After an unfortunate week for Philly sports fans, the Eagles are on a big, big stage against their most hated rivals on Sunday night. The Eagles have played few games this season that really show their true colors, so there may not be a whole lot of material to judge the Eagles by as they head into a second straight week where they could take first place away from their opponent. But the Eagles seemed to need that Oakland loss to put things in perspective and get on a roll. Right now they look like they have the momentum. This matchup is probably the most exciting out of all in Week 9.
You’re welcome for your weekly answer sheet. Who’s do you follow? Well, Dave just took the season lead and only made two mistakes last week. Just ’sayin.
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Season Up To Date:
Dave: 81-35 (upset picks: 5-3) [last week: 11-2]
Jeff: 78-38 (upset picks: 3-5) [last week: 8-5]
Aaron: 75-41 (upset picks: 2-6) [last week: 9-4]
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**Byes: Bills, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Raiders, Rams
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Sunday, November 8
(4-3) 
@ (5-2) 
1:00 pm CBS
Aaron: 
Dave: Jeff:
–-
(3-4) 
@ (5-2) 
1:00 pm CBS
Aaron: 
Dave: Jeff:
–
(1-6) 
@ (3-4) 
1:00 pm CBS
Aaron: 
Dave: 
Jeff:
This is getting old isn’t it? The New York Post continues to give journalism a bad name, doctoring photos and using nicknames from half a decade ago. Does New York want to live in the past? Soon they be forced to. Does anyone remember the last time they rooted for the Boston Red Sox? You know, before the fans became as cocky as their New York counterparts. That would be 2004. During the ALCS to be exact. That was when the Yankees choked on a three-game lead and the Red Sox forced a Game 7 and eventually went on to win the ALCS and World Series.
Both the New York Post, and the Philadelphia Daily News feature Pedro Martinez, the Phillies Game 6 pitcher. Obviously Pedro is in the spotlight because this is the biggest game of the season for the Phils, but despite Pedro showing up on the roster in mid-July, there is no one better to be filling the role. Pedro Martinez is a big game pitcher that isn’t really intimidated by anything, especially not bandwagon Yankee fans chanting “Daddy” while he’s on the mound.
The Phillies have a real opportunity here with a masterful pitcher on the mound who has pitched well in both of his postseason starts this year. What he needs is support from his teammates at the plate. Chase Utley can only hit so many home runs (although with one more he takes sole possession of the all-time lead for home runs in a World Series). Ryan Howard needs to figure out his slump fast so he can help save the season. Pedro Feliz, Raul Ibañez, Chooch, they all need to continue swinging the hot bat if the Phillies want at a Game 7 tomorrow.
The Phillies will need a complete team effort tonight to figure out the Yankees best big-game pitcher; Andy Pettite. Although he’s pitching on short rest, Pettite has good stuff and the Phillies will need to pull all the tricks out of the bag. If they do win tonight, the pressure clearly all falls on the New York Yankees, and if the Phillies win a Game 7 against C.C. Sabathia on short rest, then maybe the New York Post will have a new name for their team: the Tankees.
Maybe those New Yorkers won’t be so cocky anymore. Hah, who am I kidding? The followers of the biggest bandwagon team of all time will always be smug, cocky, and lack the class that the Yankees like to pretend they tout with those 26 rings. The excuses are flowing in New York as to why the Yankees didn’t win last night, but instead lost to the Phillies who were facing elimination.
Our favorite New York tabloid of course didn’t give the Phillies credit for winning Game 5, but looked forward to the possibility of the Yankees winning it all in the Bronx. But not so fast New York, the Phillies bats are alive and well.
The Phillies rode the left arm of Cliff Lee and the bat of Chase Utley to a game they absolutely had to win. Utley, like in Game 2, knocked two out of the park. The second homer was one for the record books. He is now tied for the MLB all-time record with Reggie Jackson with five home runs in a World Series. Utley has done that in five games. Jackson needed six.
On the other hand, Ryan Howard had a record 12 strikeouts in a World Series.If the Phillies are going to bring this series to seven games, at some point they will need him to break out of this ill-timed slump and there isn’t much sand left in the hourglass for him to do it. But the Phillies still have hope.
Cliff Lee didn’t have a 10-strikeout performance last night, but he did the job. He has absolutely been the man for the Phillies. Although he had only two strikeouts, he is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his two World Series starts and an MVP-worthy 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA this postseason. Unfortunately he can’t pitch every game for the Phillies. They will go with Pedro Martinez Wednesday night in Game 6. He lost Game 2, going six innings where he surrendered three runs and two home runs, but he pitched them well, and truly is the Phillies best option as the team heads back to New York. They will face Andy Pettite who is pitching on three days rest. That could be interesting.
If the Phillies do pull it out in Yankee Stadium and finally support Pedro Martinez, they will look to Game 7 and try and be the first team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to come back from a 3-1 deficit.
Way back in 2004, before a 2nd round playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, the FOX introduction video was backed by Eminem’s award-winning “Lose Yourself”. The Eagles, as history would have it, went on to win the game 27-14, and went to the Super Bowl later that season. Any song can be a rallying cry, but I want to take just one deeper look into a few words in it:
“So here I go, it’s my shot. Feet fail me not, cause this may be the only opportunity that I got..”
Just song lyrics. Just words. If you listen to the tune, it will actually get your blood flowing ten times faster, but that’s beside that point. Those words weren’t written for the Philadelphia Eagles, for the Phillies, or for any team. But in this moment, right now, with just over two hours before a game to keep their season alive, it becomes an anthem. These words become the Phillies official song, something to call their own.
For over two years, baseball has taken over a football-first city. For over two years, this city and region has fallen in love with this team – from the front office, to the manager with that southern drawl, and the players on the field. We love the way they play, how they battle for every out, take on any challenge, are personable but remain quietly confident, and most of all – we love that they refuse to lose.
October 2008 was a script straight out of Hollywood: you won’t find that repeating ever again. That was too special, too unique. But eyebrows started to rise as the Phillies won the LDS 3-1 over the wild card team. Eyes grew wide as somehow they won the LCS again…in 5 games again…over the Dodgers again. The clutch hitting magic was there. The bullpen magic was somehow there. It was all coming together. It had all fallen into place again.
Until now.
Now, on November 2nd, 2009, the Phillies are 27 outs away from no longer having the title of defending World Series champions. They’re 27 outs away from falling from the top of the mountain, and as the song goes…who knows when the next go around will be? Just 27 outs away from making last year’s championship feel like something that could possibly never happen again. That’s a feeling this city had for decades; and the feeling right now, of being on top, is slipping away.
There is no correct forecast – nobody can read the future. If the past few games have shown anything, the Yankees could very well win tonight and close out the series on the Phillies diamond. Cliff Lee could prove human and get hit around just enough to let New York get to Rivera. The big bats could stay dormant, Jimmy could keep getting outs, and the dream could end.
But this is it. This is the end of the line. With a loss, there are no more Matt Stairs home runs. No more Victorino diving grabs. No more Utley jacks, Rollins steals, Lee punchouts, or Ruiz doubles. No more High Hopes. No more dream. The memories will fade fast.
This is the moment. Not the moment they prepared for in a 3-1 hole, but a moment this team is built for. The time when the world is beating them down and they have one last gasp of air left. The time when every little thing must go right to just stay alive. The Phillies won it all last year, but none of that matters right now. With just two hours left before game time, with the season on the line, I re-visit that song once more:
“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime..”
Don’t let 2008 become an isolated memory. Let 2009 live on.
Just win.
On the first weekend of this college football season, Navy pushed then top-10 ranked Ohio State to the limit, only to fall just short in the final minutes. But the Midshipmen proved their worth in front of a national audience. This run first, run second, run third team had baffled a Big Ten powerhouse for the majority of 60 minutes.
Coach Al Golden has brought the Temple football program around 180 degrees, but their job is still not done. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Flash forward to Halloween day as the Temple Owls rolled into Annapolis. What kind of possible threat could the once ‘joke of the nation’ pose? After a furious back and forth battle, and a 267 yard performance from running back Bernard Pierce, the Owls came out as victors. Again.
I bring up the fact that Navy is certainly no joke of an opponent for one reason: to show the resilience and toughness of this revived program. But one win doesn’t make a season, not even close. For Temple however, this wasn’t the monkey off their back kind of win. It wasn’t the first win in another long season. It’s not a rebuilding year, and this program isn’t stuck in the mud anymore. The Temple Owls moved to 6-2 with their sixth straight victory, and remain 4-0 in conference. Six straight wins isn’t a fluke, it’s a sign of the changing times. The sign reads loud and clear: Temple football is back, it’s a contender, and here to stay.
