court, but also about the virtues of practice.
You believe that the Mariners would’ve taken Joe Blanton off the Phillies hands instead of Cliff Lee.
You believe that the Flyers will do like the Penguins and sneak into the playoffs, get hot and win the Stanley Cup this season.
You believe that Ryan Howard is practicing his bunting skills so he can beat the shift in 2010 by laying one down the third base line.
You believe that the Phillies should’ve exercised the option on Pedro Feliz rather than sign Placido Polanco.
You believe that the Cowboys will beat the Eagles on January 3rd and win the NFC East.
You believe that the Mets will stay healthy enough to overtake the Phillies for the NL East.
So, there they are, just a few little tidbits that Santa could be bringing if you still believe in Santa. If you don’t , then I hope you got a little chuckle out of them. At any rate – Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Athlete of the Decade #9 Bernard Hopkins
From “The Axeman” to The Executioner.”
When people think back at the list of dominant athlete’s this city has seen over the last 10 years, the likes of Donovan McNabb, Chase Utley and Allen Iverson (who you will see later) come to mind. Rarely does that name Bernard Hopkins ever get mentioned.
It should.
Make no mistake Hopkins’ best decade came in the 90’s, but what he has been able to do at an older age, for a dying sport, is something that can’t be overlooked.
For his career, Hopkins – a Philadelphia native – is a ridiculous 55-5 with a no decision and 32 knockouts. Known as the greatest middleweight fighter ever, Hopkins had a streak of 20 successful title defenses. He is the only fighter to ever defend four of boxing’s major belts in one fight.
But we are not handing out Lifetime Achievement Awards so let’s get into his highlights from the last 10 years.
- On Sept. 21, 2001 Hopkins defeated Felix Trinidad in New York, by a TKO in the 12th round. During that much anticipated fight Hopkins successfully retained the WBC and IBF middleweight titles while claiming the WBA middleweight belt.
- After winning his next four fights, Hopkins met Oscar De La Hoya on Sept. 18, 2004. It was the fight everyone wanted to see, but did it live up to the hype? Some believe De La Hoya took a dive in the 9th round. You be the judge:
- 2005 was a bad year for Hopkins as he lost twice to Jermain Taylor, leaving many to think he would be gone from the sport for good.
- On June 10, 2006 Hopkins silenced all of his doubters, winning a 12 round decision over Antonio Tarver in another marquee fight.
Hopkins has since won three of his last four fights, with the biggest being a decision over Kelly Pavlik.
While Hopkins doesn’t have the great knockout ability he had in his prime, his abilities and charisma still attract people to the sport – and that is something it so desperately needs. With MMA taking over the television sets and Pay Per View dollars, boxing has been on a steep downward slide.
Few things slow that slide and a Hopkins fight is one of them. Like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, people still care about Hopkins. They want to see him fight. Heck, people still want to see him face Roy Jones Jr. in a rematch of a 1993 fight. When the sport of boxing has been at its worst The Executioner has continue to perform at, or near, his best.
Just ask these guys:
How about 100 in a row ?
The Penn State women’s volleyball team just keeps on winning. In the NCAA Gainesville Regional Finals, they beat California to extend their record to 36-0. The victory also marked the 100th consecutive victory for the team dating back to 2007 and was coach Ruse Rose’s 999th career victory.
Senior Megan Hodge was named the Most Outstanding Player for the region and the team moves on to the semi finals and play next on Thursday where Coach Rose will get the chance to record his 1,000 coaching victory. On September 15, 2007 they recorded their last loss. Then it was September 21, 2007 when he recorded his 900th victory, becoming the third NCAA division I coach to ever accomplish that, and he now has the highest winning percentage ever in NCAA history at 999-159 or an .863 winning percentage.
He has coached there since 1979, another coach with a history of longevity at the Big Ten school, and has won three national championships, in 1999, 2007 and 2008. This year he is poised to take his team to a threepeat, even though many say the 2008 team was better than this years squad, in fact at 38-0 some say it was the best team in NCAA history. But for the 2009 team to go unbeaten indicates they are still pretty good !!
All of us here at www.phillysportsblogs.com congratulate the Penn State Nittany Lions women’s volleyball team on this historic achievement and will be rooting for them to cruise through the semi final round and win their third straight national title. On Thirsday they meet their next opponent, either Hawaii or Michigan. I have a feeling the result will be more of the same, another win en route to another trophy to go in the Happy Valley display case.
The Executioner claims another victim
Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins extended his career record to 50-5-1 with a unanimous decision against Enrique Ornelas Wednesday night. In a surprise upset, Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. early in the first round in Australia, thereby preventing the expected rematch between the Philadelphia native and the man who delivered the most telling defeat of his long career.
Roy Jones Jr is now 54-6 and, at 40, may retire after earning 8 titles in his 20 year career. The veteran had been slated to fight Hopkins sometime next year pending the successful conclusion of the fight against Green, intended as a warmup for the long awaited rematch.
Meanwhile, “The Executioner” left no doubt he has gas left in his tank as he dominated the younger challenger throughout, actually appearing stronger late in the 12th round than in earlier rounds. He dominated the middle rounds, staggering his younger opponent several times in the fifth and sixth rounds. It seems probable he would have knocked Ornelas out if the 12th round had gone much longer, or if he had started his final flurry 30 seconds earlier as Enrique was all but out on his feet when the bout ended. As it was, the unanimous decision showed him ahead by at least 8 points on all three judges scorecards. “This is what happens when you take care of your body when you’re young in the brutal sport,” Hopkins said. “I invested in myself like you invest in money in the bank.”
Hopkins was introduced to a roaring crowd as the pride and joy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Flyers goalie Ray Emery who has Hopkins painted on his helmet, were among the 6,662 fans cheering on Hopkins
Based on the Roy Jones loss, Hopkins may next challenge WBA heavyweight champion David Haye for his biggest bout of 2010, a year in which he will turn 45 in January. Hopkins, who once had a ten year prefect reign as middleweight champion, claimed “I’m going to be a problem next year” and re asserted his intentions to become heavyweight champion in 2010.
“The Executioner” will certainly shake things up in the boxing world next year. His last hiatus was one of 14 months, and he well could have three matches including the one this week in the newxt 14months before retiring as champion.
Philly native to return to ring
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Mayweather to boost his ego again
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a great fighter. I have no doubt that he will beat Juan Manuel Marquez tonight and maybe do so convincingly.
Why am I so sure Mayweather will defeat Marquez? It has nothing to do with the talents of Marquez, who is a heck of a fighter (50-4-1, 37 KOs).
It has everything to do with Mayweather’s ego.
That ego took a bit of a hit this week when he had to forfeit $300,000 to Marquez, because he was overweight at the pre-fight weigh in. Mayweather was two pounds over the 144 pound limit. The fight could have been called off but Marquez made the smart decision and took the bigger paycheck.
A shy over weight or not, Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) is not going to return from a 21-month retirement to lose.
His pride won’t let him.
This is a guy who just last week said that he would be the most popular athlete in America if he was white.
The race card, Floyd, really?
Not being white has really slowed down Tiger Woods when it comes to popularity, hasn’t it? And that Michael Jordan fellow never made it to the top due to his race, did he?
The reason Mayweather isn’t a popular athlete is simple: He’s an arrogant jerk, who thinks people hang on his every word.
Wait, that’s Kanye West, my bad.
Mayweather is a cocky jerk, who thinks people hang on his every word.
People don’t care what Mayweather thinks. They do, however, care how he fights, and he fights great.
Marquez should be in the fight early, but I don’t see him scoring enough to have a serious shot of winning the fight.
Sadly, by the end of the night Maweather’s ego will have climbed another notch.
I only hope he chooses to go away for another 21 months.
In his case, silence really is golden.
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