***ALL-PHILLY TEAM RESULTS SHOW***

After the long wait and the technical difficulties (whether you know about them or not...and I tried to fix the flow of the pictures b), here is "South Broad Street's" All-Philly Team Results Show. Thank you for voting, sit back, relax and enjoy.

Thank you for voting!

Race for 5th Place

I held off on writing this article until Spring Training winds down. Chan Ho Park and J.A. Happ have both pitched outstanding this spring. Luckily I don't have to decide who wins the 5th starter spot. Let's take a look at their stats this spring.



Source: Phillies.com

After looking at their stats head to head it looks like Park has the advantage. What you can't see is how they really pitched. Many Phillies coaches have said Happ has pitched better than his stats appear. This will also play a role when Charlie decides who will be the 5th starter.

Other things you have to take into consideration are where the other pitcher will be placed after spring training. Happ struggled in his time in the bullpen last year. He is and should be a starter in the majors. Park spent time in the bullpen last year with the Dodgers. Yet, he has publicity said that he wants to be a starter. He declined an invite to play for South Korea in the World Baseball Classic in order to concentrate on the 5th starters spot.

If Park ends up losing the spot to Happ, I do not think he will be good in the bullpen. His mind is set as a starter and it will be a huge disappointment if he doesn't win the spot. It can be compared to Myers still having his mind on being a closer at the start of last season. We all know how that turned out.

If I were to decide on who gets the 5th spot I would choose Park. The man wants to win. He also has his mind straight in order to be a starter. Happ is still relatively young. Although it kills me to send this kid back to the minors given how well he has pitched, there will still be opportunities. Injuries do happen; sometimes too often. Odds are he will be back in Philadelphia before the All-Star break. Happ could also be used as trade bait for whatever the Phillies are looking for.

We'll see in the upcoming weeks who will win this battle. Whether it is Happ or Park you cannot be disappointed. Both have had an outstanding Spring Training, and we will likely see both these players pitch throughout the year.

This Is Why He Is A Hero

I found this on the700level.com and it is an interview from NBC's John Clark to Brian Dawkins.

We definitely partied Dawk. For 13 years, we "acted a fool" as we watched you on the field.

Thank you.

Sixers and Flyers Get Clipped

Both the 76ers and the Flyers were in action last night looking to improve their respective playoff positions. Unfortunately both the Sixers and the Flyers efforts would prove insufficient to down their opponents. The 76ers fell to Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons 101-97, while the Flyers fell to the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins 4-3. 

The scores of the 2 games show close games, however the games told different stories. The Sixers were hanging with the Pistons the whole game and let them off the hook in the 4th quarter. The Flyers had a much different story, they got out skated, out hustled and straight up out played by a better team.

For the Sixers a 4th quarter collapse gave the game to Detroit, thanks in part to Will Bynum who torched the Sixers in leading the pistons to out score the 76ers 22-14 in the final frame.

The Flyers went up 1-0 in the first period and unraveled from there eventually facing a 3-1 deficet at the 1st intermission. Mike Richards scored early in the 3rd period to cut the Boston lead to 3-2, however a weak goal by Mark Recchi proved deadly for the Flyers. Simon Gagne would score a goal late in the 3rd.

The young starts for both teams continuted to produce. Thaddius Young had 22 points along with 8 rebounds. For the Flyers Claude Giroux scored the first goal and assisted the last.

The Sixers next action is home against Atlanta on Tuesday. For the Flyers they will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto for the front half of a home and home. 

ALL-PHILLY BALLOTING IS OVER!

Expect the results show to be posted very soon!

Poll Results For Week of 3/22/09

The question dealt with your interest in the start of the Phillies season on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, in light of the Flyers and 76ers playoff push. 

The results were:

1: 1 vote

2: 0 votes

3: 0 votes

4: 3 votes

5: 1 vote

I can understand these results. Me personally, I am at 5 because I am such a "4 for 4 guy" that I'm pumped for any start of any season no matter what the other teams are doing. But, I can see how some people are not 100 percent excited since both the Flyers and 76ers, more specifically the Flyers, are gearing up for hopefully a long playoff run. 

I am surprised though that one person is excited, or lack there of, on the level of "1." I mean, whatever works for you is fine, but I would just assume that since this team just won a World Series there would be a little more excitement on your behalf. But, like I said, whatever floats you boat. I guess it's just a matter of different strokes for different folks. 

Another reason why it's good Chris Coste will make the roster:

Because all I need is another one of my favorite Philadelphia sports athletes, like Brian Dawkins and Scottie Upshall, to skip town. 

It would have really burned some of my interest in the Phillies starting soon.

LET'S GO PHILS! TIME TO REPEAT AS WORLD F*****' CHAMPS!

Costey Is The Backup! YES!

Thank freakin' goodness. I'm sure other Phillies fans did not want to see Ronny Paulino back up Carlos Ruiz this season. Multiple sources have told the Philadelphia Daily News that he was dealt to the Giants for left handed reliever Jack Taschner. 

This is good for a number of reasons.

A. I'm sure no one wanted to see, even though both Chris Coste and Paulino had bad springs, Paulino back-up Chooch

B. Taschner fills that void of leftie relievers momentarily while J.C. Romero serves a 50 game suspension

C. Chris Coste remains a Phillie

Like I said, YES!

OK Tim...Maybe The Flyers Loss Was OK...

...but the 76ers losing to the Bobcats 100-95 in the Wach is inexcusable. 

Even though Charlotte, at eight games under .500, is fighting for that last playoff spot in the East, the Sixers are fighting for their position too. And I know Larry Brown coaches Charlotte and he is probably one of the best coaches (especially with young, up and coming teams in the NBA) in the league. But, you just don't lose to teams like this if you expect to be a contender in the East. You just don't.

I'm not saying the Sixers are contenders, but they should be the ones giving the contenders of Cleveland, Boston and Orlando fits. 

I'm not bailing on the Flyers and Sixers because I just don't do that. I will watch them in the playoffs and root for them like a maniac. But, how many more days until Opening Night for the Phillies? Seriously. At least I know they want another World F*****' Championship!

Stuff Like This Should Not Happen

A loss to the Florida Panthers AT HOME 4-2.

It was Scott Hartnell wig night, but that type of goofy inspiration was no good for the Orange and the Black. Yes, I know the Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives being in the ninth spot, but the Flyers are trying to catch the Devils for the division crown (or at least they should be).

Maybe I'm overreacting (as usual). Maybe it was just one of those nights. However, at this time of the year, one of those nights should be avoided at all costs, especially against teams you are better than at home.

76ers Beat Lowly Timberwolves...

...and I was really afraid they were going to lose this game. They loss to them earlier in the year at Minnesota and they just came off of a somewhat successful western road trip.

With this team, tonight spelled out let down. And although the Sixers didn't win by a big margin, they still won 96-88. However, the only reason they did so is because they were the better team. They were down early and came back. Thaddeus Young went off with 29 points and seems to have a real liking of playing in front of the home fans, the ones that show up at least. 

Looking at this on a positive note, other than the W, the Sixers can use this as their winning mulligan" and play better in the next game. That is how I am looking at it. 

And let me make this clear, I expect the Sixers to go further this year. I am not saying they are going to win a playoff series, but I expect them to improve and will be highly disappointed if they don't.

Oh and by the way, the Heat lost tonight so the Sixers are only a half game back of them for that fifth seed in the East.

I Can't Remember The Last Time The 76ers Came Out With An Over .500 Record On A West Coast Road Trip

Anybody know?

Were any of the kids my age (20ish) alive?

Anyway, the 76ers ended their five game western road trip last night in Porltand with a 114-108 win in overtime! They went 3-2 on the road trip and their record is at 36-33.

Andre Miller led the team with 27 points.

But, you know what, the impression I am getting from a lot of people is this team is not really going anywhere. The impression is they suck. Although they are 36-33 and can't shoot, the fact remains they are capable of playing good defense and they rebound like crazy. The Sixers really are not THAT bad. They're not great. They're maybe not even good. But, they're not bad.

Right now they are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and 1 1/2 games behind the fifth place Miami Heat. Forget missing the playoffs for a draft pick. You have already drafted guys like Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights. The team is not that bad to have a legitimate shot at a top five lottery pick. They need to continuously make the playoffs, get people to want to come here and build from within the league. 

How do you think the Celtics won last season? By drafting? No! They got GIFTS and received Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. GIFTS. I am not saying the Sixers need to find a way to get gifts, but they need to get a shooter and a very good lock down defender.

OK, Elton Brand has not worked out so far, obviously. But, he is coming back next year and his shoulder should be alright. There is going to be a lot of negative talk around him and in my opinion, he will use that as a chip on his shoulder to succeed. Yet, that is neither here or there.

As far as this season goes, I hope the Sixers can catch the Heat and at least get the fifth spot. I do not want them to be playing either Orlando, Boston or Cleveland in the first round. If they play Atlanta, they have a chance to win.

If they make it to the second round, good players will be interested in coming here. Although the Sixers have no cap room, who knows what they could do if guys want to come here.

So, with the playoffs creeping up on us, here is what you should hope happens:

A. The Sixers make it

B. They are at least the fifth seed

C. They go further than last year

D. Someone on the team makes jump shots consistently (like Andre Iguodala)

E. Samuel Dalembert doesn't go to this "bum" state

F. Lou Williams plays smart off the bench

G. Marreese Speights gets the opportunity to contribute off the bench

H. Donyell Marshall gets more minutes so we can have that shooter on the floor

I. Thaddeus Young continues to play well, as well as Andre Miller

J. Willie Green goes you something

and

K. Royal Ivey can be that defensive stopper against the tough guards off the bench

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to playoff basketball (Knock on Wood). And even though the Flyers are playing inspired hockey right now, who knows what the Sixers can do.

Something to Prove with a Playoff Push

If ever there were 2 teams with something to prove, last night was that night. The Flyers successfully extended a 2 game winning streak by defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-2. The Flyers went down 1-0 early, however were able to score a beautiful power play goal to take a 1-1 tie in to the 1st intermission. The Flyers were able to strike first in the second period, again on the power play, to put the Flyers up 2-1. The Devils were not going away easily Jamie Langenbrunner tied the game game at 2. In the 3rd period the Flyers stuck with what works again drawing blood on the power play. Jeff Carter netted his 40th goal of the season and would eventually prove to be the game winner. Simon Gagne gave the orange and black some security when he scored on a nice pass from Claude Giroux.

The Flyers also snapped a 3 game skid to the Devils. If the Flyers are poised to make a deep run into this years Stanely Cup Playoffs, they will have to beat New Jersey. A major player in that is Danny Briere, while he says hes still not 100 percent back and he still has somethings he needs to work on, it's very clear that an already potent Flyers power play is leathal with Briere.

The other team scrapping for a playoff spot is the 76ers. The Sixers had a very tough west coast road trip this week and got quality wins at tough arenas to play such as at L.A. and at Portland.
The Sixers took on Portland last night and pulled out a gutsy 114-108 victory in OT, making the Sixers only the 6th team to beat the Blazers on their home court this year. Andre Miller had a game high 27 points for the sixers and also contributed with 10 rebounds. Thaddeus Young continued his coming out party with another solid 25 point performance. Samuel Dalembert also made few game changing plays on the defensive end at the conclusion of overtime.

Both the 76ers and the Flyers are in good shape to get the seeds that would prove to be more favorable 1st round match ups. The Sixers are 1.5 games behind a (no pun intended) hot Miami Heat team with a 13 games left to go, while the Flyers hold a 3 point lead with 10 games reaming.
The Sixers and Flyers are playing good ball/hockey and both could continue past the first round of their respective playoffs.

76ers End Two-Game Skid, Handle Kings

Hey, at least the defense was better and Andre Iguodala had a productive day from the field as the Sixers defeated the Kings in Sacrament 112-100.

Iguodala had 27 points on 10-14 shooting and Thaddeus Young dropped 22 on 9-15 from the floor. The 76ers got in front a lot in the first half and held on to the lead enough in the second half. 

What is interesting about this game is the productiveness from the bench in regards to Marreese Speights. Tony DiLeo is weird in the fact sometimes he plays Mo Speights a lot and sometimes barely at all. I don't know why that is, but it is something to take note.

However, it is pretty clear that when Speights is in the game, he plays well and is productive. Maybe it is a match-up thing. You tell me.

What's Been Going Down In the Crazy World Of Philadelphia Sports

I'll admit, "South Broad Street" has been a bit behind on being up to date with what's been going on in Philly sports. So, I'm going to try to re-cap the best I can in this particular post and give my fair share of analysis.

Flyers:

-They Orange and the Black have won two straight after a very disheartening loss to the Red Wings, by defeating the Sabres in Buffalo on Friday 6-4 with Danny Briere scoring twice against his former squad and beating the hated Penguins today in Pittsburgh 3-1. Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell scored, while Darrell Powe had an empty netter. Marty Biron made 27 saves. This could very possibly be a first round match-up in the four and five spots in the playoffs.

76ers:

-The 76ers for some reason continue to refuse to play defense out west as they fell to the Golden State Warriors on Friday 119-111. The Warriors, albeit out west, are freaking terrible. They are almost 20 games under .500. The Sixers shot a dismal 38 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three range. They are in Sacramento tonight.

Phillies:

-I'm sure you all know this already, but Cole Hamels' throwing elbow (originally said arm but it is in fact an elbow) wasn't feeling great, he went back to Philly to get it examined, but everything turned out alright and is now back in Clearwater. FEWWWW! Deep breath. However, he will probably not start on Opening Night and thus, Brett Myers will have that privilege. 

Eagles:

-The Birds signed fullback Leonard Weaver, which is a nice addition. So far, there big pickups have been Stacey Andrews, Sean Jones and Rashad Baker (who played in Oakland last year and made that big INT in the game versus Tampa Bay to help the Eagles get that playoff spot). WOOPY! But, in all seriousness, Weaver is an improvement from last year at the fullback position.

-One more Eagles note, ex-Bird Correll Buckhalter is alleged to be dealing with drugs. Well, good thing this happened when he became a Bronco and wasn't an Eagle. With the loss of Dawk and Tra, all we needed was to hear about how one of our players was "Actin' A Fool!" in a bad way.

Poll Results For Week of 3/15/09

This past week's Poll of the Week was should the Spectrum be torn down and the results are:

Yes-2 votes

No-2 votes

Talk about undecided.

Wild Card Balloting Is Almost Up!

I know what everyone is thinking. 

Yes!

Believe me, I want these damn ballots off this site too. Unfortunately, I do not believe all of the Info Sesisons will get posted, but by the looks of how many people voted in this round, I don't think it really matters. And from what the results look like right now, it seems as though nothing ridiculous is going to come out of it—like Rod Brind'amour being in a tiebreaker vote with Bernie Parent.

Just to remind everyone, the last round for the ALL-PHILLY TEAM balloting is this upcoming week and only this upcoming week. It will be the TIEBREAKER BALLOTS. Fortunately, there won't be 60 of these up so I think more people will vote for this one. 

Also, the site will be more compatible. Only about one more week until the final results come out. GET PUMPED!

I Got Jamie Moyer's Autograph for the Umpteenth Time

Happy belated St. Patty's one and all! Coming to you from room 625 in the Hilton Clearwater Beach Hotel in Clearwater in Tampa, Florida it is my World Champion Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training Report. It is my final night in this beautiful weather and summer atmosphere and I am not ready to leave. Days of 83, 85, and 78 degrees leave me pining for summer. Oh wait, let me get the sand out of my shoe, such a burden, I know. And putting on all of this sunscreen - woe is me. Onto some baseball! I will leave you, my hopefully faithful readers, with my general and somewhat specific thoughts on how our first spring training as defending champs is going.

First on the Cole Hamels elbow crisis that I, along with many other Phillie fans, am losing sleep over. I know nothing on the subject other then what I have read. I saw him signing autographs at the game today against the Blue Jays but did not get a chance to ask him anything. So no free insider information on that subject from yours truly. Other then the non-stop comments on how much my dad thinks that Cole Hamels' wife is controlling him after reading that sports illustrated article. "When I met him he was so mature, I thought we were the same age!" Really Heidi? Being five years older than him, being on survivor, and showing your body to the world in Playboy gives you the room to call Cole Hamels mature?" They got a lot funnier and dirtier than that.

Second, on Chase Utley... he is making his way back more quickly than anticipated. I personally do not want him to re-aggravate his hip by being lured by the statistical wonder of a 162 game season. He has been batting lead-0ff and is getting his hacks. His starts at second base also seem to be going well. Knock on wood. And pull your left ear if you're Jewish.

In between listening to my dad's perverted jokes that have no actual punchline and his jokes that do have punchlines that aren't funny to anyone except for him... I got to see some baseball games.  One thing I immediately noticed is that Raul Ibanez seems to be a pretty adequate alternative to Pat Burrell. Up until Sunday, I had never seen the man play in person and never really paid attention to his games as an AL player on the Mariners. Things we have all heard about Ibanez are that his defensive skills are comparable to Pat's and he will add a little more consistency to our already potent lineup. From what I have seen, Ibanez is surprisingly more agile and faster than his predecessor. Watching him run up the first base line and take turns going to second, he has a little more juice in him then we were all told to expect. To put this into terms that we can all expect to see translated on the field: If Burrell hit a double play ball to short, he was out at first 9 out of 10 times. I would say that if Ibanez hit that same ball, he will be thrown out 8 times out of 10. This may not seem like news to take a St. Patty's day shot of Irish whiskey to in celebration, but it improves our champs. This little bit of extra speed will also most likely mean that Ibanez stays on base and is not replaced for Eric Bruntlett in the later innings, giving us more options off the bench (by the way, Bruntlett's beard is the blondest bush of playoff hockey I can every hope to achieve).

Speaking of options off the bench, Charlie may be hard-pressed to use Brett Myers in some hitting situations after his playoff performance at the plate last year. He followed it up by smacking a single down the first base line today and then moving a runner over on a short chopper. The dude has slimmed down in a major way and hopefully he can keep the weight off this time and not let his drunk munchies get the best of him as they did back during the 07 season when his 30 pounds crept back on as the dog days of summer progressed. Brett pitched 5 innings of 4 hit, no run ball and was in command at all times today. I'm looking for a career year from B-My. Ryan Howard also dropped some weight and it is very noticeable. I watched the big man take ground balls at first base for half an hour at a practice facility before today's game (Tuesday) and he is moving more quickly from side to side and to the base.

I've seen numerous games at Bright House Networks Field, the Phillies home away from home, and a few away games here and there. The away game this year was at Legends Field, or as the most obnoxious franchise in sports decided to rename it's field - George Steinbrenner Field. I've heard the grumblings about Yankees fans through the grapevine, most notably in Bill Simmons' works, but they were in full force at this game. There were the countless senior citizens there just like every other spring training game, but there were also people you could only find at a Yankees game. I'll let you use your imagination. I was hearing things like "that championship was a fluke," which I just brushed off. The Steinbrenner faithful are just suffering from not winning a ring in 9 years that they want to take it out on us. Fine. I guaran-damn-tee that their 400 million dollar plus shopping spree does not bring them another championship any time in the near future.

As for some of the long-shots, I have been very impressed by John Mayberry Jr. This kid is an inch taller than Ryan Howard and has some power along with speed. Speed that makes my 150 dollar poker stack all-in hand loss look slower than Manuel's hobble to the pitcher's mound (no I'm not bitter). Speed that makes my two poker losses in Canada look slower than Dikembe Mutumbo running up and down the court while wagging his finger (screw electronic poker tables). Anywho, Mayberry looks like he can be a complete package. Other future Phils include Jason Donald, who seems like a feisty Utley and Pedroia type. Lou Marson looks less like a catcher and more like an middle infielder, which is great news. Some speed and athleticism can really help out a catcher.

This also marks the first year out of the three that I have attended spring training that I have gone to the practices and workouts in the morning. With five baseball fields other than the one inside the ballpark and a few specialty fields, such as only infields and extra bullpens and batting cages, there is plenty of baseball to be seen if you arrive early enough. Every single player in the Phillies organization was there - all the way down to the possibly and probable 16 year olds from other countries. Watching the workouts on all of the fields made me realize how competitive the major leagues really are. There were 5 catchers on one field, none of which I had ever heard of and all of which had probably never heard of Clearwater or Tampa before they arrived here this spring. Besides the five catchers on that field, there were at least 10 more. There are position battles just to get to be the back up's back up's back up's back up. And you have to be one hell of a ballplayer just to make it there.

Another cool thing about these morning workouts is the free-for-all that applies to stuff you can get. My uncle would be having a field day down here with the balls stuck on top of the mesh of the batting cages. I personally grabbed a bat and two broken bat heads from the trash can of the minor league batting cages. I also found two balls and bought a ball for 5 dollars before I knew I would be so lucky as to retrieve two. Talked to Anthony Hewitt for a minute, he was our first round pick and is only 19 years old. He seems to be a pretty nice guy and doesn't seem to be overtaken by the limelight that he will soon be under.

Quick rant... enough about the World Baseball Classic. As soon as I saw that David Wright hit a walk off double to eliminate Puerto Rico and keep the U.S. a-rollin, I had a twinge of excitement, before realizing that Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino will spend more time away from the Phillies and have more of a chance of getting injured. Can't we just have college kids play in these contrived tournaments? Do we really need to risk players like Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis to win some meaningless competition that is a tune-up for the regular season? I'd like to read a Red Sox blog on how they feel about this. I feel the same way about the Olympics. What was the greatest moment in Olympic history and maybe even sports history? The Miracle on Ice. That is 20 college kids beating the Soviet Union, winners in '64, '68, '72, and '76. Do we really need to have our professionals playing basketball and hockey at these games? And hockey is during the NHL season. World Baseball Classic? If 162 games plus the playoffs isn't enough baseball then extend the season (I would have no objection to more baseball), but these competitions will only blow out pitchers' arms more quickly and injure players at a higher rate. I feel pretty strongly about all of this. Feel free to comment if you feel differently.

So that is all with regards to spring training, if i missed anything in there I will be sure to let you know. Back to the dreary weather of Pittsburgh. Go Pitt!

What Ever Happen To Defense?

Apparently the Sixers forgot to play some last night in Phoenix. They fell to the Suns 126-116. And to add onto that, they were up at halftime, but Shaq took over.

If there is anything positive to take from this game, it is Thaddeus Young had another stellar scoring performance and Donyell Marshall had another productive game off the bench. He scored 12 points in 20 minutes and had a plus/minus of +12, the highest on the Sixers for the game.

It is obvious since Marshall is clearly the only 76er, other than Kareem Rush who gets as much floor time at the Sixers Dancers, who has a letal jump shot that he should get more minute.

Also, someone explain to me why Marreese Speights only played 4 minutes in the game and 5 minutes the night before against the Lakers? When he is in the game he is a high energy player and he is productive. 

I just don't understand.

YOU KNOW IT MUST BE RAINING...

...if Andre Iguodala hits a buzzer beating three-pointer at the end of regulation to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in L.A. 94-93.

This is coming after a 85-77 win over the Miami Heat Sunday at the Wach. I think it is important to mention that the 76ers defense held a guy named Dwayne Wade to only 18 points that game.

The team is on a four game winning streak and playing inspired basketball. It's funny. I was reading the700level.com's post on last night's Flyers and Sixers games and both played the top teams in each league's respective Western Conference.

For those of you who read my Flyers post from last night know that I am extremely discouraged about how that Flyers game panned out. I even went as far as to say how can we expect his team to win a Cup if they get totally outplayed.

Let me make this clear, although the Sixers came back from double digits in the fourth quarter, won a great game last night and are on a winning streak, this doesn't mean they are NBA Title contenders. Sorry to disappoint. But, nonetheless, we root for them and hope they prove me wrong. It is there first win ever in the Staples Center, so one bad streak was ended. Unfortunately, the Flyers bad streak of not winning a game in the Jou Louis Arena since 1988 did not end. 

I thought about this last night. I was born in August of '88. The Flyers last one a game in Joe Louis Arena in the 1988 half of the '88-'89 season. I have only lived for one Flyers win in the Joe Louis Arena. That's a tough realization to handle.

Although, this video, which is on YouTube and I found on the700level.com's Sixers post this morning makes me feel a little...OK a lot better.

Tonight's Loss Really Discourages A Shot At The Cup

I'm not saying they can't win the Stanley Cup. The Flyers definitely have the potential, talent and offensive fire power to do so. 

However, after losing to the Rangers at the Garden 4-1 with Antero Niittymaki in goal, the Orange and Black dropped a tough one to the current Presidents' Trophy leading Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena tonight 3-2.

They had a 2-0 lead in the second period and Marty Biron was absolutely stellar. STELLAR! But, the Red Wings ability and talent over shadowed the Flyers effort and their talent, leading to three unanswered goals, one in the second and two in the third about 90 seconds apart. 

While you can't knock the Flyers effort, one stat that really stands out tonight is the amount of shots the Wings got compared to the Flyers. Detroit out shout the Orange and Black 48 to 26. That means, in a loss, Marty made an unbelievable 45 saves.

Wins usually result when your goalie makes 45 saves. 

This leads to the point of this post. How are we supposed to believe that this Flyers team is Cup bound when they get totally outplayed ability wise by the Detroit Red Wings? Take note, this is a Red Wings team they will probably have to beat to win the whole thing. 

This loss, while I know anything can happen in the post-season, is pretty discouraging when you think about it. Don't look at the score. The 3-2 score is not a good description of this game. 

Just look at how this game was played. Detroit outplayed the Flyers throughout and then, the tired Flyers were non-existent in the winding minutes. I can't take anything positive from this game except that Marty was freaking awesome. 

Maybe that's good enough to get us to the Cup Finals, but then again, another goalie who's first name is also Marty just won his record breaking 552nd game tonight in a Devils 3-2 win over the Blackhawks and thus widening the margin between us and the Devils in the Atlantic Division.

Did I also mention that the Penguins, who were two points behind us in the standings before tonight's games, won 6-2 over the Thrashers in Pittsburgh?

Gulp.

ALL-PHILLY TEAM EAGLES WILD CARD BALLOT Info Session: Keith Jackson

Keith Jackson (tight end)

-Played tight end for the Eagles from 1988 to 1991
-Three-time Pro Bowler as an Eagle
-Three-time All Pro Selection as an Eagle
-In his rookie season, he had 81 receptions for 869 yards and 6 touchdowns
-Won the NFC Rookie of the Year in 1988

Poll Results For Week of 3/8/09

The question was which of these people do you want to see leave the Eagles the most.

Here are the results:

-Andy Reid: 0 votes

-Donovan McNabb: 1 vote

-Tom Heckert: o votes

-Jeffrey Lurie/Joe Banner: 2 votes

I guess since the page is so clustered people really didn't vote as much. These Wild Card ballots will be gone soon. 

Ride Marty Biron To The Cup

The man is on fire, winning seven of his last 10 starts. After the Flyers dropped a tough one to the Caps Thursday 2-1 (which Marty played very well in), they defeated the hated and might I say dropping off Rangers today in the Wachovia Center 4-2. 

Aaron Asham (yes Aaron Asham) scored two goals in the third period and Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell also added goals. 

Marty was once again stellar between the pipes making 39 saves. People like to knock Biron for his inconsistency and his horrible stick play, especially WHEN HE'S NOT IN GOAL. Not to be mistaken, I am one of these people.

Ask Tim how many times when we go to games together I say "GET YOUR ASS BACK IN NET!" 

But I'll tell ya, when Marty's on, he's on and close to a brick wall. Hopefully he can stay hot, especially in the playoffs and take us far. As far as the immediate future goes, the Flyers are back in action tomorrow at the Garden to take on the Rangers in the second part of a home and home. Hopefully, two more points results in this matter. 

Absolutely AWESOME at America's Showplace

Tonight will definitely go down as one of my favorite nights in Philadelphia sports. You're probably thinking that I'm crazy. Well, I can counter with this. 

Forget that it was a regular season 76ers game that featured a below .500 Chicago Bulls team versus a 31-30 76ers team. Quickly remind yourself that the Sixers won 104-101 in a sloppy, yet exciting game and that Thaddeus Young scored a career high 31 points, beating his previous 29-point career high that he set the previous game. 

This game was about closing out the Spectrum in terms of Philadelphia sports in style. 

It was about remembering the days of Julius "Doctor J" Erving, Moses Malone and other Sixer greats. It was about remembering Dave Zinkoff. Zink is the voice of the 76ers and his raspy tone remains in the aura of the Spectrum. 

Fortunately, I was thinking on my feet and taped most of the pre-game ceremonies on my camera. Unfortunately, in the middle of Doc's speech my memory filled up. However, instead of being cut off in the middle of one of his sentences, my video has a somewhat good ending to it.

Just so everyone takes note, this is not Dave Zinkoff actually speaking. Unfortunately, Zink died over 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure this is the talented Joe Conklin acting as Zink's voice. But, no matter who the imitator is, this sounds exactly like Zink. I get chills listening to this guy, which leads me to my next point.

Some people today want to knock on the Spectrum for it being old and ill-equipped with the technological times. But truly, why do we go to these sporting events, whether they be 76ers, Eagles, Flyers or Phillies? For the game, right?

That's what I go for. I don't go for the lights or the enhanced high definition sounds. I don't go for the eating areas or the big jumbo screens. I don't go for the extra amenities. Don't get me wrong, they are nice. But, I go for the game.

While watching tonight's game in the Spectrum, it was so much fun because it was an intimate setting and a great place to watch the game. The atmosphere was electric. It wasn't a half empty or two-thirds full gigantic Wachovia Center. It was the nice, cozy Wachovia Spectrum. Right when I walked in the building, memories flooded through my head of going to watch bad 76ers teams with my dad. Right when I walked in the building, I felt like I was in the old days again. It felt good.

I am truly sad to see this place go, because really it is not a bad place. I'll take it over the Center any day of the week, month or year. It is unique. It is special. It will forever be in my heart and memory, as it should be for you as well.
 

As Zink always said, "THIS IS FOR YOUUUU. YOUUUU. AND YOUUUU!"

Thanks Spectrum. You truly are America's Showplace and there will never be another one like you.

My Apology To Marcus Giles

Andy Martino, new Phillies beat writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote this great story on Marcus Giles in the Inky today. It is about how Giles has to deal with two significant deaths in his life and his drive to play the game of baseball after having an injury and struggling at the plate. 

Read it. It will make you appreciate this guy who is in contention for one of the last roster spots on the team. 

-Giles' tattoos keep some cherished memories alive [Inquirer]

Tonight, We Pay Tribute To America's Showplace

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! NO SMOKING IN THE SPECTRUM! NO SMOKING IN THE SPECTRUM!"

Aaah...good ole Dave Zinkoff and the legendary Philadelphia Spectrum (now called Wachovia Spectrum).

Tonight, the 76ers will play their final game ever at America's Showplace and I will be attendance with some of my family members. Also, today is the day that would have been my dad's 50th birthday. So, this is what we wanted to do to celebrate my father's 50th. 

I remember when my father first took me to the Spectrum back in the 1992-93 season. It was for the 76ers because Flyers tickets were really hard to get back in the day. Even though the team was brutally awful, led by Jeff Hornacek and God knows who else, it was still a fun experience to be in the building. 

I also remember going to the game that the Sixers last played in the Spectrum back in 1996. Stupidly though, because I was afraid of fireworks as a young kid, my family and I didn't stay for the post game festivities.

But today, I will be at the festivities and can't wait to see Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Billy Cunningham and other 76er legends. 

I can't wait to hear Zink's voice announce "JULIUS "THE DOCTOR" ERRRRRRVIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGG!" 

And hopefully, the 76ers can defeat the Bulls, a team that used to always beat the 76ers back in the day of Sir Charles' Thump N' Bump squad. 

All I can say is this. Whether you are going to the game, watching it on television or listening to it on the radio, enjoy. I know I am going to enjoy this and that my father will be too (wherever he is) just like we used to back in the day.

There will never be another place like America's Showplace. 

DAVE ZINKOFF'S INTRODUCTIONS

Thanks To Thad...Sixers Are Back at .500

For now.

Tomorrow night they play the Bulls at the Spectrum (which I am going to), but as far as last night, Thaddeus Young dropped a career high 29 points as the 76ers defeated the Raptors at the Wachovia Center 115-106.

He had the chance to reach the 30-point mark, but missed two free throws in the fourth quarter.

Damn Thad. 

Samuel Dalembert also played well. It was raining yesterday, right? 

Anyway, I don't know how many times I have posted something on the 76ers that has mentioned them reaching the .500 mark. Too many to be as exact as I can.

Hopefully they win Friday at the Spectrum. That will be something special.

Flyers v. Buffalo

The Flyers rolled to their second consecutive win after defeating the Buffalo Sabers tonight 5-2. This game featured a little bit of everything, it had scoring, scoring droughts, good play, sloppy play, fighting and of course bad officiating. 

The Flyers got off to a slow start and allowed Buffalo to score a minute and a half into to the game on their first shot. Buffalo also was able to frustrate the Flyers with good defense in the first half of the first period including a penalty kill that made the Flyers look foolish. However the Flyers were able to take a 1-1 tie into the first intermission on a goal by Scott Hartnell, from 2 beautiful passes by Richards and Giroux.

In the 2nd period the Flyers turned the pressure up, both offensively and defensively. The Flyers did not net any goals in the 2nd however they did get 11 shots on goals.

The Flyers carried their relentless attack from the 2nd period into the 3rd. The reward came almost instantly for the Flyers as Jeff Carter netted his 37th goal of the season just :27 seconds into the 3rd period. From there the Flyers did not look back putting on what is an almost routine at this point a 3rd period blitz of goals. After a great start to the period the Flyers followed up with goals by Mike Richards(26), Carter(38) and Hartnell(24).

In a game that featured 2 goals apiece from Carter and Harnell, the game also featured plenty of well advertised penalty minutes from new-comer Dan Carcillo. Marty Biron played a solid game between the pipes.  Not to be forgotten was a great fight by Arron Asham in the latter part of the 3rd period.

Next on the plate for the orange and black, stands Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The Capitals will come to the Wachovia Center losers of 4 out of their last 5, however the Capitals are holding a 6 point lead in the Eastern Conference standings.

Change On Hitchcock and Stevens Ballots

Hey, I realized the Ken Hitchcock and John Stevens ballots didn't have a "None of these guys" option on them. So, I had to delete both and make new ones.

The Hitchcock ballot had one out of one vote for Charlie Manuel and Andy Reid and the Stevens ballot had one out of one vote for Dallas Green/Fred Shero. 

I hope the person or people who voted on those two ballots already will realize they were re-done and vote on them again. 

Thanks and sorry for the mishap.

ALL-PHILLY TEAM EAGLES WILD CARD BALLOT Info Session: Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens (wide receiver)

-He played wide receiver for the Eagles from 2004 to 2005

-He was a member of their 2004 NFC Championship team

-In 2004, he compiled the best season for any wide receiver in Eagles history, collecting 77 receptions for 12,000 yards and 14 touchdowns

-In Super Bowl XXXIX, after being out with an ankle sprain and fractured fibula, he unbelievably came back and caught nine passes for 122 yards in a losing effort

-Controversy shadows over his ability

ALL-PHILLY TEAM EAGLES WILD CARD BALLOT Info Session: Troy Vincent

Troy Vincent (cornerback)

-He played cornerback on the Eagles from 1996 to 2003.

-He made the Pro Bowl five consecutive years, from 1999-2003

-He was an NFL First Team All Pro three times as an Eagle

-Is on the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team

Terrell Owens On the WILD CARD BALLOTING

Yeah...I know what you're thinking when you see that:

"WHY THE FUCK IS HE ON THIS?!" or possibly saying out loud, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

I agree. I had to think hard about this one on whether or not he should be on it. 

But, I came to realize that we should put the personal stuff aside, leave the drama packed away and realize that he had the best season for any wide receiver in franchise history. Not to mention, helped us reach a Super Bowl appearance. 

Also, didn't like the whole Eagles fan base want him back on the team a week or so ago?

So, don't stop voting when you see his name. Keep voting and remember him for his play and not for his mouth. 

Tra Thomas, Carlos Ruiz, Sean Jones, McLaren Out, Phillies and 76ers...Oh My

So...yeah...we've missed a crap load of news here at "South Broad Street" over the past couple of days. 

First off, which is the most recent news, Tra Thomas has agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Donovan McNabb is now the longest tenured Eagle, but unless the Birds get weapons, that won't be for long.

Carlos Ruiz hurt his neck in one of those ridiculous World Baseball Classic games, but returned to the Panama lineup after feeling fine. Fortunately for us Phillies fans, Panama was eliminated yesterday. 

Hey...the Eagles have signed safety Sean Jones. WHO CARES! The deal is worth $3 million over one-year.

Recently acquired defenseman for the Flyers Kyle McLaren failed his physical and is out of town. WASTE OF OUR TIME!

The Phillies lost to the Braves 7-2 yesterday due to another poor outing from Carlos Carrasco. Can we cross this guy off of the fifth starter's contentions list?

And, with possibly the most embarrassing news for last, the 76ers lost last night in Oklahoma City to the Kevin Durant and Jeff Green—less Thunder 89-74 to fall to 30-31 on the season. 

If I didn't have so much to do with the ALL-PHILLY TEAM balloting I would analyze more, but that might come later.

WILD CARD BALLOTING CHANGE

Due to the large amount of Wild Card ballots, instead of this round of voting being just for one week, it will be for two so the chances of each ballot being voted on a lot increases.

Thanks and have fun voting.

Poll Results For Week of 3/1/09

This past week's question dealt with whether or not Brian Dawkins signing with the Broncos was about money.

The results were:

Yes: 5 votes

No: 1 vote

The Eagles had no intention of keeping him to start with. They were just pulling our leg: 3 votes

Undecided: 0 votes

Well, it's safe to say our voters were definitely not undecided. 

It is also safe to say that the Dawkins departure was about the money.

But, the votes between "Yes" and "The Eagles were just pulling our leg" are pretty close. Personally, I feel the Eagles did want him, but really insulted Dawk with their initial offer. That's why he didn't call them back. I honestly feel if the Eagles first offer was two years instead of one, or three years instead of one, Dawk would have at least called them back after he heard Denver's offer. Or, even better, he would have been satisfied with two or three years and signed with the Birds right away.

However, it just wasn't meant to be. 

Three For Three....

...I love the sound of that. We need to have that happen more often. All three of our teams that are currently playing at this time won today.

The Phils defeated the Tigers 8-2. Jamie Moyer was solid again and Ryan Howard and John Mayberry Jr. (this kid better make the squad) hit long balls.

The 76ers won on the road in Memphis 110-105. Andre Iguodala had 24 points, while the other Andre, Mr. Miller had 20.

And lastly, the Flyers won at home against the scorching Predators 4-1. Joffrey Lupul scored two goals and Marty Biron made 31 saves.

As I said, doesn't this sound nice?

Important Pieces of Information ***ALL-PHILLY TEAM*** Balloting

With the initial balloting closing in a little over 24 hours from now, here is how the Wild Card and Tiebreaker Balloting will go.

The Wild Card Balloting will be first and will take place all next week. A select group of players, chosen by myself and the rest of the contributors of this site, will be eligible for the Wild Card Balloting.

This is how it is going to work. Each player in the Wild Card Balloting will have a chance to make the Tiebreaker Balloting round.

Pretty much each category will have Wild Cards and here is an example of what one will look like (take note...this is just an example and will probably not be what the actual ballot looks like):

Which player or group of players does Jim Thome belong with?

1. Mike Schmidt
2. Steve Carlton
3. Jimmy Rollins, Richie Ashburn, Darren Daulton
4. Larry Bowa
5. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley
and so on
6. Doesn't belong with any of these groups

In order for the Wild Card to make it to the Tiebreaker Round, he (or the venue) has to get at least 50 percent of the voting in one category. If he doesn't or gets 50 percent in the "Doesn't Belong" option, then he is done and does not make the Tiebreaker Round.

In the Tiebreaker Round, if there is a tie between two or more players, the ballot will obviously decide who finishes where. That will take place during the week after the Wild Card Balloting.

If you have any question, leave a comment or drop me an email at duram1@ithaca.edu.

Thanks and keep voting!

***ALL-PHILLY TEAM*** Info Session 9

This is the final Info Session for the initial balloting. 

I will post something probably tomorrow on how the Wild Card and Tiebreaker balloting will work. So, when putting it all together, expect the ALL-PHILLY TEAM results to be finalized in at least two weeks after the initial balloting closes. But, a time table has not been finalized yet. 

Anyway, this final Info Session for the initial balloting deals with all of the championship teams our city has seen. And when I say championships, I mean the whole thing. None of these teams just won a division title or a conference title. They went to the promise land and finished No. 1 in their respective leagues. So, here we go.

1. 1910 Philadelphia Athletics 

-Managed by Connie Mack, the 1910 A's finished with a regular season record of 102-48, 14 1/2 games in front of the second place New York Highlanders, to go to the World Series
-In the World Series, they defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in the series to bring home their first World Championship. 

-They won the first two games at Shibe Park and then Game 3 in Chicago's West Side Park. The Cubs pulled out Game 4 4-3 in 10 innings, but the A's routed the Cubs in Game 5 at West Side Park, 7-2.

2. 1911 Philadelphia Athletics

-Managed by Connie Mack and led by the "$100,00 Infield" of John "Stuffy" McInnis (first base), Eddie Collins (second base), Jack Barry (shortstop), Frank "Home Run" Baker (third base), Eddie Plank (pitcher) and Charles "Chief" Bender (pitcher), the A's finished with a regular season record of 101-50, 13 1/2 games in front of the second place Detroit Tigers in the American League

-In a World Series where the location switched every game, the A's dropped the first game to the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, but then won three straight to go up 3-1 in the series after four games. In Game 5 at the Polo Grounds, the Giants beat the A's 4-3 in 10 innings to stay a live in the series, but in Game 6 at Shibe Park, the A's demolished the National League Giants 13-2 to win their second championship in a row. 

3. 1913 Philadelphia Athletics 

-Once again managed by Connie Mack and led by the "$100,000 Infield", which the 1913 version is considered by some to be the best infield of all time, finished with a record of 96-57, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Washington Senators in the American League.

-In the World Series, they once again defeated the New York Giants, this time 4-1.

-After the series was tied 1-1 after two games, one at the Polo Grounds and the other at Shibe Park, the A's won three in a row to win their third World Series title in four years. 

4. 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets

-Led by player/coach Guy Chamberlain, the Yellow Jackets of 1926 finished with a record of 14-1-2, which was the best in the league, finishing a head of the 12-1-3 second place Chicago Bear. By that virtue, they were crowned the 1926 NFL Champions.

5. 1929 Philadelphia Athletics 

-Managed and owned by Connie Mack and led by future Hall of Famers such as Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons, along with other guys such as Big George Earnshaw, the A's finished with a regular season record of 104-46, 18 games better than the second place New York Yankees.

-This club is considered by some to be one of the best teams in Major League Baseball history, if not the best.

-In the World Series, they defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1.

-They took the first two games at Wrigley Field, lost Game 3 at Shibe Park and then won the last two also at Shibe Park.

6. 1930 Philadelphia Athletics

-Once again managed and owned by Connie Mack and led by the same core group of stars, the A's finished with a record of 102-52, eight games better than the second place Washington Senators in the American League.

-The won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, taking Games 5 and 6, after the series was tied 2-2 after four games. This would be the last World Series Championship for the Philadelphia version of the Athletics. 

7. 1947 Philadelphia Warriors

-Coached by Eddie Gottlieb and led by center Joe Fulks, the Warriors finished with a record of 35-25, which was second in the Basketball Association of America's (now called National Basketball Association) Eastern Division. 

-The won in the BAA Quarterfinals over the St. Louis Bombers 2-1, BAA Semifinals over the New York Knicks 2-0 and in the BAA Finals over the Chicago Stags 4-1. 

-They were the first champions in league history. 

8. 1948 Eagles

-Coached by Earle "Greasy" Neal, the Eagles were led by Steven Van Buren, Tommy Thompson and Pete Pihos

-They finished 9-2-1 and first in the Eastern Division

-They faced the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Championship Game at Shibe Park in a blizzard and won 7-0 on Steve Van Buren's lone touchdown

9. 1949 Eagles

-Led once again by Greasy Neal and the same group of the players, the 1949 Eagles finished 11-1 (first in the Eastern Division) 

-They repeated as NFL Champions defeating the Los Angeles Rams 14-0 in the rain in L.A. Steve Van Buren ran for 196 yards, which stood as an NFL Championship Game record for 40 years

10. 1956 Philadelphia Warriors

-Coached by George Senesky and led by Paul Arizin, Neil Johnston and Tom Gola, the Warriors went from worst to first in a span of one season, finishing 45-27 and first in the NBA's Eastern Division 

-The won the Eastern Division finals against the Syracuse Nationals 3-2 and the NBA Finals against the Fort Wayne Pistons 4-1

11. 1960 Eagles

-Coached by Buck Shaw and led by Norm Van Brocklin, Tommy McDonald and Chuck Bednarik, the 1960 Eagles weren't considered contenders at first

-They got demolished in their first game of the season versus the Cleveland Browns and then barely beat the expansion and eventually winless Cowboys of 1960 the very next week due to two missed extra points by Dallas

-But, they somehow came together, overcame all the negativity towards them and went 10-2 to win the Eastern Division

-This is the year the Eagles really became popular in town. In the second meeting against the Browns, they upset them in Cleveland, causing of wave of new interest in the Eagles.

-In the 1960 NFL Championship Game against Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field the day after Christmas, the Eagles offense was dismal, but still managed to win in a fourth quarter comeback 17-13. Chuck Bednarik made the final tackle to end the game.

-This is also the season Bednarik put that vicious hit on Frank Gifford at Yankee Stadium

12. 1967 76ers

-Coached by Alex Hannum and led by Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Luke Jackson, Chet Walker, Wali Jones and Billy Cunningham, they went 68-13 and finished first in the Eastern Division

-In the playoffs, they defeated the Cincinnati Royals in the Semifinals 3-1 and dethroned the 9-time defending Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals 4-1. This left the 76ers fans chanting "BOSTON'S DEAD! BOSTON'S DEAD! BOSTON'S DEAD!"

-In the NBA Finals, they defeated the San Francisco Warriors 4-2

-Until the Chicago Bulls won 72 games in 1996, they held the best record in NBA history and still to this day, they are argued as the best team ever to play

13. 1974 Flyers

-Coached by Fred Shero and led by Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Gary Dornhoefer, Joe Watson, Rick MacLeish, Bernie Parent and many others, the Flyers finished 50-16-12 

-In the playoffs, they swept the Atlanta Flames and defeated the New York Rangers in seven games in the Conference Championship (each game was won by the home team)

-In the Stanley Cup Finals, they faced the heavily favored Boston Bruins. They Flyers took a 3-1 series lead after the first four games, dropped Game 5 in Boston, then came back to the Spectrum for Game 6

-Kate Smith, the Flyer's good luck charm, made a rare in person appearance to the Spectrum to sing God Bless America

-The Flyers won 1-0 on a first period goal by MacLeish and stellar goaltending by Parent

-Bernie Parent won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Vezina Trophy

-Fred Shero won the Jack Adams Award

-The 1974 Flyers were the city's first Championship Parade and according to many, 2 million people attended

14. 1975 Flyers

-Coached and led by the same guys, with the addition of Reggie Leach, the Flyers went 51-18-11

-In the playoffs, they swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (first round bye) and beat the New York Islanders in seven games to go to the Stanley Cup Finals

-In the finals, they faced the Buffalo Sabres, won the first two games at home, dropped Games 3 and 4 in Buffalo, won Game 5 convincingly at home and then closed it out in Buffalo in Game 6

-Bernie Parent once again won the Conn Smthye and Vezina Trophies and Bobby Clark won the Hart Memorial Trophy

-It was said that even more people showed up to the '75 Parade

15. 1980 Phillies

-Managed by Dallas Green and led by Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, the 1980 Phillies finished 91-71 and defeated the Montreal Expos by one game in the NL East. However, they without question underachieved for most of the year and it took a club house scolding by General Manager Paul Owens to get this team playing good ball in September. 

-This was  a team that did not really like each other very much and especially had issues with Green. But, that is what makes them so special.

-In the NLCS, they faced off against the Houston Astros. This series, to this day, is one the most intense League Championship series in the history of baseball. The Phils won Game 1 at the Vet, but dropped Game 2 in extra innings the next night. It was a game that they had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, but blew it when Third Base Coach Lee Elia held up right fielder Bake McBride at third because he thought he was going to get thrown out at home. 

-In Houston, the Astros won Game 3 in extra innings, the Phils won Game 4 in extra innings and Game 5 in extra innings (after being down three runs in the eighth to Nolan Ryan and blowing a 7-5 lead in the ninth). The series was absolutely awesome.

-In the World Series against the favored Kansas City Royals, the Phils took Games 1 and 2 at the Vet (came from behind in both), dropped Games 3 and 4 in Kansas City, won Game 5 in KC (after being down in the top of the ninth and facing Dan Quisenberry) and won Game 6 at the Vet behind the great pitching of Steve Carlton. In the ninth inning of Game 6, Tug McGraw, who was having a great season, loaded the bases with one out, but the next two outs came by a crazy foul out from Frank White and a strikeout to Willie Wilson. 

-Schmidt won the NL MVP that year and the Word Series MVP. Carlton was the Cy Young Award.
-The 1980 Phillies Parade was also a joyous celebration.

16. 1983 76ers

-Coached by Billy Cunningham and led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone, the 76ers finished 65-17, which was first in the Atlantic Division

-Before the playoffs, Malone said they were going to go "Fo', Fo', Fo'." 

-Well, after a first round bye, they swept the New York Knicks in four games and then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, but in five games

-In the NBA Finals, they faced the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that beat them in 1980 and 1982 for the championship. However, this time around, the 76ers had Malone and swept the Lakers in four games to win the crown. At one point in the series, Cunningham said, "We want to end it in four.We want someone to remember this team."

-Malone was the Finals and League MVP that season

-The 1983 76ers Parade was another joyous celebration

17. 2008 Phillies

-Managed by Charlie Manuel and led by Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Brad Lidge and many others, the Phillies finished 92-70, winning the NL East by three games over the New York Mets

-This team had great chemistry and really liked Manuel

-In the playoffs, they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS in four games and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in five games to go to their first World Series since 1993

-In the World Series against the cinderella Tampa Bay Rays, the Phillies took Game 1 in Tampa, dropped Game 2 in Tampa and won the next three Games at Citizens Bank to end the city's 25 year championship drought

-In Game 5, it started to rain extremely hard and the game had to be suspended after 5 1/2 innings with the score tied at 2-2

-In the resumption of Game 5 two nights later, the crowd was revved up more than ever and the Phils won 4-3

-Brad Lidge got the save and finished perfect in save chances for the 2008 regular season and post-season, going 48 for 48

-This left the city in a frenzy as the quarter-long century drought for all four teams and the 28-year drought for the Phillies ended.

-And then, of course, the 2008 Phillies Championship Parade was probably the most joyous, appreciated and needed one to date.

I finally got all of the initial Info Sessions done! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Oh yeah, one note, just because the 2008 Phillies is the longest doesn't mean they were the best team. They might be, but that is up to you because the other teams are very worthy as well. The only reason the 2008 Phillies is the longest is because there is the most multimedia on them and that is obviously because their championship is the most recent in our city. 

Anyway, stay tuned for the Wild Card Balloting and Tie Breaker Balloting. Keep voting. The amount of people who voted already is awesome. Keep it up guys!