It's Not Me, It's YOU

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, we are here today to tell you that SOUTHERN FRIED CHEESESTEAK is moving up in the world. That's right!!! The days of frusturating posts, formatting failures and an inability to copy and paste are over.

I'm taken my blog and moved over to www.southernfriedcheesesteak.wordpress.com. There you will find the same "HIGH LEVEL" and "ENTERTAINING" blogging you've come to expect from this place. Stop in and let me know what you think. Or don't. I'm still gonna keep blogging.

On my new blog there's a tab along the right side to follow via email and always comments are welcomed.

Blogspot, we've had some great times and some very average times - but I am excited to say goodbye. Now you don't have to go home, but you do gotta get the hell outta here.

See ya'll over at www.southernfriedcheesesteak.wordpress.com.

Last one out, kindly shut out the lights.

If You Start Me Up...

Okay, exhale (not you, President Clinton). US Soccer team, what went wrong? I tried to inspire through my emotional, cathartic blog last week but to no avail. It was a good run but we came up a bit short against Ghana. Did our World Cup run change your perception of soccer in the country? Maybe for a short time - but objectivly I do believe that soccer is getting more love in the US now. On the way home from work today the lead story on the sports update was the World Cup. Did we fall short of our expectations? Yes, I think we absolutely should have beaten Ghana. But was this one of the more enjoyable runs a US soccer team has been a part of? Absolutely. I definitely didn't agree with some of Coach Bradley's starting decisions but overall I think he did a good job. That being said, I do think he gets fired (another hot story in the sports section). The US team constantly started slow and that cost the team a spot in the quarter finals. In fact, both Ghana goals were scored within five minutes of the respective halves (well first half and first OT) and I believe all but one of the goals we gave up were within the first 8-10 minutes of the game.

By the way ESPN, can I get another cutaway of President Clinton and Mick Jagger? I'd give a week's salary to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

Phils
So before everyone hits the panic button on the Phils lets take a couple of deep breaths here. Yes, losing 2/4 of our infield hurts. Yes, Chase Utley is our leader. Yes Placido Polanco is third in the NL in hitting this season, but as I said to loyal SFCS-head Derrick Hinmon, I would much rather this happen now than in 4-6 weeks. I think we have enough talent to hang around the race and be poised to make an August push. Mind you, Chase, Polanco, J-Roll, Madson, Happ, Lidge, Ruiz and Durbin all have missed time this year (all but Lidge have missed significant time) and we are still just a few games out of first. We have seven guys currently on the DL. Incredibly Rollins and Polanco have played in a TOTAL of 10 games together this season, and our starting infield has been together for less than that. Eventually we will be healthy - and if we can stay in the race until August, I like our chances to get heatlthy come August and down the stretch.

I expect J-Roll, Howard and Werth to all continue playing well and but the key is going to be Rauuuuul. If he can continue to slowly bring himself back, I think we will be more than fine.


In other news:

• May 2011 will mark a sad day in American TV. The end of Steve Carrell's run on the office as do-nothing boss Michael Scott. Hard to think of another show that leans on one specific character more than The Office. The good news, it seems to be on syndicate everywhere and all the time.
• Just saw one of those forwarded powerpoints, that my Mom loves to send and it was the most simple point really stuck with me. "Be ALIVE while you are alive." Love that.
• Ever say something really foolish to someone, that given the context of your relationship, makes no sense. This happens to me quite a bit. For example, I was speaking on the phone to a customer care "specialist" yesterday about a billing issue. Once my issue was resolved, my closing salutation was, "Thanks again and I'll catch up with you later."
• Ever notice that when you bang your head on something - like a cabinet or or a overhead freezer door, there's a sudden rush of equal parts pain and anger. It's like I immediately want to turn into fists of fury and no household object is safe.
• Loved the first episode of Entourage. Typically, the first few episodes are slow, but this was good. The business that Turtle started was a bit confusing and I thought it was going to be part of a dream sequence, but I guess LA needs a scantily clad driving service
• Someone please tell me why Andy Roddick get so much tennis hype. Outside of his wife, he's done nothing to warrant the credit or praise. He loses big matches frequently and regularly comes up short. Someone asked him if his recent second-round loss at Wimbledon would bother him the next morning? Roddick responded, "Yeah, of course I'm gonna be pissed tomorrow morning." Poor guy. You make millions, you play a sport for a living, you are insanely overrated and you are married to Brooklyn Decker.
• And the dear G-d please don't let her be our next President (or ever) quote of the day comes from Mrs. Sarah Palin, who talked about one of her hero's Ronald Reagan by telling a crowd in California, "This is Reagan country, and perhaps it was destiny that the man who went to California's Eureka College would become so woven within and interlinked to the Golden State." Only one problem, her hero President Reagan went to Eureka College in Illinois from 1928-1932.

Thank you. You've been a great crowd.

Landon' on our Feet...

I have enjoyed watching the World Cup this year far more than I have in the past. While watching incredible stars like Messi, Maicon and Ronaldo is always fascinating, and the implosion of the French is easy to enjoy - it is the US Soccer team that I am here to talk about. As I watched that match on Wednesday with my head in my hands for the first 91 minutes and 15 seconds, I felt extreme frustration - much like most US viewers around the world. Only a bit different.

Let me share a little insight. My parents enrolled me in the YMCA Soccer league when I was four. Think my first team was the Wildcats, then it was the Tigers and so on. Our t-shirts had a big Pepsi logo on the back, and that's when you knew you had arrived as a soccer player in Wilmington, DE. Our games were played on Saturday mornings - and the soccer fields were always the place to be! My biggest fear was that the studs on the bottom of my cleats would fall off when I touched the ball. Inquisitively I would ask, "Mom and Dad are you sure these things won't fall off when I kick the ball?" Looking back, I'm not really sure why this thought gave me panic, but many things I thought as a kid didn't make sense. Anyway, in Wilmington every kid played soccer. Two of my oldest and best friends - Eric Conner and Eric Levin played - and we would take turns sleeping over each others' houses, then go out and play against each other. After the game we would go to McDonalds after and talk about how great we were. Who could we ever forget those incredible Saturday's?

From there I continued playing soccer in leagues and for club teams in Delaware (except for a short stint from 11-14 when I burned out on soccer and wanted to focus on my "baseball career"). After this hiatus I regained my passion for the sport in a big way. In fact, I still get that same childhood excitement now when I play in my adult league games, that I had as a 4-5 year old. Of course, my old Saturday mornings have turned into Tuesday and Wednesday nights and there is no more McDonalds, which is DEFINITELY addition through subtraction but that love for the game is still the same.

From the time I had the Pepsi logo on my back until a few days ago - soccer has always struggled to gain any kind of major acceptance in the US. While it is the most popular sport for young kids, once they get older most tend to lose interest. I headed down that path, but quickly recognized how much I loved the sport. Why do I love soccer? It's a cerebral game. It's a patient game. It humbles you. It's much more physical than it looks. It's about the team. It requires you to be in phenomenal shape. It's the most simply, complex game around. It's played with your feet, and your legs, and your head, and your chest, and once in a while with your hands - but always with your mind. When you break it down, scoring a goal is really an incredible accomplishment, yet it's the expectation. Every possession is wrapped with a bow of hope. And really (along with football) its the only sport where a good team consistently beats a great individual performance. It is the ultimate team sport. A good team that knows how to play together will always be a great team of individuals.

So this my friends is why Wednesday's incredible 1-0 win over Algeria meant so much to me. As a kid there was no MLS, the US had NO international presence in the World Cup, no olympic soccer team, and there was nothing for young kids to dream about. On Wednesday, June 24 all of that changed - if only for a moment. Soccer was the lead story. Bars, restaurants, offices were jammed with people hovered around TV sets to watch the end. I was fortunate enough to be working from home that day as many other people were.

Could we really have had a second goal taken away by a ref who completely blew a call and subsequently cost us a chance to advance in the World Cup? Would it be another World Cup of unmet expectations, disappointments and irrelevance? It looked that way until Landon Donovan scored in extra time (91st minute) to propel the US team into the round of 16 at the World Cup. Not for one minute do I take for granted what Landon's goal meant or how that felt. To have the sport I love, the sport many love, get the headlines not just in the sports section but the lead story - was an amazing feeling. Soccer's day had arrived. Will it pass? Yeah, it probably will. However, for one day soccer was the sport people in this country most wanted to talk about. That game will go down as one of my greatest sports memories of all-time.

So, where will you be on Saturday at 2:00 PM when my sport fights to stay relevant against Ghana? Hopefully close to a TV. Because as excited as you might be for this game, I assure it feels bigger than just another Saturday to me.

Bigfoot-vs-Freddy Kruger

So I'm sitting here listening to Philadelphia sportstalk, like I do everyday, and the topic is Chase Utley (my favorite Phillie). This moron calls in and criticizes Chase for playing through injuries. He's literally criticizing the man because he doesn't like to talk about injuries and blame injuries on his poor play. He goes on to explain that Chase is actually hurting the team and the fans deserve more. If I had just 30 seconds with this guy - I would slice and dice his argument like I was a Freddy Krueger. First off, these same idiot callers are the guys who call in when a player doesn't "suck it up." Meanwhile noted tough guy Utley plays through EVERYTHING and now he's being criticized? You can' have it both ways, jackass! The caller goes on to say that "we are such die hards in Philadelphia and we, as fans, deserve better" (basically inferring that Utley should sit b/c he was hurting the club).

Dear Mr. Short-term memory idiot, it wasn't long ago when people couldn't GIVE AWAY tickets to Phillies games. Admittedly, I have always been a Phils fan, but now that Phils are doing so well, of course I take a greater interest. So does the entire city. That doesn't mean I couldn't rattle off the likes of: Doug Glanville, Jerry Spradlin, Kevin Stocker and David Bell. And don't challenge me on 80s-90s Phils! The Phils will always be my baseball team, but being that baseball is such a long season, my A-D-D doesn't permit me to get to feel each win or lose, quite like football does. But don't go calling yourself and the city a town full of diehard Phils fans when they used to struggle to get 30,000 to the games in the early to middle part of the decade.

As a general rule, Eagles and Flyers fans seem to be the most loyal. Sixer and Phillies are still loyal, but they don't pack the house consistently like the other two do, unless they are winning (which the Phils have been doing and coincidentally selling out the joint every night). Philly fans are ferocious, passionate, sometimes knowledgeable and loyal fans. No doubt! There definitely ARE diehard Phillies fans among us and Philly is a great baseball city, when we are winning. Lets be honest -- diehard fans don't feel the need to go around defending themselves or anointing themselves. First off "diehard" is probably the most overused cliche in sports. Secondly, if someone says, "Are you an Eagles fan," you can tell them about how your week is either made or broken based on what happens on Sundays/Mondays. But long-ago I grew out of telling people I was a "diehard" fan because the definition itself is watered down. Anyway, it just pisses me off when I hear a guy call himself a diehard Philly fan and he feels that Utley (who has been known to read this blog) owes it to him to sit out the game? To quote my in-laws, "go fly a kite."

By the way, J-Roll returns tonight and if you are worried about Doc Halladay, you shouldn't be. Even though he's 8-6, his ERA is under 2.50, which is phenomenal - basically speaks to the fact he has gotten as much run support as I have. In fact, in 11 of his 15 starts the Phils have scored 3 runs or less.

Sixers
Two days away from the number two pick in the draft. There absolutely should be no question that the Sixers take Evan Turner and play him at the 2. I hear they like Favors, they love Wes Johnson -- but Evan Turner has exactly what they need. He's got size, he can score, post up, has a good mid-range game, can rebound, has a high hoops IQ, and plays defense. He literally carried Ohio State into the NCAA tournament. No one from that Ohio State squad will sniff the pros. I could care less if Turner is not very "athletic." We've got plenty of athletes. I want a ballplayer and that's what Turner is. Don't screw up the obvious, Fast Eddie.

I will go on record as saying I love Doug Collins as our coach. Just listening to this guy talk hoops is unreal. He's like Yoda or a hoops Einstein and I like that he's wise enough to adjust his style to player's strengths. What a novel concept!

In Other News:

• Longtime SFCS reader Chronic Ronick told me that the iPhone actually has an app to replicate the sound of a fan. Seriously? This is unbelievable - might need to get me one of those fancy phones, they call an iPhone.
• Ding-dong the French are dead -- in terms of World Cup action. The 2006 Finalists get bounced in the first round after the team fell apart and they lost to host South Africa. Loved every minute of it.
• Does Eric Lindros make the Hockey Hall of Fame? He didn't get in on his first vote, which was announced today.
• Have you ever witnessed an industry with less customer loyalty than the cable industry? It's incredible that new customers are routinely offered better deals than existing customers. In your line of work, could you imagine giving better deals to potential customers than your current ones? Who wants to revolt? I bet the French would be in.
• How is it possible that some people don't wash their hands after using the bathroom? Unless you have a vat of Purrell handy, I think you should be sent to your own contaminated island.
• One of my favorite groups Counting Crows is coming back to Atlanta. I wondered if anyone else misses the days of camping out to get the best concert tickets?
• Whether you believe in bigfoot or not, you MUST spend 2 minutes watching this video. This is incredible..."He had beautiful hair" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFLyO2RWGms
• For all those people in Atlanta - 6 feet under is one of the true, underrated spots in the city - especially the one off Howell-Mill w/the huge rooftop deck and an amazing view of the city. Do it!

You Can Get With This...

Look at this -- I'm back on the blogging circuit. Inspiration can come from funny places - that's all I'll say. I'll start with the Dawgs, since I haven't given them as much love lately...

Dawgs
I know putting my faith and excitement with kids who are now officially half my age is nauseating, however, both Mark Richt and Mark Fox are putting together some impressive recruiting classes for our football and hoops teams. I love that Richt is putting together the "Dream Team" class in Georgia and Fox signed the top prospect in the state. Now, a lot can happen between now and singing day -- such as the college football season, but since football season, historically, has been somewhat of a letdown (2007 notwithstanding), let me enjoy these moments of bliss. And thank you to the mystery person who sent us four UGA tumbler glasses as a wedding gift, but neglected to include a card. Was that from my collective 23 followers? We love you all!

Phillies
I'm not a fan of Jamie Moyer, but it is amazing at 48 that he can do the things he does. Yes, his fastball tops out at 83 - and I'm pretty sure some of you could throw faster - but when he beats the Yankees or shuts out the Braves - it warms my hardened soul. I'm not sure why everyone acts so surprised that he is the oldest to do these things. Basically, anytime Jamie Moyer does anything he is going to be the oldest player to do it.

What is going unnoticed is the season that Cole Hamels is having. He looks to have rebounded from last season in a big way. Hamels hasn't given up more than 3 runs since April and he was throwing between 94-96 in his last start - even hitting 97 on a couple of pitches (disclaimer: if Hamels throws 97, then I will be starting at center mid for the US soccer team).

Eagles

Nice to see the Eagles getting their draft picks signed so quickly -- especially since a few will contribute this year. They have signed 10 or 13 draft picks thus far with Brandon Graham (1st), Nate Allen (2nd) and Riley Cooper (5th) still unsigned. Not sure what Cooper is waiting on. I did watch him torch the Dawgs in college and think he could be a very intriguing player, especially in the red zone. I fully expect Graham, Allen, Jeff Owens (UGA represent) and Teo'Nesheim to contribute this year.

Sixers
Announced earlier today, the Sixers traded disgruntled and underachieving center Sam Dalembert to Sacramento for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni. I love the trade. Hawes is a 22 year old center with good size. He plays decent defense and provides a better offensive game than Dalembert, which isn't saying much since Dalembert was at his best catching alley-oops. I really like that Nocioni can hit the 3 and play some good defense. I don't usually like having too many white dudes on my team, but I do like this deal.

In terms of the draft, word on the street is that there is a power struggle in the Sixers front office. GM Ed Stefanski wants Evan Turner (so do I) but new head coach Doug Collins wants Derek Favors. I don't agree w/Collins rumored assessment that Favors is the next Dwight Howard - maybe closer to Juwan Howard, but he knows more about basketball than I will ever know. Is Howard worth the second pick? Not so much. Further, while Favors has the raw gifts, according to his workout w/Minnesota he's not been keeping himself in shape. A sign of immaturity? Laziness? Stupidity? Give me the sure thing in Evan Turner.

Any chance we can deal Iggy to Minnesota for one of their picks? I'd take either their 4 or the 16th.

Flyers
Heard a report that Danny Briere was in an accident this morning with his 9 year old son. They reportedly are both fine but were very lucky. Briere apparently was tired and swerved into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer, but was able to swerve out of the way and hit the guardrail.

World Cup
Anyone watching the World Cup? Here are my quick thoughts:

If you haven't seen Maicon's (Brazil) goal, go youtube it - it's insane. How good do Argentina and Lionel Messi look? These guys are fun to watch. Speaking of Argentina, Maradona is the Ozzie Guillen of soccer -- he told soccer icon Pele to "go back to the museum" when Pele was critical of his coaching. Who does that? Very impressed with the US's second half against England. We'll take a 1-1 tie; Bring on the Slovenians and their smack-talkin' ways. Let's bring the pain, Uncle Sam. I took GREAT pleasure watching France get their asses handed to them in any sport. Today's beating, courtesy of Mexico.

In Other News:

• In terms of updates, my wife "happily" reminded me that I forgot to give ya'll the biggest update of all - we are now THE JACOBS. It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be and it definitely flew by. What a phenomenal weekend.
• Isn't it weird that some foods taste better as a kid and some foods taste better as an adult? Sure taste buds mature, but after eating a strawberry pop tart for the first time in 30 years, I'm thrilled to say I experienced the same joy I did when I ate them as a kid.
• I think I'd pay more to join a gym where basic hygiene is required. Stuff like cleaning up after you sweat all over a machine or bench, wearing deodorant so you don't smell like ass rot, dudes being required to wear shorts and shirts of a certain correct fitting size. You know, the little things.
• Speaking of the gym - you know what my secret to consistency is? Make up names for people. I've done this for years and now Summer will ask me if "stinkman" or "Kiedis" were there. See, they are our friends.
• Last weekend we saw the artsy, fartsy film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and although I had to sit through a preview with subtitles and immediately started getting a headache, the movie itself was GREAT. Even if you don't like pop graffiti, Banksy is incredible and I really appreciate his work. His dark humor was fantastic and it was an interesting look at a culture I knew nothing about. It was also under and hour and a half, so even if you hate it -- it's shorter than a flight from Atlanta to Philly.
• Just updated my blackberry w/all this new software and the greatest part about it is, I feel like I have a new phone. Maybe I'll hold off on the iPhone Version 61 I was saving for.
• Summer and I are convinced our dog Comet talks with a southern accent. When no one is there we (I) are constantly including her in conversations. It's gotten so bad that I now have to refrain from doing it when company is over.
• Back in the day, my UD roommate and current swell guy Steve Rosen introduced me to sleeping to the sound of a giant box fan. I remember when we lived together I wondered what the hell we needed w/that since the dorms had AC. Steve convinced me that the fan would drowned out all the outside noise (since our dorm faced a street). After a while I grew accustomed to using the fan and grew to miss it when I went back home over summer break. I carried the fan tradition along for a while until my man Cobi use to have coughing attacks b/c the fan affected his asthma. Last week I bought a fan for us and I have had the best week of sleep. Although Summer Jacobs only will allow it to be put on medium, I'm confident she too will fall for the Steve Rosen fan theory.
• Yesterday I saw a guy with two daschunds walk across the street. One of them looked just like Cobi and couldn't be happier to be on a walk. Man, I miss Cobi. I hope he is enjoying all of the peanut butter and mints that doggie heaven has to offer.

It's Been A Minute...

You know it's been a loooong damn time that I've posted since I forgot my login password. It happens to the best of us. I was actually off gettin' married, which was simply the greatest experience of my life. Everyone told us that it would fly by, and in truth it definitely did. However, thanks to these wise words uttered from everyone 8-80, Summer and I really tried to take in every single moment, which I believe, made our engagement and wedding weekend that much more enjoyable. Was I stressed? Maybe the last two days. Was I nervous? No. Was I excited? Indeed. I decided early on that I was going to enjoy this process, rather than stress over it. Now comes the process of writing thank you notes. Figure that will take us about another year but in the meantime....The fans of SFCS await.

Flyers
Man, what an amazing season by the Flyers. I've NEVER felt good about a loss and last night was no different, but I also don't remember watching any of my teams overachieve like this one. I truly believe these guys gave every ounce of effort that they had, and who knows, if Carter didn't hit Niemi in the mask, and maybe if Simon Gagne converted on his breakaway or Claude Giroux finished his opportunity we would be talking about a game 7. But that's not the way it went down. In the end, I think we lost to a better team who played just as hard as we did - but you cannot be disappointed in this team. Upset - fine. Need a drink? Sure. Need to talk to a shrink? I have one for ya, but disappointed - NO. I like our young nucleus of Carter, Richards, Carle, Giroux, JVR and my new favorite player Ville Leino. I also love Danny Briere's game. This guy earns his keep with his sensational playoff play. This year he broke ol' Brian Propp's team record for points. Seemed like he was a force in every series. I do not think Boucher, Leighton or Emery are the answer between the pipes. Sadly the Flyers have made a habit of making lateral moves between the pipes. Often bringing in "new talent" as opposed to "better talent." While I don't blame the series loss on Leighton, he was pulled twice during a 6-game series and he let in a Pillsberry Doughboy soft goal to end the season. At best he's a number 2 goalie, but certainly not a Stanley Cup caliber goalie. Our defense is a major concern for me. Both Timonen and Pronger will turn 36 next year and although I think Matt Carle has All-Star potential, there is a HUGE drop-off after our top three d-men. Coburn took a step backwards this year. Parent can't stay healthy. Krajiceck is a 3rd liner and Bartulus is still young and largely unproven.

Phils
Baseball is such a long season. I have some concerns since the Colorado binoculars scandal and the Phillies inability to score. I have traditionally refused to panic until after the all-star break, so we'll see where we are in July. Amazing to hear about Roy Halladay pitching a perfect game during my rehearsal dinner. I'm also not panicked that we are trailing the Braves right now. We'll see how things look late summer.


In other news:

• Hey BP here's an idea - stop spending so many millions on your PR campaign and start giving that money to the local citizens, animals and the earth that whose lives you have destroyed. It's one lie after another w/this company. First they said there would be minimal impact. Now they say there's more oil gushing out of the well then origially thought. Shocker. Make a stand people! Boycott BP gas. There are 15 other great gasoline choices for your car - no need to use a company that could care less about the damage they have inflicted upon this world. Oh, sorry Mr. Hayward we didn't mean to "take your life away."
• Sadly, I feel like American Idol has given false hope to average singers around the country that they can actually sing - AND - that they should feel free to sing out loud whenever they get the urge. Awful.
• If you haven't gone to Charleston - get on it. I have been championing this cause for years. It is truly one of the 3 most under-the-radar towns in this great country.
• Summer and I learned that if you want tons of free shwag - tell people you are on your honeymoon. It's amazing how much nicer people became after doing this.
• Speaking of honeymoon - no one accurately prepared me for the adjustment after the honeymoon. Specifically, I don't know why people look at me funny when I ask them to get me a drink
• WORLD CUP FEVER - I definitely have it. And here's a fearless, foolish prediction. The US upsets England on Saturday. I know many of you might not be into futbol, but I hope you will give this US team a chance. They are good and if you get a chance watch Portugal - they are an exciting, physical team.
• I cannot take anyone seriously who where's those oversized sunglasses. Sorry, just can't do it and everytime I see someone wearing them, I laugh. Sometimes uncontrollably.
• My one year anniversary as a blogger recently came and went. That's what the great bloggers do -- they make time fly and 38 blogs later, here I am. Still standing (not really sure what that means, it just sounds tough).
• I urge all of you to check my friend's blog: thedriveat35.blogspot.com - it's a good place to go to read about an amazing strong guy. It should make you feel much better after reading the tar I spew on this blog.

Ben Harper, Rambo and Brian Boucher

GO See Ben Harper! Seriously if he comes within 60 miles of where you are, you need to go see him. He puts on an amazing show. In fact, Summer and I talked about how it really feels like three shows in one. It's like watching an amazing slide guitarist, a gospel singer and a rockin' band. By the way, check out the orange Nikes. Ben Harper, my new hero. Sorry, Wayne.

I'm watching the NBA playoffs because I can't go to sleep. I'm not really sure where the NBA went wrong, but it has. I used to be able to watch any game at any time (back in the Dr. J, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Dominique, Detroit Bad Boys years). Now, I'm watching the Spurs-Mavs, watching Dirk flop all over the place and fighting my best urges not to put on Rambo: First Blood II. Maybe it's because my team the Sixers are garbage. They are a complete mess right now and while firing Eddie Jordan was the first attempt to correcting a mistake that NEVER should have happened. I think it's time to fire Ed Stefanski too. It's not just the horrendous contracts that he gave Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand, letting Andre Miller walk and expecting Lou Williams to play PG despite the fact he had never played PG until this year. No. Its the fact that Stefanski is looking at the same pile of garbage of coaching candidates (save Larry Brown, Avery Johnson and Doug Collins) that he looked at last year before settling on Jordan. Are you kidding me? He looked at these same guys last year, but saw "something" in Eddie Jordan that made him "the right choice?" If Stefanski doesn't get fired, he will overtake the weatherman, cab drivers and chiropractors as those in society who legally steal money. Keep an eye on the Hawks Mike Woodson. He was an assistant in Philly under LB and if the Hawks get bounced in the first round, I'll be shocked if the Hawks re-up him. Avery Johnson wants no part of Philly, Van Gundy loves his TV gig, Larry Brown would be a step up but why go back to him? Given that pool -- I have a woody for Woodson.

Eagles draft. It seems every year I watch and think to myself, "YES! We are finally gonna grab (insert favorite draftee here). I knew we would come around." And then - the inexplicable. We did, what? Well the same thing happened last week with Brandon Graham. After hearing the Birds traded up and watching the enormous hole left when they let B-Dawk leave, I was positive that Earl Thomas was the guy. Now, Brandon Graham is a fine player and the more I read and hear, the more I like the pick. However, I don't know why we didn't mortgage a few of our 13 picks to move back up in the draft and get a quality DB or Safety. I like Nate Allen and I think he will be solid. But we are now looking at Asante Samuel, who isn't the best tackling cornerback in the league and Ellis Hobbs who is recovering from a broken neck. A broken freakin' neck. And unfortunately when Hobbs was healthy last season he was beaten like a red-headed step child. And how do we address the defensive backfield? We draft a guy (in the 4th round) who has great instincts, but is slow of foot, undersized, and not a great tackler. Um, yeah I get it. By the way, Jeff Owens from UGA will make the squad. He was a steal in the 7th round as was Ricky Sapp in the 5th.

Lets go Flyers! Say it -- it feels good. Hell, it feels great right now. After CRUSHING the hated Devils, we move on to play the Bruins, which is a major difference between the NBA and the NHL. In the eastern conference the 8th (Canadiens), 7th (Flyers) and 6th (Bruins) all advanced. Would that ever happen in the NBA? Anyway, the Flyers definitely have a tough road ahead of them especially without Jeff Carter. But Brian Boucher is playing out of his mind. He's got the lowest GAA in the playoffs. What an amazing story. Will he keep it up? Probably not, but can the Flyers beat the Bruins? I say yes they can, and yes they will -- in 6 games. Just what I need -- another reason to hate Bahh-ston!

In other news:

• This is the second blog I've written since Cobi has passed and it still sucks. It's weird to not be adjusting my laptop every three minutes b/c he's angling his way in to sit in my lap.
• I'm worried what will happen after my wedding when Summer and I return home and don't find multiple large boxes sitting outside our door.
• This just in -- Bobby Brown is still alive; despite the fact that at 41 he was AGAIN kicked out of New Edition for his inability to put down the crack pipe, but he is still alive. Apparently, he called an Atlanta radio station to let them know he was still alive. Oh wait, this just in-- he's back in the group and they are preparing for a new album.
• I think that bluetooth headsets are a cover-up for the increasing number of insane people in this country. Seriously. Now it's okay to talk to yourself as long as you have one of those goofy blue blinking earpieces in? I'm on to you, freaks.
• If you are a guy and you are at a festival, put a shirt on. Honestly. Everyone else is doing it, so can you. If you crave the attention, get a pet rock.
• Let me get this straight -- Arizona is taking it upon itself to arrest Hispanics whom they believe to be illegal aliens and this surprises people, why? Weren't they the last state to observe MLK day?
• Dear Entourage, 24 ends in 5 weeks, which leaves me with Modern Family and Sports Center (the latter potentially becoming dangerous to my new marriage). Need you to come back soon! Sincerely, Ross and Summer.
• People who wear sunglasses inside always make me laugh. Always. Maybe, I should introduce you to my friend with the bluetooth.
• Next time you think your year has sucked, think about Brett Michaels.
• I would love to know what our dog Comet dreams about when she barks and wags her tail in her sleep. I'm pretty sure she's dreaming about reading my blog.
• While getting tickets to Ben Harper last week, I received another cruel reminder that I'm getting older. When presented with the option of getting seats or standing in the pit, I chose seats so we wouldn't have to stand the entire time. The good news??? Once we got there we snuck down to the pit and danced for the entire show. I still got it.
• Ben Roethlisburger, I hope you get your ass kicked this season.

An Ode to You My Best Friend...

If you have never had a dog or fail to understand the love a person can have for a dog, then this will probably be lost on you. Last night at 10:47 pm (Tuesday, March 16, 2010) I received a call from my vet notifying that my 13-year old Daschsund Cobi had passed away. While I had done my best to prepare for this day/night -- sometimes nothing you can do can truly ready you for reality. As I talked, cried and reminisced with Summer and my Mom, I woke up this morning with a yearning to write. It's been a while and I planned to tell you about my Olympic experience, but the need for me to document some of what I'm feeling has hit me like a baseball bat to the gut (sorry, that's probably the only sports reference you'll get here). This is a raw emotional journey into my heart and soul. Real feelings, real memories, real love. With tears pouring down my cheek and going through Puffs like they are going out of style, this one is for you Cobi Jones Jacobs.

However trite it might sound, it feels like yesterday that my friend Bill and I went to a tiny daschsund farm outside of Athens to figure out which of their puppies were going to be mine. I remember having two choices. One red dog with a deformed tail (at a discounted price) or a shy black-and-tan dog who could not have been cuter. I had one simple test to determine which dog I would choose. I put them both on the ground to see what they would do. The dog with the deformed tail ran around in circles and yapped. The black and tan dog walked right up to me as if to say, "what the hell were you waiting for dad?" Driving home, my friend Bill could literally fit Cobi into the palm of his hand. I was so excited to finally have my own dog.

I was raised in a home with dogs and much like my parents, believed dogs were a part of the family. Not only were our dog's the worst trained dogs in the world, but they got the best table scraps in the business. My Mom and Dad used to drive to Atlantic City with our dog Mischief, and when they crossed over the bridge they would stop at Richmond's Ice Cream and get three ice cream cones. My Dad believed Mischief was part of the family, so why shouldn't he get his own ice cream cone? Guess the apple does not fall far from the tree.

That being said, my parents initially were not thrilled with my idea to get a dog. "Wait until you get a house" they suggested. But this was my college graduation money and this is what I wanted to do with it. I will never forget the first time my father met my dog. Cobi was about 5 months old and at the time, my Dad didn't believe I was capable of having a dog. He thought I made a terrible decision. When we went to visit a cousin in Augusta we all took turns sitting outside with Cobi. I'll never forget walking out and seeing Cobi proudly sitting in my dad's lap; my dad later admitted how proud of me he was and how surprised he was that I did such a good job raising this dog (for those of you know me, you can imagine how this felt).

Cobi was a dichotomy. From the early years of living w/Andy, Darrell, Cary, Wikoff, Wayne and others, he definitely was a protector of the home. Sweet as could be once he decided he liked you, but an ankle biter to some strangers (and a few friends). Outside of the home, he was one of those dogs people would stop to ask about. It was not uncommon for people to ask if I was planning on breeding him or if they could pet him -- just looking at him prancing around made people stop and say "aw" -- especially when he did it with a full-sized tennis ball in his mouth.

I have faced some obstacles and outside of my family there was ALWAYS one constant. An 11-lb daschsund ready to walk any distance required, play fetch for as long as it took, take a drive (as long as he could put down the window -yes he did that himself) or happily sit on my lap or kiss my face. I recall one difficult period when I was returning to Atlanta after some needed time away and my Mom said, "well at least you are headed back to Atlanta." My exact response, "Thank G-d I have Cobi." I cannot underscore the complete and utter unconditional love that I have for that dog and that I believe he had in return for me. I never really understood what that love was like, until I had it for Cobi (and then Summer "decided" it was time she walk in my life and take it to a whole new level). It's an incredibly fulfilling feeling -- yet today I mourn my best friend.

Cobi was trained to sleep in the bed, and outside of sleeping on a pile of laundry, I'm convinced there was nowhere he would rather be. Last night and this morning I could feel him sleeping next to me, however when I woke up and walked downstairs I have only the memories. And while those memories will be everlasting today a new chapter begins.

There are many memories I will take with me. I won't ever forget the time, as a 1 year old, he jumped out of my moving Ford Explorer. A Ford Explorer -- do you know how high that is? I was so sure I had ran over him or he had broken his legs. But, when I stopped the car and ran over to him he was waiting for me under a tree. I remember when Cobi met my nephew Jake for the first time nine years ago, and he covered Jake's face with kisses while Jake laughed and pulled Cobi's ears. The dog had a stomach of steel. If you left your food unattended it was gone. Burritos, pizza, vegetables - nothing was off limits. However, he loved peanut butter, carrots and had an unquenchable desire for mints. Not sure if this is due to my own obsession with fresh breath, but he would routinely eat packs of gum. Cobi would regularly pull my pants off the hanger and rummage through my pockets for mints and gum. One time after he thought I left, I came back into my room to find a daschsund standing on his hind legs with his head in my pants pockets still on the hanger. When I said his name, he froze as if he thought, "if I freeze, dad will never see me." I'm left starring at this little dog on his hind legs with his head stuck in my pockets stiff as a statue.

One of my favorite memories was when Cobi had recovered from one of his illnesses (the people at his vet ALL knew him by his name as the vet incredulously said to me yesterday, he's on his fourth record? Wow!). I was watching TV and he was standing next to a 2 1/2 foot table in front of my couch. I look over at him and on a vertical leap he jumped up onto the table. I was so startled that I laughed out loud and said, "what the hell are you doing?" I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. He just looked at me as if to say, "I ain't done yet, Dad." Mind you this was an 11-12 year old daschsund.

For those of you who don't believe in anything or even the power of dogs, I present to you this final piece of evidence. As Cobi's health descended over the last couple days, I was trying my best to prepare for the worst but hope for the best. His stomach was upset, he couldn't control his bowels and he had labored breathing on top of his persistent coughing. I thought this could be the end. When I took him to the vet, they checked everything, gave him an ultrasound and said his organs all looked good and his heart was strong. They figured he had pneumonia (for a second time) and they would treat it by putting him in an oxygen chamber and pumping him with steroids. I felt shocked and relieved. This dog had an iron will. Around dinner time, I got a call from the vet who said that Cobi had not responded to the treatment as well as she hoped and she suggested we put him on an IV, which would cost more money that I didn't have. The expenses were mounting and I was left with a decision that few pet owners should face, but one that is all too common. Do I continue to shell out money I don't have for a dog who I love, though I'm unsure if he would make a full recovery, or how much longer he can go? This decision tortured me. What if he had another year or two or three? What would be enough? This dog loved to defy odds, but what if he only lived another few months and most importantly would he enjoy the same quality of life he had experienced up until now. As I talked with Summer, my Mom and my friend Danny over this decision it became tougher. I decided to hold-off on the IV's, continue with the original treatment the vet initially recommended for the night and let nature take it's course. I would decide on the IV's in the morning, though my gut feeling was that nature would give me the answer I needed.

And in his final act of companionship, Cobi decided he would make the decision easy for me.

Almost 13 years to the day that I picked him up from that little daschsund farm outside of Athens, I got the call last night that he had passed away in his sleep. Want a weird twist of fate? I named Cobi after my favorite soccer player Cobi Jones who wore number 13. Cobi Jacobs lived to be 13.

I simply wanted somewhere I could document something so real and raw as it was happening. Something I could refer to from time-to-time, and eventually I will smile and laugh at these memories. I take solace in the fact that he did not suffer too much and that he's resting somewhere up in doggie heaven (probably in a pile of my laundry, surrounded by carrots, an unlimited supply of Kroger peanut butter and a giant bag of mints).

My friend Michael Wikoff once told me that he could never love another dog the way that he loved his dog Charlotte. There will be other dogs, but none will ever be loved like the way he loved her, and more than ever I understand that feeling.

Whether it's a parent, a child, a family member, a significant other or a pet I find death to be an ironic and sad process of life. Unfortunately, it often takes losing someone or something you love to appreciate all that you have. Make sure that whatever it is that you love, to love it just a little bit more each day than you did the day prior; because that which we love is what keeps us alive.

This is Why I'm Southern Fried....

See all of the snow in this picture at my Mom's house, boys and girls? Well this is a big part of the reason I packed my belongings into a 1987 Mustang convertible and moved down south. When you start talking about snow in terms of feet and not inches - well, that dog don't hunt.

Back to the stuff you care about...

Charles Barkley once famously said of the 1991 76ers, "I asked them to get me Shaq and they went out and traded for Charles Shackelford." When I think about the sad state of the Sixers and I get really down, I think to myself, "Well, at least its not 1993." Make no mistake about it, the Sixers are in total disarray right now. Is it because they have given long-term all-star contracts to not-quite all-star level players? Is it the HORRENDOUS CRAPTASTIC hire of Eddie Jordan as head coach and his blatant disregard for coaching defense, his musical chairs approach to playing time or his insistence to take a team built to run and make them play his plodding Princeton offense? Maybe its Ed Stefanski's inability poor decisions (the Elton Brand trade and signing, the Kyle Korver deal, the selection of Eddie Jordan as head coach). Although Brand is starting to play much better, I think it's all of the above. The first thing I would like to see -- Eddie Jordan exit stage left. He has not done the job. He has lost his players. There's absolutely no method to his madness when it comes to his rotation. A good coach adjusts his gameplan to his players abilities but Jordan is neither a good coach, nor does he care about defense. The Sixers have a few complementary pieces to work with but there is no direction for this team and their coach has proven to be mediocre on his best day. Total disarray? Go figure.

Phillies

Pitchers and catchers report next week and I cannot wait. I'm fired up to see Doc Halladay take the mound for the Phils and see some of the other off-season changes (Polanco, Dannys Baez). Also, not sure if you heard but the Phils will be wearing their LEGENDARY powder blue uniforms during at least one game this season.

Flyers

Good to see the Flyers coming together, but if the rumored hip injury to Ray Emery is true, they could have a tough road to travel. Reportedly Emery could be done for the year, due to a gimpy hip that will require surgery. Michael Lehtonen has been sensational but can he and Brian Boucher stay hot through the rest of the season and into the playoffs? Defensively, this is the best Flyers team in a long time. Offensively, I'd still like to see them add a center who can consistently win face-offs and a goal scoring wing. That being the case, Ilya Kovalchuk was NOT the answer -- not at the price we would have had to pay for a "rental player."

Eagles

Watching the Saints win the Superbowl gave me mixed emotions. I was happy for my extended family who are Saints fans and happy for New Orleans, but anytime a team wins their first Superbowl, I can't help but thinking what about the Eagles? I feel like a team like the Saints doesn't understand suffering. Easy cowboy, I know the Saints were the laughing stock of the league for a while, like the Bucs (who also have a Superbowl title). I know that the Saints fans used to wear bags on their heads. Yeah, I get it. But when you've been around as long as the Eagles have and the only championship you can point to is from 1960 (BEFORE they actually played Superbowls), that's a long time to "fall short."

In case you are wondering, the Eagles aren't trading Donovan McNabb and I don't think they are trading Kevin Kolb. Michael Vick however, I'll be shocked if he's on the roster at the beginning of training camp next season.

Dawgs

National recruiting day is such a funny thing. It's really sad that during that first week of February that a bunch of fickle 17-18 year olds have the ability to determine my happiness that day. When I think about it, it really is amazing. What's even more sad is that for about 12-13 weeks during the fall I give them this ability again, and there's really nothing I can do about it. That being said, I'm happy about returning 10 of 11 starters on offense, but nervous b/c the one position we are replacing is QB and neither of our redshirt freshman QB's took ONE snap last year.

In Other News:

• Just heard that Bengals are going to give a tryout to Pacman Jones and Matt Jones. Amazing how some things never change.
• Summer and I are in the process of buying a car and it's definitely an interesting adventure. I suppose it's similar to being recruited (see above). Dealers call all day and try to tell you how they have exactly what you want and if you would just agree to come in/visit, they would give us a deal we couldn't pass up. You go from having these people appear to be your "best friends" to not ever speaking to them again within the span of 24 hours.
• There are a few things that perplex me. One of these is a chatty dental hygienist. I mean, what are you supposed to do when she's ripping your mouth apart with 15 different tools. What is the expectation? If I have an opinion am I allowed to express it? What if she starts opining about politics or how the steroid era baseball players should still be eligible for the hall of fame. Does she really expect me not to respond (and subsequently spit all over the place)?
• To all my northern readers getting absolutely pounded with snow, you will appreciate this. Atlanta is supposed to get snow tomorrow (1-3 inches) and the news anchor was talking about someone trying to get out of town this weekend when she remarked, "Wow - I hope you will still be able to get out of town this weekend." Really, Brenda Woods?
• I have a theory that if you use the elliptical or one of those stair steppers at the gym and your head is violently moving back and forth to your music or you look like you are about to fall off the damn thing (you know, the ones with the moving handles), then you should work out at home. Don't embarrass me. Not in my gym.
• John Mayer is one of the biggest tools in entertainment. He's a good musician, a very good guitarist and in my mind he does anything he can do to be looked at as "an artist." His latest gaffe in Playboy is no shock. He wants to be viewed as a misunderstood, tortured, genius who only cares about the music (man). One outta four ain't bad.
• Now this man = this is a true celebrity. Long live DRAGO. Go to about 1:20 and try not to wet yourself www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtatY7bOUY&feature=player_embedded##

Overheard in Eagles Front Office: Iceberg Dead Ahead...

(Insert huge exhale). Well, here we are. It's the conclusion of another Eagles season, which fell short of our collective dreams. Usually we go a bit further than the first round, but this year we were exposed. In thinking about this Eagles team, I've come to the conclusion that we were a fraud. This team was never as good as it's 11-5 record appeared. Need proof, look at the wins and loses. This year the Eagles defeated: Carolina, Washington (twice), NY Giants (twice), Atlanta, Tampa, Denver, Kansas City, San Francisco and Chicago. You know what those teams have in common? ZERO of them went to the playoffs and only ONE team had a winning record (yes, Wayne that would be the 9-7 Falcons). Those teams combined for a 71-95 record. That would be 71 wins and 95 loses. Conversely, the combined record of the teams who beat us: 53-27 (yes Rock this includes the 5-11 Raiders). Three of the four teams (lost twice to Dall-ass) we lost to went to the playoffs and won their division.

So, logic screams that the Eagles 11-5 record was largely smoke and mirrors, and anyone who had watched this team had their concerns. I know I did, but somehow I believed they would not be humiliated in back-to-back games. However, it is now crystal clear that Dall-ass is not just the better team this year but they are the team-to-beat in the NFC East (and maybe the entire conference).

Where does this all leave me? After much thought, I think it is finally time for Andy Reid to go. Don't get me wrong, I think he's the best coach the Eagles have ever had. That being said, I think Reid is a victim of his own success and he will not and cannot change his ways. A couple of things were clear watching the massacre that occured on Saturday night.

• We will never win a Superbowl until we have a consistent, commitment to the running game. The sad part of this is that we have the talent between McCoy, Westbrook and Weaver, but we have no commitment from the coaching staff to stick to the run. When the Eagles fall behind they panic, abandon the run game and have Donovan throw 40+ times a game. The opposing defense doesn't even need to worry about a run play, they can simply play the pass.
• Our smallish d-line cannot generate consistent pressure against good offensive lines. They were absolutely steamrolled by the mammoth Dal-ASS offensive line. We couldn't get consistent pressure on Romo and the Cowboys (who were consistent with run) kept us on our heels for most of the game. It's time to draft and/or sign some legitimate defensive ends with size. Please, no more 250+ guys lining up on the d-line and no more Jaqua Parker as a starter. Do you hear me Andy Reid?
• Losing Stewart Bradley to an injury was devastating BUT letting Brian Dawkins leave was probably one of the three worst decisions this coaching staff/front office has ever made. I said this from day one (as did many other Birds fans). I think Quinton Mikell is a decent player but without Brian Dawkins playing next to him, he struggled mightily. I think what we saw this year was how much this team depended on #20. Sean Jones, Macho Harris and Quintin Demps are certainly not the answer. Give me an aging, slower, but still aggressive Brian Dawkins over any of these young guys eight days a week and twice on Sundays.
• The offensive line was a total disaster. Donovan had to run for his life for the entire game. That was of course when they weren't committing penalties and false starts. Once we lost Jamal Jackson, the line imploded, but if you ask me our offensive line was much stronger last year with veterans Tre Thomas and Jon Runyan (hairy neck and all), than it was this year.
• I'm a huge #5 fan and think the Eagles fans largely take him for granted, but Donovan might not be the answer. I'm not ready to write the guy off yet, but for the first time I can imagine our offense without #5 behind it. Personally with our young core of very talented position players I'd prefer to keep D-Mac but because Andy Reid refuses to run the football, he constantly puts Donovan in bad spots and perhaps it's time to part ways. And no, Michael Vick is NOT the answer.

I've heard from a ton of Eagles fans who have absolutely had it with the Eagles and I understand that. As I've said before, short of signing Osama Bin Laden to a contract, I cannot imagine a scenario where I don't pull for the Birds. Sometimes it's hard, often it's painful and occasionally it's rewarding. I think this team took a few steps back this year, and the Cowboys, as much as it pains me to say this, are miles ahead of the Birds right now. It should make for a "curious" off-season. Right now I'm gonna shut down the engine and recharge the batteries for a few weeks.

Flyers

Don't look now but the Flyers are 7-1-1 in their last 9 games, which has allowed some Eagle fans to more easily shift into hockey season. We still have a ways to go, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. The keys: Chris Pronger is starting to play like Chris Pronger (he's been a +10 during the streak), Simon Gagne & Blair Betts have returned from injury, Danny Briere has thrived in Peter Laviolette's system, Jeff Carter has found his scoring touch and off-the-street goalie Michael Leighton has been an unbelievable find for the injured Ray Emery. We'll see if they can ride this wave of momentum into the Olympic break and beyond, or if this is a short streak during a marathon season.

Phillies

For the first time in my life, I looked at the calendar and said to Summer, "I can't wait until Spring Training starts." This happened on January 11 and that my friends, is a weird sort of a feeling from a guy who grew up in a football town.

Dawgs

It was unfortunate that Kirby Smart didn't take the UGA job, but were you really shocked? The guy is a defensive coordinator for a team that won the national title, lost two games in the last two years, coaches for a program who is building a dynasty and he is learning under Saban. I will say that if you are unhappy in your job, maybe you should apply for the UGA defensive coordinator job b/c all three people who received offers from the Dawgs, had their salaries enormously increased.

Did anyone hear Coach Caliapari say Mark Fox should be voted coach of the year through the first half of the season? It appears Coach Fox has the Dawgs headed in the right direction as they took Kentucky down-to-the-wire in Rupp Arena. Shockingly the Dawgs are 8-6 this year and should get another stiff test against #15 Ole Miss at the Steg this week. However, with wins over Pepperdine, Illinois and Georgia Tech it seems like the Hoop Dawgs are headed in the right direction.

In Other News:

Can't say I really understand the NBC predicament between Leno and Conan. Haven't they been grooming Conan for Jay's spot for years? They finally give him the spot b/c Jay decides he's going to retire. Then Jay comes back, they create a 10 pm show for him, the show bombs and now he gets his old spot back? That's absurd. I hope Conan goes to FOX and destroys Jay in the rankings. Then when Jay steps down, Conan laughs in the face of NBC and they are stuck with the "uber-talented"....Jimmy Fallon.

The most un-shocking news of the day came from Mark McGuire last night about his steroid admission. I'm okay with it. I mean, in no way do I think it's okay that he took steroids and broke the rules, but the guy isn't going to make it to Cooperstown. I don't care if he's back in baseball. Maybe he can be a positive for other young players. It is hilarious to hear him say that he still thinks he would have hit 600 something homeruns if he didn't take steroids. Um, Big Mac, if that was the case, why did you take them in the first place? Personally I think they should remove all records and individuals from the Hall of Fame that have taken steroids. Basically wiping out the entire 1990 decade, minus Ken Griffey Jr, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. Crazy to think that Jose Canseco is now the most reputable guy from that era.

If I told you that I put weather stripping on my home, would you be impressed? If so, clearly you know as much about home improvement as I do.

Went to my first wine tasting on Sunday and it confirmed what I had already known. My pallet is as educated as a remedial first-grader who forgot to take his/her A-D-D medicine.

On Sat night I get a call from my buddy Flip. Flip is at a Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser at Garth Brooks house and he tells me he has women's soccer player Heather Mitts (a former crush of mine) on the phone. Flip then puts Heather on the phone and I didn't know what to say, so I open with, "Hey Heather, I play soccer too." Summer, clearly I still have MAD GAME so you better not leave me, girl.

This is an awesome short story. Good to see there are still people out there like this http://www.blogger.com/www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/ny-cab-driver-returns-272947.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm

I Welcome You, 2010

You know it's been a long time since you've blogged when you can't remember your password to log in. The fact remains that every week I say to myself, "I need to write about that on my blog," but between planning a wedding, looking for a job, taking care of two dogs & one Summer, playing soccer, trying to be a good fiance, son, uncle, friend, trying to save the world, working on my gymnastics routine and so on, sometimes the blog takes a backseat. But you have my attention now. If you were holding out for Southern Fried Cheesesteak's end of the year extravaganza, you should know me better than that. Haha, anyway onto the sports you know and love.

Eagles
If you looked up "pathetic" in the dictionary you would see a still frame from the Eagles' horrendous loss on Sunday to the Cowgirls. Donovan, who I didn't feel played as poorly as some other fans, still missed a few HUGE throws. The WR's couldn't catch a cold and that vanilla defense was gashed and gutted by the run and the pass. Watching the game, it seemed like the Eagles mindset was to simply show-up, play their base defense without giving away too much via the blitz and then sit back and enjoy our first round bye. The only thing was that we were playing the 10-5 Dallas Cowboys, not the Asseltown State Butt Pirates. I tend to think Andy Reid and his staff are good coaches who have their team prepared more often than not, but missing a golden opportunity like the one in Dallas on Sunday is absurd. How do you come up so small in a game that means so much?

Now, of course all this can be erased if we go into Dallas on Saturday night and get aggressive with our defense and blitz packages. The WRs will catch more balls, but we ABSOLUTELY MUST ESTABLISH the run. This is a no-brainer. When the Birds run, they win. It's that simple. Running opens up things for Maclin, D-Jax and Celek. Our defense also needs to pull their heads out of their asses. If we don't get pressure on Tony Romo, he will pick us apart. I don't care how good our DB's are because if we don't get pressure on Romo and knock him around a bit, we will lose. I also think Michael Vick will have some kind of roll if we win. I know many of you loathe him (certainly, I'm not a fan), but I have a feeling he's going to be a factor when we win this game. Yes, you heard it. I have this bizarre feeling we will win. Maybe the insanely cold weather has frozen my pessimistic heart and mind. I'm not sure. I just have this feeling that this team will respond and respond big. It's very rare to see Andy Reid not bounce back from a huge loss with a statement win. I will take Reid and his "NFC Championship Game" shortcomings over Wade Phillips 0-4 playoff record any day -- and especially on Saturday.

Sixers
Yup, they still suck. I don't care if they've won 3 of their last 4 to get to 10 wins. This team is awful and Eddie Jordan is even worse than I thought. I'd rather have Eddie Haskell coaching this team.

Flyers
Caught myself watching the Flyers Winter Classic game on New Year's day against the Bruins. I had two main thoughts:
1-Does it make me unamerican to watch hockey on news year's day?
2-What a horrible set-up they had at Fenway to watch this game. There's no way those fans could have been happy with their "investment."

Phils
I love the signing of Danys Baez, by the way. We got him on the cheap and although he's had some recent injury issues, I think he'll be a nice addition to the pen. He's a proven closer, should Lidge struggle and he can be a set-up man as well. I'd like to see them resign Chan Ho or Clay Condrey, but that seems like a longshot at best. I'm also hoping Scott Eyre returns. I'm a huge fan of guys who are older than me (see, Eyre) and can still play (notice, I didn't mention Jamie "Yoda" Moyer)

Dawgs
I have no clue who our next defensive coordinator will be, but I still don't think former Dawg Kirby "Roadkill" Smart will be the guy. Going from Bama to UGA is a step back right now, unless he wants his kids to get a free education at the "Harvard of the South." I think our next DC will come from an elite program or the NFL, but for some reason I think we will promote someone to DC (meaning they are a d-line or a secondary coach right now). I also wish early NFL draftee entrants Reshard Jones and Rennie Curran good luck in the NFL. They served us well and while I think Jones could benefit from one more year, who could argue with the money.

Also, did anyone notice how well the Dawgs basketball team has been playing lately? Yeah, me neither, but wins over Pepperdine and Illinois were nice. And this just in -- we beat TECH. That makes a hoops and gridiron sweep. Does it get much sweeter? Great job Dawgs and Coach Fox.

In Other News:

• I am so down with New Year's its unbelievable. If you invite me to a party, I'll be there. It feels like unwrapping a gift during the holidays. I have that same excitement with New Years. Who knows what the next year will bring, but you know there will be memories, happenings and stories -- and isn't this what life is all about.
• After the giant snow dump in late December, Summer and I were watching a football game at the Linc when she turned and said to me, "Aw, that's so nice. They pushed all the snow to the side of the field for decorations. Isn't that great?" Yeah, I still have some work to do there.
• I don't always understand the United States' position on fighting terror domestically. It's very reactive. For example, when the Christmas day bomber failed to blow up his plane, we decided to beef up security at 12 other international airports. Call me a doubting Tom, but if these ass clowns were smart enough to get this bomb on a plane, don't you think they'll be smart enough to travel from other airports? I think we should send them Lady Gaga to perform -- that will drive them out of hiding.
• Today I was listening online to a Philadelphia radio station and Vai Sikahema & Harry Mayes said they would rather have Randall Cunningham as their QB than Donovan McNabb. When I hear nonsense like this it becomes clear how I must have my own radio show to launch an assault of quality sports information to the PA/DE/NJ valley. Randall Cunningham had one of the greatest defenses of all-time and an offensive as good as the current Eagles offense NEVER GOT PAST THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS! Donovan has been to 5 NFC Championships. This is not even a point of conversation.
• Ever notice that when you are sitting around with your oldest friends, no matter how much has changed, nothing really changes.
• I've come to realize that Rick Sanchez is the single greatest news anchor on the planet and I encourage all of you to check him out. He will change your life. Forever. For example, today there was a small cargo plane crash in Chicago. He had an expert on the phone and asked what the expert thought the cargo plane was doing. The expert responded incredulously, "Flying cargo, I'd assume." Then Sanchez, as insensitive as ever, says, "I'm getting information in by the minute on this crash and I'm flying somewhat blindly here (awkward silence) -- please pardon the pun."
• I'm happy to say that my last two trips to DE/PA/NJ ended with a trip to Pat's Steaks - I'm living up to my namesake, hopefully my arteries won't clog before then.
• This will be the best video you will ever see -- known to bring a grown man to tears. If you love college football or don't understand why people love college football, check this out. I cannot stop watching it: http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEivUpbwnv0
• This was a real headline from the NY Giants a week ago: Giants place Ross, Jacobs on IR http://http//www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81564b6d&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true