Howard diagnosed with sinusitis

Phils slugger Ryan Howard, who has been out of the line-up for two straight games, has been diagnoded with sinusitis.

“Ryan Howard was seen by Dr. Marc Harwood today. After reviewing previous tests and evaluating him, Dr. Harwood has diagnosed him with acute sinusitis,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “His fever is gone and he will rest at home today. If he feels better, Ryan will travel tomorrow to Tampa Bay to rejoin the team. We are hopeful he will be able to play tomorrow as well.”

Freedoms bring in big name talent including Agassi

The Philadelphia Freedoms announced today that six former number one ranked tennis players will compete at the Freedoms' Stadium at the King of Prussia Mall this July.

The Freedoms, of the Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League, will open their 2009 season on Monday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m.

The Freedoms' seven match home schedule includes some of the world's top professional tennis players and is highlighted by the return of Andre Agassi to professional tennis. Agassi, who retired from competition following the 2006 US Open, will make his return to professional tennis as a member of the Freedoms team on July 10th.

Agassi won 60 singles titles in his career including eight Grand Slam titles. He is ranked fourth place all time for overall singles record and is the only man to win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in his career.

"Playing World TeamTennis is a great experience," said Agassi. "Team play is a terrific way to showcase tennis, especially for kids. WTT is competitive, fun and there is a really great energy from the fans. I'm looking forward to playing WTT again."

Venus Williams, currently the fifth ranked player in the world, will be returning for her fifth year on the Freedoms squad for the 2009 season. Venus has won a combined 18 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in her career, including last year's Wimbledon singles crown. In addition, Venus represented the U.S. in the past three summer Olympics and captured two gold medals. She won her 40th WTA singles title this month upon claiming the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship title, and will be playing at home on July 8th.

Venus' sister, Serena, will be making her first WTT appearance against the Freedoms when she plays on July 13th for the Washington Kastles. Serena regained her No. 1 ranking by winning the 2009 Australian Open singles and doubles titles, bringing her Grand Slam win count to 10 singles and 8 doubles. She holds at least one singles title from each Grand Slam event, and has won two Olympic gold medals with her sister Venus.

Besides being remembered for his audience-capturing antics, John McEnroe is also known as one of the greatest players in tennis history. McEnroe captured 155 singles and doubles titles during his career – 77 singles and 78 doubles – an Open Era record. His 17 Grand Slam crowns include seven singles, nine doubles and one mixed doubles titles. He was ranked No. 1 in singles for 170 weeks, fifth best in history, and No. 1 in doubles at 270 weeks, an all time record. McEnroe will visit King of Prussia when his team, the New York Sportimes, meet the Freedoms on July 14th.

Anna Kournikova and the St. Louis Aces will be playing opposite the Freedoms on July 6th. Kournikova has 16 career doubles titles including two Grand Slam titles and was ranked as high as No. 8 in singles. Kournikova was a member of the Russian Olympic team in 1996 and in 1997 became the second woman in the Open era to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in her debut appearance. This will be Kournikova's first visit to Freedoms territory since 2003.

No man or woman has won more singles and doubles titles than Martina Navratilova's record 344 titles. She finished the year ranked #1 in the world in singles and doubles a record seven times and is only the third player in tennis history to have won singles, doubles and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events. Navratilova and her team, the Boston Lobsters, will visit King of Prussia and the Freedoms on July 20th.

"Never in the history of pro tennis in Philadelphia has there been a line-up like this, this many champions in one series of events," said Barbara Perry, VP/General Manager of the Freedoms. "We are family affordable entertainment in a very intimate setting. What better way to enjoy tennis than with 3,000 fans in an outdoor setting under the stars."

Each night of Philadelphia Freedoms WTT will begin with exciting Block Parties produced by Comcast Spectacor and featuring music, inflatables, games, kids' activities and much more.

The Freedoms will play in the 3,000-seat Freedoms' Stadium at the King of Prussia Mall. Season tickets are on sale now and available by calling 866-WTT-TIXS or visiting www.philadelphiafreedoms.com.

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS 2009 HOME SCHEDULE

Monday, July 6
St. Louis Aces (Kournikova) at Philadelphia Freedoms

Wed, July 8
Sacramento Capitals at Philadelphia Freedoms (V.Williams)

Friday, July 10
Boston Lobsters at Philadelphia Freedoms (Agassi)

Monday, July 13
Washington Kastles (S. Williams) at Philadelphia Freedoms

Tuesday, July 14
New York Sportimes (McEnroe) at Philadelphia Freedoms

Monday, July 20
Boston Lobsters (Navratilova) at Philadelphia Freedoms

Wed, July 22
St. Louis Aces at Philadelphia Freedoms

All Matches Begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Philadelphia Freedoms are presented by Advanta and hosted by Abington Health.

Tune in to CBS 3 on Sunday, July 19th, 12:30 pm to watch the Freedoms with Venus Williams take on the Sacramento Capitals.

Manuel, Howard and Dobbs talk Phillies losing streak

On the NFL: Blowing up the Broncos

By John McMullen

(The Phanatic Magazine) - How the mighty have fallen.

The Denver Broncos were once one of the marquee franchises in the NFL.

Pat Bowlen was a great owner, Mike Shanahan was a top-notch coach and John Elway was a Hall of Fame quarterback.

Now, when I assemble my first power poll for the 2009 season, I'm considering putting the four UFL teams and half of the SEC ahead of the Broncos.

Whacking Shanahan for Josh McDaniels looked like a questionable decision, but let's face it, all coaches have a shelf life (even the great ones).

I wouldn't consider Shanahan great, but he did get Bowlen a pair of Super Bowls and was still awfully good.

But Shanahan's legendary hubris was becoming a problem and Bowlen had given him too much control. A close-minded devotion to the offensive side of the ball at the expense of an increasingly shoddy defense forced Bowlen's hand.

It wasn't necessarily a bad move and I'm sure Bowlen didn't mind taking a step backward if it meant taking two forward a few years down the line.

Unfortunately, Bowlen rolled the dice on the immature and inexperienced McDaniels, who uickly alienated the team's "franchise" quarterback, the even more immature Jay Cutler. The feud got so heated that Denver had to blink and ship Cutler to the Windy City.

Now, another star -- wide receiver Brandon Marshall -- wants out.

Instead of putting his foot down, a defeated Bowlen reportedly told Marshall last Friday that his desire to be traded will be accommodated.

"To whom it may concern," Marshall wrote on his personal blog, "Life is filled with change, and where I am in my life now change is probably best. It’s hard leaving an organization ran by one of the best owners in all of sports, and someone who’s been there for me through my ups and downs.

"The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field. I thank the Denver fans who embraced my emotion and play on the field and showing me love every time I step outside my door."

A classy attempt at a goodbye for a player who hasn't always been all that classy.

Marshall's well-documented legal problems, a recent hip surgery and a desire for a hefty raise won't make trading the Pro Bowler easy, but Bowlen -- who has publicly acknowledged that he’s suffering from short-term memory lapses -- seems intent on blowing this team up.

"Mocking" the Sixers

Here's who some of the major draft sites have the Sixers picking with the No. 17 overall pick.

Dime Magazine -- PG Eric Maynor

Inside Hoops -- PG Eric Maynor

NBA Draft Press -- PG Jrue Holliday

Knickerblogger -- SG Chase Budinger

Draft Express -- PG Ty Lawson

NBADraft.net -- SG Terrence Williams

Our mock draft, syndicated by The Sports Network nationally, will be up later in the day.

Villanova's Cunningham working out for Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are conducting another pre-draft workout Monday morning at the team's training center in St. Francis, Wisc and Villanova's Dante Cunningham is among the eight players scheduled to attend.

Lynam to return to Sixers

New Sixers coach Eddie Jordan will keep on veteran Jimmy Lynam as an assistant. Aaron McKie will also stay on to join longtime Jordan aid, Mike O'Koren. John Loyer, Jeff Ruland and Bernard Smith, assistants under Maurice Cheeks and Tony DiLeo, will not return.

Former Sixers coach Randy Ayers is also a candidate to join Jordan's staff. Randy's son, Ryan, a swingman out of Notre Dame and Germantown Academy, is working out for the Sixers today.

Villasenor tops Cyborg

KENT, Wash. (June 19, 2009) - Joe Villasenor showed no signs of rust after a year away from the cage as he recorded a close split decision over Evangelista Cyborg in the main event of the sophomore edition of Strikeforce Challengers Friday night on SHOWTIME.

In a gritty and tactical battle all the way to the end, Villasenor proved victorious winning on two of the three judges scorecards, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.

"I haven't fought in over a year and that’s a great fight to come back to," Villasenor said after the fight. "A three-round war. I was really surprised by (Cyborg’s) countering. It turned into a great fight."

Like Villasenor, Tim Kennedy has also been away from the game while serving his country as a Special Forces Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was hard to tell he hadn’t fought in more than 18 months and only five times in the last six years, but he proudly proclaimed he was back Friday, as he submitted Nick Thompson by strikes at 2:37 of Round 2.

Fighting in his 50th MMA fight, Minneapolis, Minn., resident Thompson (38-11-1) was visibly upset afterward and thought Kennedy had hit him illegally behind the head.

"You’ve seen my fights. I’m the fairest fighter there is," Kennedy said. "I was hitting from the side of his head and if I hit him in the back of the head I’m truly sorry. I love to bang and knock people out and I get a lot of crap back home for not winning by submission."

In what was easily the most entertaining and exciting fight of the night, at a catch weight special attraction at 160 pounds, Jorge Gurgel (13-5) of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Conor Heun (8-3) of Hollywood, Calif., proved to be two stars to watch. From the second the first bell rang both fighters engaged in a battle full of blood and sweat. In the end, with the crowd on their feet, the final decision was announced in favor of Gurgel on all three scorecards with scores of 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

"I’ve never seen a chin like that on anyone besides myself," Gurgel said.
"This was my first fight for Strikeforce and it was everything I’ve ever wanted."

Said Heun: "I may go home a couple of bucks shorter and with some scrapes but that was the most fun I’ve ever had. I live for those last 15 minutes."

In an intriguing matchup of two friends, Sarah Kaufman of Victoria, British Columbia, ran her record to a perfect 10-0 with a unanimous decision over Shayna Baszler of Sioux Falls, S.D., 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

Kaufman and Baszler took part in five-minute rounds, the first in the history for female MMA for Strikeforce.

"She’s a great opponent and it was a great fight. I just kept gaining confidence and getting more comfortable as the fight went on," said Kaufman, also a victor by decision in her last fight against Meisha Tate.

Luke Rockhold of Santa Cruz, Calif. improved to 5-1 as he came out firing in dominating the only Washington state resident on the televised card, Cory Devela (9-3) of Bonney Lake, Wash.

Rockhold stepped in with his left foot and let a right hand fly from the opening seconds, stunning Devela who fell to the ground as Rockhold proceeded to pound away. The fight ended several seconds later as Rockhold recorded his third consecutive win by first-round rear-naked choke as Devela tapped out at 0:30, and Rockhold winning by submission.

The non-televised fights presented some crowd-pleasing results. Dennis Hallman (41-12-2, Yelm, Wash.) needed just 27 seconds to beat Justin Davis (11-8, Olympia, Wash.) by submission in the final non-televised fight. Brian Caraway (11-3) needed a unanimous decision to defeat Alex Zuniga (2-2, Everett, Wash.) by the scores of 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Lyle Beerbohm (10-0, Spokane, Wash.) beat Duane Ludwig (18-9, Denver, Colo.) by submission in the first round at 4:27. Landon Showalter (8-12-1, Arlington, Wash.) won a unanimous decision over George Stork (4-3, Kennewick, Wash.), 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Len Bentley (4-2, Olympia, Wash.) won a unanimous decision over Marques Daniels (1-3, Tacoma, Wash.) by scores of 29-28, 30-27, 29-28. Steve Hadsel (2-0, Spanaway, Wash.) needed only 17 seconds to knock out Taylor Roberts (1-2, Seattle, Wash.) to open the card.

Basketball meets Big Love

By John McMullen

Philadelphia, PA - When basketball meets "Big Love," you get Lance Allred.

The 6-foot-11 Allred isn't exactly a household name but he should be. He's only had a cup of coffee in the NBA, but Allred might be the best writing big man of all-time.

His book, "Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA." tells the tale of a 28-year-old basketball player and his journey to the Association.

They say to be a great writer, you need great material. In Allred's case, he's got plenty of compelling stuff. He's deaf. He grew up on a polygamous Mormon commune. He's asthmatic. He has obsessive compulsive disorder and he was viciously berated by his first college coach, Utah's Rick Majerus.

Despite those roadblocks. Allred achieved his dream on March 13, 2008 when the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to a ten-day contract, making him the first legally deaf player in NBA history.

Lance Allred achieved his dream on March 13, 2008 when the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to a ten-day contract.

That "dream" is now safely in the rearview mirror as Allred continues to set higher goals for himself.

"Getting to the NBA was important just to say I did it," Allred, who is impaired with a with a 75 to 80 percent hearing loss, said in a phone interview. "You set a goal and then you move on to another. That's how life opens up for me in different directions."

Allred still has NBA aspirations (he will be working out for Orlando this summer), but they are now tempered.

"We all learn from our limitations and the only limit we have is the one we place upon ourselves," Allred said. "Any achievement for me is quickly lost and swallowed up by new goals. I'm never content. I'm very insatiable.

"It's all about being in the right place at the right time. And that's not just sports, that's life. If things don't work out in the NBA, I have two deals in Italy on the table. Playing for good money there and getting a lot of playing time wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

In truth, basketball has always been just a bit player in Allred's life story.

He talks with ease about growing up in the polygamous, Fundamentalist LDS Rulon Allred clan in Montana, before moving away at the age of 13 with his dad. "Any environment people grow up in is normal when you are there," he says.

Armed with knowledge few are privy too, Allred called HBO's hit series on polygamy,"Big Love", "crap" and sensationalistic. He talked at length about the history of polygamist cults and why some aspects work and others don't, believing it succeeded in 19th century America, but is now outdated.

"My dad always says there are plenty of good people (living the lifestyle) but no good polygamists," Allred said.

There was also the time his professor gave him an incomplete on a Middle East history paper. The paper was so well-written that the professor assumed Allred had plagiarized. After all, a jock could never put together that type of work.

After being given some of Allred's other writing, the professor realized his mistake and was forced to give Allred the grade he deserved.

"I enjoy the stereotypes. It's fun to see people squirm when they realize they are wrong."

His pangs of self doubt and the incredibly insensitive control games played by Majerus are also can't miss subjects in the book, but Allred didn't put pen to paper to prove anything or expose the ugly underbelly of college basketball.

"I was overseas in France when I started writing the book," Allred said. "I did it to make sense of things. It was therapeutic for me. I think everyone should write about their life, not with the pressure of getting it published.. just to take inventory."

Allred grew up as a awkward kid with large hearing aids on his ears, making him an easy target for his schoolmates.

"Emotional self doubt is my weakness," Allred said. "I've always been far too analytical and I have had to learn to be at ease with myself."

That certainly wasn't helped by Majerus at Utah.

"You've weaseled yourself through life using your hearing as an excuse. You're a disgrace to cripples. If I was a cripple in a wheelchair and saw [the way] you play basketball, I'd shoot myself," Majerus allegedly said to Allred.

Two other Utah players confirmed some of what Allred claimed, but Majerus denied the allegations while describing the statements as "extremely insensitive."

The coach was later cleared of allegations of discrimination, though the investigation did not determine whether Majerus had actually made the offensive remarks and the coach quickly fled Utah.

Allred seems to have moved on.

"Don't get me wrong. He loves us (his players)," Allred said of Majerus. "We were his family and he was tough on everybody. He's very smart...very good at manipulating and he wanted to get that control over his players. "You did everything in your power to get his appraisal. Now I understand you can't look for people to validate you."

Allred also admits he was different.

"I naturally make people uncomfortable," Allred said. "I don't mean too, but I am not the typical jock. I'm not just talking about video games, drinking and girls."

While Allred shares the blame for his failure at Utah, he won't share his success as a player or a person.

"I'm such a perfectionist," Allred said. " I always have the internal debate about my self-worth, the difference between empowerment and entitlement. You have to be careful not to think you are entitled to things. I've worked hard and can't give Majerus any credit for my success. I have succeeded on my own."

Allred is writing again, with two books in the pipeline -- a historical novel about Teutonic Knights and a Victorian satire.

Heady stuff.

When asked which is more important now, basketball or his fledgling writing career, Allred was quick to answer.

"It's writing now. Writing is a lifetime label. Basketball is temporary, transitory."

RIP Gary Papa

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of 6ABC sports anchor Gary Papa, who passed away today.

"It is with deep sadness that the Channel 6 family says goodbye to our friend and colleague Gary Papa," 6ABC said in a news release. "Gary ended his five year battle with cancer today, with his family by his side.

"While Gary’s job was to cover sports teams, he was always a most valuable player, and for the past five years, Gary has been an inspiration and symbol of hope to so many. Through treatments…through surgeries…through every painful medical procedure, Gary showed extraordinary courage and strength and a continued concern for those around him. "

“The Channel 6 family has suffered a great loss today,” says Bernie Prazenica, President and General Manager - 6abc. “Gary was such a unique and universally loved individual. Words cannot describe the deep sadness within the 6abc family. Our hearts go our to Gary’s wife,
Kathleen, his two sons, Nathaniel and Tucker, and to the entire Papa family.”

Action News anchor Jim Gardner added, “Needless to say, all of us who have worked with Gary and who loved Gary are devastated tonight. Most of us knew this day would have to come eventually, but there’s no way to really prepare. There is an enormous hole in our hearts, almost as enormous as was Gary’s spirit, his devotion to his work, and to all of you. Our thoughts are with Gary’s wife Kathleen, and his two sons, Nathaniel and Tucker. It will never be quite the same around here, but we have a job to do, and we will do it just as well as Gary would expect
and demand. We often refer to the Action News family. Tonight, that family encompasses the entire tri-state area as we mourn the loss of a loved one.”

Papa joined Action News on April 15, 1981, as the weekend sportscaster, and weekday sports reporter. On December 1, 1983, he became host of “Prime Time,” the magazine format program that aired on 6abc until 2008.

Gary was born in Buffalo, New York, and is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Political Science. He also is a graduate of University of Buffalo Law School. Prior to joining WPVI-TV, Gary served as Weekend Sports anchor with WGR-TV (now WRGZ-TV) in Buffalo, New York, and as a news anchor with WSTV-TV, Steubenville, Ohio.

In 2007, Gary Papa was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia’s “Hall of Fame.”

Reaction:

Jeffrey Lurie: “On behalf of the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization, I am deeply saddened to learn of Gary’s passing today. Gary Papa was a centerpiece of sports coverage in the Philadelphia area for many years. I will always remember him for the energy and passion he brought to his profession, especially during some of the toughest times of his battle with cancer. WPVI and the entire Philadelphia region lost an icon today. Our condolences go out to his wife, Kathleen, his two sons, and his entire family at WPVI.”

Ed Snider: “We are all deeply deeply saddened to learn of the passing today of one of our good friends, Gary Papa. He was a long-time broadcaster who always spoke positively of our organization and brought our teams' highlights into the homes of millions of our fans. Gary was a fighter, he gave it his all. He was one of the good guys. We will always remember him for his passion for sports and his dedication to the sports scene in Philadelphia. Our condolences go out to his wife, Kathleen, his two sons, and his entire family at Action News.”

Sixers working out a pair of players Saturday

Germantown Academy's Ryan Ayers (Notre Dame), the son for former Sixers coach Randy Ayers, and center B.J. Mullens (Ohio State).

NJ women sues Iguodala for child support

A New Jersey woman is suing Sixers star Andre Iguodala for child support.

London Iguodala was born May 7 to 23-year-old Clayanna Warthen of Clementon, N.J. and the women is asking for $12,000 to $15,000 a month. Iguodala’s attorney, Charles Meyer of Blue Bell, claims his client wants to “generously provide” for London but Warthen’s demands “were beyond what is reasonable.”

Warthen's lawsuit, filed Thursday in Camden County, N.J., says she has no income and had to get medical coverage through the state of New Jersey.

Meyer countered that Iguodala has already enrolled the baby in an NBA medical insurance policy.

Inaugural UFL Draft

UFL LAS VEGAS DB ARCHULETA, ADAM (ARIZONA STATE) DE AWASOM, ADRIAN (NORTH TEXAS) P BAUGHER, DANNY (ARIZONA) OG BOONE, JASON (UTAH) NT BRYANT, WENDELL (WISCONSIN-MADISON) LB BUTLER, EZRA (NEVADA) DB DADA, WALE (WASHINGTON STATE) T GAUSE, GEORGE (SOUTH CAROLINA) DB GAUSE, PAUL (SETON HALL) K JACAS, ANDREW (FORT VALLEY STATE) TE JACKSON, NATE (MENLO COLLEGE) T JOYCE, BRANDON (ILLINOIS STATE) WR KIRCUS, DAVID (GRAND VALLEY STATE) TE KUHN, SCOTT (LOUISVILLE) NT LONG, GABE (UTAH) LB MOORE, BRANDON (OKLAHOMA) RB PALMER, RONNIE (ARIZONA) LB STILLS, GARY (WEST VIRGINIA) RB THOMPSON, TYSON (SAN JOSE STATE) WR THURMAN, ANDRAE (SOUTHERN OREGON) LB TOAL, BRIAN (BOSTON COLLEGE) DB TURNBULL, NICK (FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL) DB WILLIAMS, CHAZ (OREGON) RB WHITEHEAD, TERRENCE (OREGON)

UFL NEW YORK QB BACHER, CJ (NORTHWESTERN) DB BROWN, TREY (UCLA) DB CELESTIN, OLIVER (TEXAS SOUTHERN) NT CLEBERT, RICHARD (SOUTH FLORIDA) DE FOUNTAIN, MAURICE (CLEMSON) TE GHENT, RONNIE (LOUISVILLE) RB GROSS, TYRONNE (EASTERN OREGON) T GUTEKUNST, SAM (GERMANY) C HARVEY, JASPER (SAN DIEGO STATE) QB JOHNSON, BRIAN (UTAH) WR KINOSHITA, NORIAKI (JAPAN) DB LOFTON, DAVID (STANFORD) LB MAGRO, MARC (WEST VIRGINIA) DB MAZE, TERELL (SAN DIEGO STATE) T NORELL, RAY (BUFFALO) T PRUNEDA, RAMIRO (MONTEREY TECH) RB RUBIN, JOE (PORTLAND STATE) WR SANDERS, STEVE (BOWLING GREEN) RB SAPP, CECIL (COLORADO STATE) NT SAVE, BRYAN (COLORADO STATE) - Former member of Philadelphia Soul DE SPICER, MICHALE (WESTERN CAROLINA) RB TOEFIELD, LABRANDON (LSU) LB WILLIAMS, NATHAN (MURRAY STATE) RB WOODS, SHANNON (TEXAS TECH)

UFL ORLANDO NT BLEDSOE, FRED (ARKANSAS) QB BOLLINGER, BROOKS (WISCONSIN) FB CRUZ, RONNIE (NORTHERN STATE-SD) DB DOSS, MIKE (OHIO STATE) DB FASSITT, GREG (GRAMBLING) WR GESSNER, CHAS (BROWN) TE HEINRICH, KEITH (SAM HOUSTON STATE) NT LONG, RIEN (WASHINGTON STATE) DB MASON, GRANT (MICHIGAN) LB MCGARIGLE, TIM (NORTHWESTERN) RB PERRY, CHRIS (MICHIGAN) T PETITTI, ROB (PITTSBURGH) OG PILLAR, ZACK (FLORIDA) DE POWELL, ERIC (FLORIDA STATE) LB SCHLEGEL, ANTHONY (OHIO STATE) DE SCHOBEL, BO (TCU) WR THOMPSON, DOMINIQUE (WILLIAM & MARY) CB TRIBBLE, DEJUAN (BOSTON COLLEGE) NT TRIPPLETT, LARRY (WASHINGTON) DB VINNETT, DARIUS (ARKANSAS) T WAND, SETH (NORTHWEST MISSOURI ST) TE WIGGINS, JERMAINE (GEORGIA) RB WILSON, QUINCY (WEST VIRGINIA) DB WRIGHT, TJ (OHIO UNIVERSITY)

UFL SAN FRANCISCO FB ARMSTRONG, ODIE (NW OKLAHOMA ST) RB AYANBADEJO, FEMI (SAN DIEGO STATE) QB BOYD, SHANE (KENTUCKY) WR BRACKINS, LARRY (PEARL RIVER CC) LS BROWN, KAI (BROWN) QB DIETZ, BRETT (HANOVER) WR FITZGERALD, MARCUS (MARSHALL) DE GUNN, MARQUIES (AUBURN) RB HUTSONA, DARRELL (WASHINGTON STATE) LB KWATENG, PRINCE (NORTHWESTERN) TE LEDBETTER, BRANDEN (WESTERN MICHIGAN) T LEKKERKERKER, CORY (CALIFORNIA-DAVIS) LB MARTIN, JOE (SAN DIEGO STATE) QB O'HAGAN, LIAM (HARVARD) T RIMPF, BRIAN (EAST CAROLINA) WR SAMS, BJ (MCNEESE STATE) T STAMPER, BRIAN (VANDERBILT) NT STEWART, JASON (FRESNO STATE) DE SUGGS, DAMON (GEORGIA SOUTHERN) DB TREAUDO, AHMAD (SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY) DB UNDERWOOD, MARVIEL (SAN DIEGO STATE) DB UNERTL, JEREMY (WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE) RB WASHINGTON, JOHN DAVID (MOREHOUSE) WR WEST, JOE (TEXAS EL-PASO)

Where’s Mr. T When You Need Him?

By Steve Lienert

The Phanatic Magazine

In Rocky III, good-old Mick knew why Rocky was about to get his block knocked off, and it’s the same reason for what’s happening to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park this season.

After beating former heavyweight champ Apollo Creed by barely lifting himself off the canvas at the end of Rocky II, Balboa got paid, moved into a mansion outside of Philadelphia and fought hand-picked stiffs to length his reign as champion. (The Nationals are the stiffs in this story.)

On the day the Rocky statue was officially unveiled, contender Clubber Lang (in Mr. T’s crowning film achievement) showed up and insulted Rocky (and made sexual advances toward Adrian) to goad the champ into a title bout.

It worked and later back at the mansion, as Rocky seethed with anger, Mick told Rocky that he wasn’t going to train him for this fight; that he was doing something Rocky would never do to him: Mick was going to quit.

When Rocky asked him why, Mick bluntly told Rocky that he went soft. “He’ll knock ya into tomorrow, Rock.”

He was no longer the hunter, but the hunted. Instead of living a hard life in a shoe box of an apartment on a Kensington side street within earshot of the El, he lived a safe, comfortable existence with everything he’s ever wanted at his fingertips. He lost that edge, that Eye of the Tiger.

Enter the Phillies, who were just swept by the previously free-falling Toronto Blue Jays. They are now 13-19 at home, which has become a place of comfort for the Fightin’s despite their lousy record. They wear that World Series Champions patch on their right sleeve, which serves as an every inning reminder that they are standing on the mountaintop.

The fans have gone as soft as the team has; everybody seems to be getting a free pass at the ballpark nowadays.

Jimmy Rollins, who seems to be hitting with his World Series ring still on his finger, is the leading vote-getter at shortstop in the National League despite his .221 batting average and .257 on-base percentage. That’s a testament to the fans stuffing the ballot boxes at a consistently sold-out stadium more than a salute to Rollins’ prowess on the field.

It’s like there’s been a 32-game afterglow, with the team and the fans both lounging on a bed, each smoking a cigarette with a sexually sated look on their faces.

Citizens Bank Park has turned into Rocky’s Mansion and, currently, the A.L. East is playing the role of Clubber Lang.

That division is the best in baseball. Either the Red Sox or Yankees will win the division, with the other claiming the A.L. Wild Card. The Jays and Tampa Bay Rays are no joke either.

The Phils just might be in the midst of getting their block knocked off.

They were lucky to salvage a game against the Sox and were swept by the Jays. They play host to the jayvee Orioles starting tomorrow before going back on the road to face the Rays and Jays in back-to-back series on the road.

This could get Clubber Lang-ugly.

If Charlie Manuel is looking for a way to jump-start his team, he might want to start by ripping those patches off the sleeves. He may want to tell them that last year is last year and there’s work to be done this year.

He has to find a way to get that Eye of the Tiger back in his team, especially at home.

For that matter, so do the fans. They may be the only ones in a position to tell the Phillies they’re getting their blocked knocked off. They may be the only ones to help get that Eye of the Tiger back.

Rocky didn’t get it back until after he was knocked out by Clubber and pushed by his new trainer, Apollo. The fans can play the role of Mick and Creed by letting the team know that enough is finally enough.

Steve Lienert can be reached at stevelienert@hotmail.com.

Ibanez heads to DL

The Phillies have places slugger Raul Ibanez on the 15-day DL with a strained groin.

John Mayberry Jr. will get the call from Lehigh Valley to replace Ibanez on the roster.

In other Phillies news, closer Brad Lidge could begin a rehab assignment tomorrow for Double-A Reading and could be back as early as next Tuesday against Tampa Bay.

WIP losing ground

The latest Arbitron ratings are out and WIP has lost nearly 15 percent of its audience in May, dropping from a 3.4 to a 2.8 with 449,7oo cumulative listeners. As a whole, WIP fell to 16th overall in the Philadelphia market.

Down the dial, ESPN950 stayed steady for the third straight month with a 1.1 and 206,400 listeners.

ESPN950's biggest headway has come in the afternoons where Mike Missanelli is now beating Howard Eskin in some key demos.

WIP, meanwhile, continues to try and prop up the floundering Eskin with a co-host. This week's tryout is former Eagle Brian Mitchell. WFANer Adam the Bull got a looksie last week while Rob Ellis also got a tryout. The big fish, however, is NBC10's John Clark and WIP continues to try and get Clark to greenlight a moonlighting gig.

The time is ripe for ESPN950 to make a serious run but that would require more local programming and GreaterMedia has shown no real interest in that.

Eagles down $3 million

Judge Albert Sheppard has ruled the City of Philadelphia owes the Eagles $5 million in a long running legal battle over a canceled preseason game with the Baltimore Ravens at the old Veterans Stadium in August of 2001.

Previously, Sheppard ruled the Eagles owe the city $8 million in skybox revenue from past games at the Vet.

Today's ruling means the Birds will have to cut a check to the city for $3 million, far more than Joe Banner claimed the franchise owed.

Villanova's Cunningham to workout with Trail Blazers

Villanova forward Dante Cunningham is one of six players scheduled to workout for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. The NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 25.

Britney scheduled for Wachovia Center

This is not sports related by the good folks at The Wachovia Center sent along a note saying Britney Spears will be bringing her CIRCUS tour to the Wachovia Center on Sunday, August 30 at 7 p.m..

Tickets priced at $39.50, $49.50, $98, $128, $153, $198, $353, and $498 will go on sale on Friday, June 19 at 10 a.m. exclusively via www.ComcastTIX.com, 1-800-298-4200, the Wachovia Center Box Office, or select ACME locations.

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