17 years ago, Charles Barkley was a Philadelphia 76er who was disgruntled with management and the coaches and players they surrounded him with. He begged for a way out and finally got it with a very lopsided trade to the Phoenix Suns the following season.
That year, Barkley (who went onto win the league’s MVP trophy and made his first appearance in an NBA final) returned to Philadelphia for the first time as an opposing player. The fans showed their love of Sir Charles with an elongated standing ovation when he was introduced during the pre game warm-ups. They also cheered every time he touched the ball. They roared approval every time he scored. They screamed when he grabbed a rebound and literally ran out to hug him when he went to the free throw line.
It was a genuine Barkley love fest that still is profound whenever he is seen in the area today. Outside of Philly, you loved or hated Barkley, but inside of the city… there was nothing but love for the man….
The Flyers came into tonight’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers needing a win. Sitting in the eighth position with only ten games remaining; the Flyers found themselves only one point ahead of the Buffalo Sabres, and two points ahead of the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers.
With the playoffs on the line the Flyers stepped up, taking advantage of a disappointing Thrashers team, beating them 3-1. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Vaclav Propsal, all scored for the Flyers, while Joffrey Lupul led all scorers with two assists. Antero Niittimaki wasn’t exactly busy in net, but saved 17 of the 18 shots he faced.
With the win and the Sabres idle, the Flyers increased their lead to three points over the Sabres and are one point behind the Bruins for 7th place and two points behind the Rangers for 6th.
Up next for the Flyers is a big divisional battle against the Rangers, Friday night at Wachovia Center.
On Tuesday Kris Benson was scheduled to throw his third and final minor league start this spring before moving up to the Grapefruit League. That’s not going to happen. The thirty-three year old starter is suffering from a sore arm, which he is calling bicep tendinitis, so his start has been put on hold.
“It’s just some soreness from the previous start (Thursday), so we’re going to take it easy over the next few days,” said Benson, who missed last season recovering from right rotator cuff surgery. “I’ve been going every day for a month now. I haven’t even taken off a day. The off day (March 11) I was here long tossing, so, yeah, it’s not the first time I’ve been through this rehab process where I’ve had to take a little step away from things and let it chill and kind of let it strengthen back up again. And then once you strengthen back up to this stage, it gets you through the next stage. So actually every time …
We don’t need a running back!! Especially not someone the run-starved Lions just cut! Apparently there are twelve teams showing interest in former Detroit Lion Kevin Jones (581 yard, 8 TDs, 199 receiving yards, and 2 fumbles). You have to wonder why when Jones is more injury prone than my grandmother on skates and just as durable (sorry grandma)! He’s been in constant decline since his rookie season when he amassed an amazing 1,133 yards, 8 TDs and 2 fumbles. What’s amazing now is he hasn’t been above 700 yards since and was only averaging 3.8 yards per carry last season! As I mentioned earlier the Lions are desperate for a running game and obviously Jones was not good enough to give it to them, so why would the Eagles have an interest in him. Here’s what Jones had to say regarding the situation, “When the Lions drafted me, it came as a big shock, because they weren’t that much in …
- Charlie Manuel’s frustration continues to build as the Phillies played another uninspired game against the Twins. After the game, Manuel had a closed door meeting with Shane Victorino. When asked if the Phillies already miss Aaron Rowand, Manuel wasn’t shy in his response, but still maintained the Phillies have leadership.
“Rowand has been missed,” Manuel said. “I believe in players policing themselves if they can. Some guys can’t police themselves and they actually don’t know how. If that’s the case, then somebody has to police them…. We’ve got [Chase] Utley and [Jimmy] Rollins and [Ryan] Howard,” he said. “We’ve got Jamie Moyer. We’ve got some very good standup guys. But Rowand was more of a talker. I’d say we miss it to a certain degree, but I think we’ve got guys in that room that can be that guy.”
- Kyle Kendrick pitched a minor league game yesterday and looked better then he’s looked in prior outings this spring. His line: 4IP, 4H, 2ER, 2BB, 2K. His fastball …
With the Grapefruit League half over, the Phillies find themselves at 5-11, tied for last place with the Pirates and Blue Jays. Although Grapefruit League records don’t count, and a lot of players spend time working on pitches, or making hitting adjustments, manager Charlie Manuel is getting frustrated with the Phillies lackadaisical play and attitude.
“It’s time for us to talk,” the manager said. “It’s good to be relaxed, good to be loose, but it’s about time for us to talk,” Manuel said from a chair outside the clubhouse. “We’ve got some guys that are too cool. There’s a fine line in having a good time and being relaxed, and taking it for granted and being complacent. We’ve got something happening, but it’s nothing that we can’t take care of.”
This is a different attitude we’ve seen out of Manuel. Usually he’s jolly, and finds ways to motivate his players, by always emphisizing the positive.
Not this spring.
“Some guys like their position and how [the roster] is going to go because somebody …
The last time Brad Lidge attempted batting practice was almost three weeks ago. Lidge threw one pitch, and hobbled off the mound. Yesterday Lidge threw batting practice, the first time since meniscus surgery, and this time the results were positive.
Lidge faced three hitters and threw 35 pain-free pitches, including a fastball that shattered Pete LaForest’s bat. Lidge still has some kinks to work out, but his rehabilition is on schedule.
“It was good to face hitters,” Lidge said. “Most of my stuff felt pretty good. Mechanically, I’m not totally happy, but that should come soon. The way the ball is coming out of my hand, my arm feels really good. I should be able to catch up real fast.”
The next step for Lidge is another batting practice session on Monday and some “PRP” (pitchers fielding practice). If Lidge is able to field the ball, he should see Grapefruit League action on Wednesday or Thursday.
Lidge is obviously still behind the rest of the pitchers this spring, but there’s still a shot he’ll …
Last night the Sixers rolled into Auburn Hills and as they looked across the court at the Pistons, they must have sensed something, because they took control of the game from the get go.
Led by Rodney Carney and Andre Iguodala, the Sixers quickly jumped out to a double digit lead, and went into the half with a 48-42 lead. However, at the start of the second half, the Pistons seemed to find their stride, starting the 3rd quarter with a 21-9 run to take a 63-57 lead.
But the Sixers continued to show the fight they’ve displayed since January. They don’t get down and keep fighting, even if the chances seem slim. They never concede defeat and that is why they are now just 1 game behind Washington for the 6th playoff seed. The next four weeks could actually be really fun.
Reggie Evans (12 points, 11 rebounds) continues to show how good of a player he really is. Iguodala (22 points, 3 steals) led all scorers and laid down a disgusting slam. …
Well, we wanted Larry Fitzgerald, but the feeling was obviously not mutual. After standing strong opposing a contract restructuring the last two weeks he finally caved in. The Cardinals inked him to a 4-year $40 million contract with $30 million of it guaranteed. Also, Fitzgerald demanded a no-trade clause be included in the deal. Bottom line: he decided he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. But don’t fret Eagles faithful because there may still be a bright light at the end of this dark, dark tunnel!
Anquan Boldin (71 receptions, 853 yards, and 9 TDs), the Cardinals’ #2 receiver is disgruntled about the contract given to Fitzgerald. Now let me run down Boldin’s resume for you. He had 101 catches in his rookie season receiving offensive rookie of the year honors and was the only rookie named to the Pro Bowl in 2004. He set NFL records for the most receiving yards ever for a players’ first game (217), the most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL …
This morning’s Inquirer has an interesting article about Ryan Madson, and and his success last night as a spot starter. Madson started last night’s game against the Reds and allowed only one run in three innings. He had good control of his pitches, and if not for a Jerry Hairston home run in the third, he would have gone unscathed.
This wasn’t a scheduled start. The only reason he did start is because Cole Hamels was out with the flu, but he was impressive nevertheless.
Madson was a starter in the minors, before converting to the bullpen, where he’s been a valuable arm for the Phillies. As much as Madson would like to start, where he’s best suited in in the bullpen, and he knows this.
“I would love to start, but I know the Phillies need me in that role to bridge the gap,” Madson said. “Where I’m needed the most, I’ll pitch.”
Just because Madson got the start, don’t think he’s now a canidate for the fifth starter spot. The Phillies are not giving …
Being a Flyers fan is not an easy task. Like most fans of Philadelphia teams, a Flyers fan has a love/hate relationhip with their team. From their hot start out of the gate to sitting in the basement of the Atlantic Division, the Flyers have been one of the most bi-polar teams in the NHL. On February 5th, the Flyers found themselves in first place in Eastern Conference. Then they lost 10 straight, and found themselves on the cusp of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Since then they have won five of their last nine and are starting to play good hockey.
This couldn’t come at a better time.
With eleven games left in the regular season the Flyers find themselves four points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Confernece.
The news gets better. The teams leading scorer, Mike Richards is expected back this weekend after recovering from a torn hamstring and explosive winger Joffrey should return withing a week from a high …
There is a professional basketball team in Philadelphia… they go by the name “Sixers”. I think it represents the 6 in 76… as in 1776, the birth year of our Nation. Yeah, no kidding… I actually watched them play the Boston Celtics the other night. They lost by 14. But that’s not what I really saw.
Andre Miller, the point guard, runs up and down the floor, dancing with the ball… leading teammates with passes that let them get open. I saw a kid named “Sweet” Lou Williams show bursts of speed and athleticism that reminded me of a guy that used to play around here named Allen Iverson.
I watched a bearded man diving for loose balls, pushing larger men around the court and clearing space for teammates darting to the basket. I think his name was Reggie Evans. Oh, and then there’s these two other guys. They both create their own shots and seemingly can jump out of the building. Some of their fast break dunks would have made Michael Jordan …
