It is pretty much a forgone conclusion that Eddie Jordan will not be welcomed back next season as the coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Hopefully, half the roster is shown the door with him.

The Sixers do not have the least talent in the NBA. Their roster includes a former All-star at power forward (Elton Brand); a talented, if overpaid guard (Andre Iguodala); a $12 million center (Samuel Dalembert); a young guard scoring 14.9 PPG (Lou Williams); and a young forward with big upside (Thaddeus Young).

Yet they play like the Washington Generals.

The Sixers aren’t just losing, they are failing to show up. In nine of the most recent 10 losses the team has suffered, the Sixers have been defeated by double digits.

Some [...]

I believe it is foolish to get wrapped up in Spring Training statistics, particularly when they come from players who have already secured roster spots.

When a player goes through an 0-for 10 stretch at the plate, it’s not something that gets me worked up, and likewise if a young player goes through a 7-for-10 stretch I don’t jump to the conclusion that the Phillies have the next great thing on their hands.

But once in awhile I see something in Spring Training that holds my attention. Today Cole Hamels did exactly that.

The notion that the Phillies chances of winning  a second World Series in three years hinges on Hamels being the pitcher of 2008 and not the sub-.500 one of 2009 [...]

I guess this counts as “We’re the team to beat” Part 4.

Like the Phillies, the Mets opened Spring Training action yesterday and it didn’t take the team long to show off it’s confidence for the upcoming season. Despite a 72-90 year, David Wright believes the Mets are World Series contenders.

The following is an excerpt from a NY Post report:

“We’re expecting to go out there and win the National League East and go deep in the playoffs and win the World Series,” Wright said, a day before Mets pitchers and catchers were required to report to spring training. “That is the expectation I’ve gotten from the guys who are here early, and I [expect] this team is to get back to where [...]

Roy Halladay is there.So is Cole Hamels.

J.A. Happ? Check

Brad Lidge? Check.

The pitchers and catchers have arrived at Clearwater, Fla., one day earlier than tomorrow’s mandatory date.

According to philly.com every pitcher has reported except for Jamie Moyer and Jose Contreras. (There’s an old persons joke just begging to be inserted with that).

So good news baseball fans; despite the snow that appeared outside our windows today, baseball is ready to get going again.

The only real news of the day is that J.C Romero said he expects to break camp with the team, implying that he will be completely recovered from his elbow surgery and ready to pitch at full strength by Opening Day.

That’s good news for the Phillies, as Romero is the [...]

Just when it looked like the top teams in the Big East had found a bit of separation from the rest of the pack, the second tier Big East reminded us just how deep the Big East is.

Villanova was the latest victim, getting outplayed by a desperate Uconn team to the tune of an 85-74 final. A couple of days before that Rutgers beat Syracuse and St. Johns took down Louisville.

Keep in mind this is a Uconn team that is firmly on the bubble just to make the NCAA Tournament and Rutgers and St. John won’t sniff the event.

If Uconn was to get in, the Huskies might just make a run to the Elite Eight. I have become convinced that [...]

In Philadelphia every offseason is about Donovan McNabb.

Only this time, Philadelphia is not alone.

ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio says that the drama around McNabb is the story off the offseason. Bellow is an excerpt:

Philadelphia is the only team in the NFL with all three quarterbacks on its roster going into the final year of their contracts. Teams are calling, wondering who’s available, who’s not and what the Eagles would want in any potential trade.

The Eagles’ front office is listening. But here’s the kicker: The Eagles, according to multiple league sources, have so far told teams that both McNabb and his primary backup, Kevin Kolb, are not available.

Now, does that mean the Eagles won’t trade McNabb? Definitely not. Most league insiders believe the [...]

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Eight teams, three spots.

On Thursday I spoke of the jumbled mess that is the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings. As it stands now there are only two teams that look out of the playoff chase: Toronto (45 points) and Carolina (43) points. There are also five teams that seem to be a lock to make the postseason baring a major New York Mets-style collapse: Washington (78 points), New Jersey (72 points), Buffalo (71 points), Pittsburgh (67 points) and Ottawa (64 points).
What is left is eight teams separated by just two points, fighting for the final three playoff spots. There is still between 27 and 29 games to be played for these teams so things will certainly shake [...]

In his three seasons with the Eagles Garry “G” Cobb made his presence felt on the Eagles defensive line. Teamed with Reggie White, Seth Joyner and Jerome Brown, Cobb was a productive player on the field.

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 [...]

For the third time in a week the Phillies locked up one of their starters with a three year deal.

It is being reported that Carlos Ruiz and the team have agreed to an $8.85 million, three-year contract that avoids salary arbitration.

Ruiz joins Joe Balnton and Shane Victorino as members who have joined the three-year club last last few days.

Three has indeed been a magical number for the organization. When the team acquired ace Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays, they singed him to an extension that guaranteed to keep him in town for the next three years. The team then worked quickly to lock up Balnton, Victorino and Ruiz for what they hope will be three more years of success, [...]

Nothing says “hot stove” like backup catcher signings!

While it’s not the kind of news that will get fans screaming in excitement about another World Series run, the Phillies addressed one of their needs on Tuesday, signing former Met Brian Schneider to be the team’s backup catcher.

While Schneider doesn’t bring much of a bat to Citizens Bank Park, he is a solid defensive catcher and is certainly an upgrade over Paul Bako. It is a homecoming of sorts for Schneider who played his high school ball at Northampton High School, near Allentown.

Last season he was one of the many Mets who suffered an injury during the season and underperformed when healthy. He hit just .219 in 51 games.

However, Schneider is a [...]

Whenever talk surfaces about this era of Eagles football, the attention immediately goes to Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb – the duo that has spent the last decade together as coach and quarterback.

However there is another piece which has been vital to the teams’ success. A piece, which like Reid and McNabb, has had big success, while also drawling the ire of fans at times.

And right now, this piece is as responsible for the Eagles’ place in the standings as any other.

I am speaking of David Akers.

A member of the Eagles since 2000, Akers is enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career and should drawl big consideration for his fourth Pro Bowl, and first since 2004. In Sunday’s [...]

There may not be a more exciting player to see come up to the plate than Matt Stairs.

When he swings, all of Citizen bank Park shakes. He swings for the fences with no outs or two outs and it doesn’t matter the score. He is looking for a fastball every time. And when he get’s one, he can send it a mile.

But at age 41, those swings producied a lot more misses than they did highlight reel dingers last season. He hit .198 and went hitless for a stretch of two months. Stairs said he still believes he can get it done and wants to play one more season.

The question is: Does Stairs deserve to be a member of the [...]

 I am currently writing from my brand new Arc located right smack dab In the middle of the East Coast. Any more rain and we will be gathering animals 2 by 2.

Does anyone else think that they should get rid of the DH and Pitcher award slot for the Silver Slugger award? Instead, just create a utility position and give it to the next best hitter at any position in the league. Since the National League does not have the DH it seems like a reasonable idea to me. Let’s face it; giving this award to a pitcher with an average of .217 is kind of watering down the award, just a thought.

The American and National League announced its 2009 [...]

Tomorrow the National League Gold Glove Award Winners will be announced. There is a good possibility that the trophy room will be “philled” with red and blue.

Jimmy Rollins with his Major-League best .990 fielding percentage will almost certainly win his 3rd straight Gold Glove, but he may not be alone. Shane Victorino and Chase Utley also have a good chance of joining Rollins. For Victorino, it would be his 2nd consecutive Gold Glove and for Utley his 1st. Carlos Ruiz, Pedro Feliz and Jason Werth are sure to receive some consideration. Stay Tuned….

The American League announced its Gold Glove winners earlier today:

P: Mark Buehrle

C: Joe Mauer

1B: Mark Teixera

2B: Placido Polanco

SS: Derek Jeter

3B: Evan Longoria

OF: Adam Jones

OF: Torii Hunter

OF: Ichiro Suzuki

Wherever he has gone Pedro Martinez has elicited a lot of emotions from his team’s fan base and the fan base of the opposition. Some view Pedro as a fun, wacky guy who brings energy to a team and a stadium every time he takes the mound.

Others view him as a cocky, arrogant pitcher whose history of hitting batters makes him an intimidator.

But how will his two-month stay in Philadelphia be remembered?

The Phillies signed Pedro Martinez on July 5 to a modest 1-year/$1 million contract. The former Red Six and Mets pitcher had been out of baseball to that point, as his asking price of $5 million to start the season garnered little attention.

Shortly after the signing of Pedro, the [...]