By Steven Lienert
Grumblings and mumblings while I wait for Eli Manning to score more points in a playoff game than I have...
I'll admit it. I thought the Eagles season was over. Done. Kaput. After the Tennessee debacle, I thought Andy Reid's tenure in Philly had a shorter life span than the lobsters at my New Year's Eve party. (That's right. Lobsters. That's just how I roll.)
Instead, Jeff Garcia, of all people, came riding to everyone's rescue. Not even The Oracle would have saw that coming. In the first half of the Panthers game, I was chanting 'Aaay-Jaay Feel-ley' from the upper deck. But something strange happened on the way to a 6-10 season -- everything came together. I don't know how. I don't know why.
Sure, replacing Michael Lewis with Sean Considine was brilliant. Has anyone broken a tackle on Considine since he became a starter? Sure he dropped two sure interceptions last week, but when Considine hits you, you stay hit. We like that here. Replacing Matt McCoy with Omar Gaither should have been done way earlier in the season. But credit the coaching staff with making the move, and credit Gaither with solving the Eagles linebacking woes.
That said, the last team I wanted to see the Eagles play in the first round was the Giants. They are a tough team, even if their coach is a buffoon. They are banged up, however. As always, if the Eagles can stop Tiki and force Eli to throw, and Garcia can continue the magic, they'll be heading to New Orleans. But it'll be a lot closer than people think.
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Does anyone else miss having an ice hockey team here in Philadelphia?
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Man, what the hell are the Sixers doing? They're thisclose to getting the most number of ping-pong balls in the Greg Oden sweepstakes, and they're messing it all up by winning. The Sixers need to steal a page out the Cleveland Cavaliers' playbook, circa 2002-03.
You remember -- the year they drafted a guy named LeBron James. I hear he's doing pretty good for a 22-year old.
Trade Andre Miller if you have to. Either that, or have him come down with a mysterious back ailment. The same kind of phantom injury that Chris Webber used as an excuse while Allen Iverson was still here. Billy King knows this drill all too well. Why he's not employing this strategy is perhaps the biggest indictment -- and there are a truckload of 'em -- on his general managership. O.K., maybe not. But it's close.
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Is anyone else upset that Pat Burrell's locker still has Pat Burrell's name on it?
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For all those that thought there was no way Arena League football could surpass the NHL in popularity...
The NHL has announced that new uniforms for all 30 NHL hockey teams will be unveiled during all-star weekend. Not to get anyone's hopes up, the NHL has already stated that only 2 of the new uniforms will be appealing. Or exactly two more than an appealing Sabres jersey.
How many different ways can you style up a winged-P? Anyone want to bet that the Flyers new uniform will have 'Flyers' written in script across the front?
You've been great. Please stick around for the 3 a.m. show.
Steve Lienert can be reached at stevelienert@hotmail.com, even after 3 a.m.
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