Sunday, July 24, 2011

Brett Favre, Plaxico Burress, and Albert Haynesworth

No, it's not just any list of some free agents here.  And no, it's not just a list of the most controversial free agents.

These are three controversial players who could very well be in Eagles green next year. 

But how much can you as a fan take??

Allen Iverson's lackluster return, the Michael Vick press conference, Jamior Jagr or Max Tailbot in Orange and Black?  How would you feel seeing Brett Favre's grey beard sitting next to Andy and Lurie.  All Eagles fans were laughing hysterically at self-made jokes about Plaxico shooting himself.  What about the man who is in a debate with Jamarcus Russel for the laziest person in the NFL.

First off is the player I think would be the best option for Philadelphia.  Plaxico Burress.  Lets face it, it was a foolish crime, and he was jailed for too long.  I dont understand Ray Lewis being involved in the death of two people not spending a day in jail, while Plaxico went for two years for shooting himself.  When you justify Donte Stallworth, driving 10MPH+ over the speed limit and blowing a .012; going to jail for 30 days for driving drunk and killing someone  But with all of that aside, he isn't a horrible person, and a lot easier to accept as compared to a guy like Vick or Stallworth.

Plaxico's biggest asset to this team is his 6'5" 232lb frame.  That's 5-7" and 30-50 lbs on our top two receivers.  The Eagles redzone flat out sucks, and that's partially due to having your top two WR being so short.  You love their speed and the explosive 60 yard touchdowns when they run past everyone, but when your 10 yards away from the endzone on 3rd and 10; they aren't going to jump over a 6'3" corner or safety playing zone coverage.  Watch some film, the only redzone scores either Jackson or Maclin had were due to Vick's scramble or they made a move or two on coverage and got open.  The Eagles miss and need to have the ability to throw that jump ball to the back of the endzone, that jump ball they cherished with Terrell Owens. 

Plaxico could slide in as a 3 or 4 WR on this team.  I think Riley Cooper is a possible long-term solution, but he didn't do anything to make me rely on him to make a play with the game on the line.

As long as he is in shape and healthy, he would be an asset.  We have 3-4 quality receivers now, but God-forbid one of those go down, we are in trouble.  Plaxico would be a great name to add to the offense, ultimately, if the price is right.  The list of WR free agents is a massive one (Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Steve Smith, Malcom Floyd, TO, Ochocinco, Randy Moss, etc) and a guy like Plaxico won't be a top target.

And now we move onto Albert Haynesworth, my least favorite of the three.  The talent is there, the skill is there, but I have no way to believe he will mature.  I've heard the argument that the Eagles can "mature" players and make them play to the top of their level; but I must ask these people how they forget about the Andrews twins and the circus that followed them, or when TO was doing sit-ups in his driveway. 

Haynesworth is a great player.  The Eagles are apparently switching to a Cover-2, which requires a lot better pass rushers than we have beyond Graham and Cole.  If I am in charge, Haynesworth is a gamble I am not willing to make.  I'd rather get a guy with a little less talent who will put their heart into the team.

Brett Favre.  You pissed at me for bringing up the last person you ever wanted to hear??

While he used the loose word "retired" after last year, you must consider that maybe he isn't retiring (again).
And what if him not retiring meant he was wearing Green and White next year??

Despite your instant displeasure and disapproval of the thought of a Green #4 Favre jersey, you must look at the full picture. 


It isn't official, but it's basically accepted as fact that Kevin Kolb will be traded.  Kolb is a NFL-ready QB, no questions asked, but you can question if he is a Pro-Bowl QB like Vick. 

Kolb may be a QB of the future, but we don't even know if Desean Jackson will be on the birds after this year.  Eagles are in it to win now, and that's why I believe Favre would be A GREAT FIT in Philadelphia.

Without Kolb, the Eagles have Michael Vick and Mike Kafka.  That's a backup who is not ready and a starter who's style of play is susceptible to injury.  It's common sense that the Eagles need a backup QB.

So what are the options?  Brett Favre, Alex Smith, Vince Young, Matt Leinheart, Marc Bulger, Matt Hasslebeck, Drew Stanton, Chad Pennington, Brady Quinn, Tavaras Jackson, Billy Volek, and some other 3rd stringers.  Favre may not be the best QB in this list, but the list of teams that don't have a QB with the season starting in 50some days is huge.  Arizona, Jacksonville, San Fran, Carolina, just to name a few.  And another handful of teams like Washington who have a QB, but they could be complete busts.

Regardless, my biggest push for Favre goes back to both the knowledge he has of the Eagles offense, and his relationship with Andy Reid. 

Andy Reid was hired as an assistant coach in Green Bay for the 1992 season, which happened to be Brett Favre's first season in Green Bay.  When Brett won a Super Bowl in 1997, Andy Reid was his QB coach.  Simply, they go back. Packers were historically a passing offense, exactly as the Eagles are now.  Favre could fit in pretty easily.


The back up QB situation is a very serious one for the Eagles.  I understand everyone's reservations about trading Kolb, but if you can bring in a name who can help out the weak Eagles defense like Rogers-Cromartie, you have to pull the trigger.  When it comes down to who you want to come into the NFC Championship game when Vick has to sit out a drive due to injury; do you want Vince Young, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinheart, etc...or Brett Favre.

I'll take Brett.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

2011-2012 Flyers Lines

I am one of a million looking for some sense in what the Flyers lines will be next year.  While I would love to hear your opinion in the comments, here's how I would run it.  Looking at the main lines, along with the top powerplay and penalty kill lines. 

I still believe the Flyers will pick up a 2nd/3rd line offensive player.  Now that Stamkos is officially off the block, I think Chris Drury is a name the Flyers could pick up.  But as of today, here's how I would run it. 

Offense
1. Jagr - Giroux - Briere
2. VanRiemsdyk - Tailbot - Hartnall
3. Simmonds - Schenn - Voracek
4. Shelly - Betts - Nodl
Top AHL - Holmstrom, Wellwood

Defense
1. Pronger - Mezaros
2. Timonen - Carle
3. Coburn - Gustafsson
Top AHL - Bartulis, Lilja

Goalies
1. Bryzgalov
2. Leighton (Bobrovsky will be traded)

PP
1. Briere - Giroux - JVR - Pronger - Mezaros

PK
1. Simmonds - Tailbot - Timonen - Carle

Checklist : Phillies Right Handed Bat

As 10 days remain until the MLB Trade Deadline, I'll be taking a look at the names swirling around for the Phillies and their hunt for a right handed bat.

Hunter Pence - While he may be a longshot, you'd be an idiot to not want his .316 average and 61 RBI's in the Phillies lineup.  He's a career .290 hitter, and would be the perfect fit on this team.  As with anything however, the cost for him would be pretty substantial.  The rumor swirl is a deal along the lines of Domonic Brown and Vance Worley for Hunter. 

If the Phillies were to snag Pence, it would be taking a gamble knowing he's eligible for salary arbitration in 2012, and a free agent for the 2013 season.  As we have been shown in the Phillies past, contracts can and will be agreed upon.  Where will the 10-15 million a player like Pence come from???  Well the Phillies have three options on Roy Oswalt... 1. He retires, no salary owed.  2. Pay him 16 million for his services, or 3. Buy out his contract for under 3 million, and release him as a free agent.  I think Oswalt would still be nice to have in the roster, but he hasn't done anything to prove he is worth that much money. 

While I think it's incredibly likley the Phils will release Oswalt, I doubt the Phillies will land Pence.  You must realize the impact that would have on Houston as well.  He is the face of the Astros, and that would be parallel to the Phillies releasing Howard in 06-07 when he was still young and his talent was on the way up.  Unless there is something going on behind the scenes and Pence wants out of Houston, he will be there for a long time and rewarded financially. 

Now that I am removing Pence from the picture, here's some of the other names and some info on the players....

Carlos Beltran -The 34 year old looks like the leading candidate for the Phils, and I am okay with that.  He's putting up good numbers this year (.293, 15HR, 61RBI), and did hit .323 in 2009.  With his contract ending, and if he performs; he could end up in this organization for a couple years with the Oswalt money.

Just incase you want more convincing.  If he was on the Phils, he would be 2nd in batting average (a mere .002 away from Victorino), 2nd in HR, and 2nd in RBI's.  What a 5 hole hitter he would be.

Melky Cabrerra -  Another player I would love to land in Philly.  At only 26 (and more of a long-run solution), his .294 average and 12 home runs would fit in fine in this lineup.  At such a young age, he would be worth offering an extension too after the season if things work out.

There's a dozen other right handed bats out there, but none stand out like these three guys.  Lets hope the Phillies can land one of these guys.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Florida is the Worst Baseball State in America

You can make all the excuses and all the nonsense ever to determine who has a better or worse fanbase, but in the end, it all comes down to how many people are in the seats for home games.  That's how a team makes their money, and that's what I am analyzing in this post.

I took a look at now only how many people are in the seats for a game, but also compared to how good the team is.  Granted, a bad team will be less attractive for fans to attend than a successful team. 

This "FW" stat is a look at how many fans show up to a game in comparison to the team's winning percentage.  Now it isn't flawless, since you can argue that teams who have capacity attendance (Philly/Boston) could sell more seats if they were available.  But this shows a rough draft on some of the best fans for unsuccessful teams, and the successful teams who can not draw a crowd. 

First is worse, the bottom is better.  You really should group it out however.  There is a vast difference between small numbers, such as the jump from Oakland to Cleveland.  The FW is found by the following formula = Winning Percentage / Attendance X 10000


Team Attendance Winning Percentage Capacity% FW Stat
Marlins 17101 0.484 43.7 0.2830243845
Rays 19612 0.538 57.6 0.2743218438
Indians 21106 0.532 48.6 0.2520610253
A's 19059 0.438 54.4 0.2298126869
Pirates 23577 0.527 61.5 0.2235229249
Diamondbacks 24166 0.537 49.7 0.2222130266
Nationals 23391 0.495 56.4 0.2116198538
Blue Jays 23294 0.49 47.3 0.2103545978
Braves 28602 0.589 57.5 0.2059296553
Royals 19972 0.4 52.7 0.2002803925
White sox 24376 0.484 60 0.1985559567
Mariners 23342 0.453 48.8 0.1940707737
Orioles 21873 0.413 48.1 0.1888172633
Reds 27285 0.495 64.5 0.1814183617
Tigers 29739 0.526 72.1 0.1768721208
Padres 25570 0.427 59.9 0.1669925694
Red Sox 37574 0.613 101.4 0.1631447277*
Mets 30681 0.5 73.4 0.1629673088
Rangers 36826 0.573 74.9 0.1555965894
Brewers 35435 0.531 84.6 0.1498518414
Cardinals 37696 0.526 85.7 0.1395373514
Phillies 45482 0.628 104.2 0.1380766017*
Giants 41736 0.573 99.6 0.1372915469
Angels 39002 0.531 85.9 0.1361468643
Yankees 44359 0.598 88.2 0.1348091706
Rockies 35614 0.474 70.5 0.1330937272
Astros 26530 0.326 64.8 0.1228797588
Dodgers 36609 0.442 65.4 0.1207353383
Twins 39207 0.468 99.3 0.1193664397
Cubs 36766 0.396 89.3 0.1077082087
* denotes teams operating at capacity, so stat can be flawed

While this isn't a black and white stat, it shows some teams that are drawing without success, and vice versa.  The Rays are 7 games over .500, and yet draw less than 20k fans.  The Cubs draw nearly 37k while being 20 games below .500

Interesting stuff....cheers!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Phillies win the series, and now we have to cheer for our enemies.

Before I even say a word, I hate the all star game.  I hate the fact that something so important as home field advantage is determined by players on sub .500 teams and pitchers who aren't throwing half as hard as they would be in a real game.  It's awful. 

But, Tuesday Night, I'll be cheering for Scott Rolen, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Carlos Beltran, and Jair Jurgens.  And when the clock strikes midnight Tuesday night, I'm back to despising them. 


Regardless, having a good series going into a break is crucial, and something the Phillies stepped up and did today and this whole weekend series.

Friday night was one of those weird-odd games for the first 9 innings.  From the double rain-delay to Carlos Ruiz hitting one of those homeruns that may not of traveled 335'.  But then Juan Perez comes out of the pen and fires 3 strikeouts on 9 pitches, and then Raul hits a walk off moonshot, and the Phillies win.  Always great to see walk-off wins, and despite appearing a little shaky at times, Roy took care of business.

Saturday saw Cliff Lee be the only player offensively and defensively show up, as his home-run accounted for all the Phillies offense, and despite him throwing a magnificent 8 innings of 3 hit 1 run ball; Phils lost.  Again, you can't hang you heads too low on games like this since you wont go 162-0, but it's brutal spoiling a pitching performance like that.  If it's any consolation however, Cliff Lee looked as good as he has all year throwing...once again.

As Charlie Manuel likes to call it "hittin' season", I guess the 95 degree afternoon in Philly accounts for that.  The Phillies 20 hits on Sunday were a season high, and the crooked 14 runs on the board looked great. The Phillies outfield accounted for 12 RBI's, and Michael Martinez put up a 4 hit game.  Just one of those fun games to watch, and being against the Braves, it's even better since the game was of utmost July-baseball importance. 

Phils enter the all star break 57-34.  3.5 game lead.  Best record in baseball.  On pace to finish with 101 wins, if you were counting.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Statistics Class and what else the Flyers will do?

Alright, here's your Philadelphia Flyers Salary #'s for 2011-2012.

Cap Space after the first day of free agency : 4.015 Million

That 4.015 million includes Lavs and Schenn on the opening day roster.  Lets be real, they probably wont be.

Schenn nets 3.1 million and Lavs nets 1.2 million.

Without those two on your roster, the Flyers still have 8.3 million to spend....that INCLUDES Jagr and all signings made today.


Everything we're hearing is that the Flyers are not done, and shockingly enough to me, the Flyers are looking for a big name.  Sarah Baicker of CSN REPORTS Flyers are working on a big "trade".  And another credible source Anthony SanFilippo tweeted THIS : I sent a text to a Flyers source asking about guys like Gagne, Madden, Handzus and Langenbrunner. The response: "Think bigger."

When I think trade, I instantly put guys like Pronger or Timmonen on the invisible block.  While It's farfetched, it would free up a lot of space.  There are still 2nd line D-men who are free agents, and who knows who could be returned in a trade for either of those guys.  Mezarsos could play on the front line with one of those guys and I'd be okay with that.

Now those guys wont warrant anything in return, it more so frees up salary.   Kimmo earn 6.4 million a year and Pronger comes in just under 5.  If you add that to what we have available to spend, were talking 13-15 million dollars avalable to sign a quality D man and any player in the world you want (aka Stamkos/Richards).

All speculation....But who the hell saw any of this coming.  I dont think anyone knows the answer, but I still expect this team to bring in another solid offensive name.  They filled roles on special teams that were lost (Tailbot PK, Jagr PP), and still have the ability to spend money.

All in all, I love the moves.  Can't wait for October.

Your 2011-2012 Flyers (as of now)

Your 2011-2012 Flyers as of 4:04pm.

1. Danny Briere
2. Claude Giroux
3. James Van Riemsdyk
4. Scott Hartnall
5. Jamior Jagr
6. Jakub Voracek
7. Brayden Schenn
8. Wayne Simmonds
9. Max Tailbot
10. Andres Nodl
11. Blare Betts
12. Jody Shelly

Minors : Wellwood, Rinaldo, Testwudie, Ryan, Laparriere, Holmstrom.

13. Chris Pronger
14. Kimmo Timonen
15. Braydon Coburn
16. Andrej Mezardos
17. Matt Carle
18. Erik Gustafsson

Minors : Lilja, Bartulus, Marshall, Syvret

19. Ilya Bryzgalov
20. Sergi Bobrovsky

Minors : Backlund, Leighton.