1) Dallas:  Record 3-0 (Win vs Packers 27-16):  Last weeks rank: #1:  They won in Green Bay for the first time, but it’s not the same as winning there in December.  Still, they won comfortably, despite a slow start from Romo.

2) New York Giants:  Record 3-0 (Beat the Bengals in OT 26-23) Last weeks rank #2:  Disappointing win here, but give the Bengals credit, they showed what they’re capable of.  Giants stayed with it and finally broke the D down in OT.

3) Philadelphia:  Record 2-1 (Beat Steelers 15-6):  Last weeks rank:  #5:  Lose Westbrook for 3 quarters, Lose McNabb for a series and still win against a tough team.  This is an interesting and possibly the most well rounded.  As long as Westbrook and McNabb stay healthy.  Welcome back Dawk.

4) Denver:  Record 3-0 (Beat the Saints 34-32)  Last weeks rank:  #12:  The league’s new version of the Colts exploded again… and nearly lost again.  The D has issues but the O is pretty sick.

5) Tennessee:  Record 3-0 (Beat Houston 31-12)  Last weeks rank:  #9:  Wow, …

With the birth of DeSean Jackson on the Philadelphia Football scene last week, I thought it would be fun to go back and take a look at a wide receiver who made not quite the impact Jackson has, but had a very productive career nonetheless.  This player was similar to Jackson in two ways.  He stood 5’11″ and weighed 181pbs when he was drafted out of Purdue University in the 1990 draft and also was the last Eagles rookiw wide reciever to start a game.  This guys name was… Calvin Williams.

Williams was the 3rd receiver drafted in the 1990 draft by Buddy Ryan, who chose Mike Bellamy and Fred Barnett ahead of Williams.  But injuries to Mike Quick, the departure of Chris Carter, and a Keith Jackson holdout forced the Eagles to not only use Williams but also Barnett in a starters capacity.  However, their transition from rookie to starters was not as seamless as Jackson’s has been to date.

“We were the topic of a lot …

Here’s what I don’t get: why am I being told to put this week one W over the Rams into perspective?  Why does the Philadelphia media think this wasn’t as good as it looked?  Why do fans call in to the radio shows saying, “It was the Rams…don’t go crowning the Eagles the champs quite yet.”

Since when did the Rams become the joke of the NFL?  Are they the Lions, Falcons, Texans, 49ers, or Redskins?  Am I missing something here?  The Rams had a bad season last year but do they not still have Marc Bulger and Torry Holt?  Don’t they have one of the best running backs in the NFL?  Are they really the bottom-feeding team that the Philly naysayers would have you believe they are?  I don’t think so.

I hate to sound like Andy Reid, but every win in the National Football League is a good win.  Just ask the Colts and Chargers how they feel after losing their week one contests.  Better yet, ask those …

For those of us who feared that the Philadelphia Eagles would be feeling the loss of Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown from their starting lineup today, never took into account rookie sensation DeSean “Gone” Jackson (I’m coining the nickname). Jackson led the Eagles with 6 receptions for 106 yards and stamped his presence all over Lincoln Financial field today. He was in on nearly every play and it was easy to see that he caused fits throughout the inept secondary of the St. Louis Rams.

Not only did Jackson excel on offense, but he lived up to the hype on special teams when he returned a punt 67 yards, which set up a Brian Westbrook TD in the 3rd quarter.

It was the most impressive performance by an Eagles rookie since possibly Reggie White stepped on the field for the first time in 1985, and Eagles fans can seemingly relax their screams for a stud receiver, at least until they visit the Dallas Cowboys next Monday …

The Buddy Ryan era produced some of the most memorable moments and players in Philadelphia sports history.  Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, Randall Cunningham, Keith Jackson, Andre Waters, the list goes on and on.  There was a member or two from those teams however, that may now have slipped from your memory banks.  Players like Mike Pitts. 

The Ringo Starr of the Eagles Defensive which also included White, Brown, and Clyde Simmons, Pitts was instrumental in helping the Eagles truly dominate both against the run and the pass during his tenure at left defensive tackle from 1987 -1992.  In 1989 he laid down opposing quarterbacks 7 times to along with 110 tackles.  Those are Pro Bowl numbers these days folks.  But next to Brown, Simmons, and White, Pitts was often an afterthought.  But he also knew where his success lied as well.

“The attention given to Reggie and Jerome on every play made my job easier,” Pitts said. “We had such a great camaraderie both on …

As I woke on an early September morning in 1991, I had the feeling. It was the same feeling a child has on Christmas Day, or before blowing out the candles on their birthday cake. To me, it may as well have been New Years. The slate was now clean, and I had built a lot of hope leading up to this day.

It was football season, and more importantly for me, it was a time of year that brought perspective and nostalgia for days gone by. I was building my memory banks with great moments, and although I realized these moments were trivial in their relation to the real world, they were moments that would define periods of my life.

I am an Eagles fan and for nearly all of my 35 years, I can remember opening day by the friends I hung out with, the music I listened to, and how my life was unfolding. To me, dressing up in an …

September 5,2008.
NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell (right), shares the fans displeasure with the NFL pre-season. During interviews in the past week, with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike, and WFAN’s Francessa on the Fan, the Commish has spoken about possible changes to the NFL Schedule, possibly as soon as the 2011 season. In the interviews, the Commissioner spoke about the quality of pre-season play. Apparently, the Commissioner, like the rest of us, has no little interest in watching practice squad players for any length of time.

Currently, the NFL pre-season showcases 4 mostly meaningless games with stars and starters playing less than one full combined in many cases. This season alone, neither Tom Brady or Peyton Manning took a pre-season snap. LT, mia, Reggie Bush, 16 attempts. Jeez, he might have that in the first half on Sunday.

So, after angry season ticketholders, complained on end about ebing charged regular season prices for pee wee league performances, the man in charge of the …

My apologies to all my thousands of loyal readers. I recently moved to Connecticut (I think that’s how you spell it), and the Internet/ Phone/ Cable service… not unlike the cross bread of Boston/New York inhabitants… truly sucks butt. But I digress… back to the weekly articles. As a refresher, this column is devoted to those who’ve come and gone through the Philadelphia scene, not so much like shooting stars, but more like wet matches in a wind storm that catch a little spark before they flame out and you toss them aside. Players like… Bo Diaz!

Born as Baudillo Jose Diaz Seijas in 1953, Diaz was a very promising young catching prospect, but had a very tough time getting to the show, finally stepping foot in the Fenway Dugout for the first time with the Boston Red Sox in 1977. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he became an All-Star for the first time in 1981.

The following season he was traded to …

I know tommorrow is the huuuuuuuuuuuuuge Bar-A party for the Francesa Show but it won’t be the same without Chris “Mad Dog” Russo welcoming the crowd with his routine of “Good Afternoon Mike, how are you?” and Mike’s reply of “Fine, Dog.” It’s not just the show’s jingle and the Russoism’s that will be missed. It’s the balance that Chris provided. Mike, with his Schwablike sports knowledge and love of baseball history can’t be left alone for 5 and a half hours of afternoon drive in the NYC and over the net. Mad Dog needs to be there with his Yankee bashing, SF Giant loving, taking the callers Tank waves off.

These two are to sports radio what Laurel and Hardy are to comedy or Carville and Madeline to politics. No offense to the ESPN radio boys or Philly’s own WIP but these guys basically invented the genre paving the way for Mike and Mike, Tirico and Van Pelt and Colin Cowherd. To think sports radio …

Sitting here watching women’s beach volleyball and looking at the grit and determination of these beauties I’ve been distracted by something I never thought NBA players would show, sportsmanship. Kobe, LBJ, and various other NBA stars have hit the beach early and often to support Misty May and Kerry Walsh on their way to gold. (hopefully, they’re up 2-1 as I type). Unfortunately, this support is not common from past Olympians. Back in 2004, the NBA stars rented a cruise ship and refused to stay in the Olympic Village. In swimming, two girls in one race had dated the same coach, this stuff hastomake for awkward times in the warmup pool. NBC focuses on these stories as they sell. Luckily the James Blake controversy was mostly swept under the rug as a whining American does not go over well worldwide. However Blake is the unique case this Olympiad. Rather there have been more instances of support and sportsmanship. The most notable I witnessed being Dara Torres halting a medal race to allow another swimmer to get a new suit. Just epitomizes what …

The Philadelphia 76ers 08-09 season schedule was announced and it could be considered news worthy for a couple of reasons. One reason being The 76ers will play one final game at The Spectrum before it is brought to the ground. On Friday, March 13 at 7:00pm, the Sixers will take on the Chicago Bulls in the building that holds a rich history for Philadelphia.  It is in that building the 76ers won games 1 and 2 on the way to winning their last NBA championship in 1983. I’m personally glad to see the 76ers team and staff pay their respects in this their 60th anniversary season.

Another notable tidbit about The Sixers schedule is that this year 7 games will be on national television. I think that is slightly more national exposure than last year and after sneaking into the playoffs they deserve it. The games shown on national tv will be played against: Orlando (twice) , Cleveland , A.I. and the Denver Nuggets , Chicago …

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Brett Favre wanted out of Green Bay. He got his wish late on Wednesday evening. The Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick. The pick can be anywhere from a 4th rounder to a 1st rounder in the 2009 draft.

Favre held a press conference at the Cleveland Browns stadium with members of the Jets management on either side of him. He held up his number four jersey (still in green), answered some questions from the media, and pleaded to “move on”.

Favre also told reporters he was a little bit out of shape, and he looks forward to getting into training camp and meeting his new teammates. Favre commended Jets G.M. Mike Tennenbaum for his diligent work in luring him to NYC. Over the course of 24 hours, Favre contacted Tennenbaum, Tennenbaum convinced Favre he was a good fit with the Jets, and the Jets and the Packers made the trade.

To …