Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 643 of 1503)

      Five reasons the Phillies could still win

      November 4, 2009 /

      SI.com’s Jon Heyman compiles five reasons why the Phillies can still pull off an upset and rally to beat the Yankees in the World Series.

      Here are his top 3:

      1. The Phillies aren’t called the Fightin’ Phils for no reason. And they aren’t the defending champs for no reason, either. As Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, “We’re playing the world champions, and it’s going to take a world-championship effort to beat them.” Being down 3-2 isn’t going to faze the Phils. They create comebacks without the fanfare and cream pies that have marked the Yankees’ wonderful season, but the Phillies did post a National League-high 43 come-from-behind wins. Manager Charlie Manuel considered talking to them as a team before Game 5, but Jimmy Rollins said Manuel merely threw up his hands when it became clear the Phillies were as focused as ever. According to Rollins, the only major change they made going into Game 5 was to remove Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind from their pregame clubhouse soundtrack. (Not sure if Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom is a worthy replacement, but New York-based songs are definitely not the way to go.)

      2. They are road warriors. The Phillies were a baseball-best 48-33 on the road this year.

      3. Chase Utley is currently unstoppable. Reggie Jackson couldn’t be found for the first time this Series on Monday, but it would have been interesting to see what he would have had to say about Utley tying Jackson’s World Series record with five home runs. Utley’s five have come in one less game (five to six) and mostly against left-handers (four of five were vs. lefties, three vs. CC Sabathia). “He’s not missing pitches. He’s tough,” Sabathia said. “He’s not missing, so you have to make (all) quality pitches.”

      Not to be a downer, but it’s tough to beat any team three times in a row, especially the Yankees. I realize the Phillies are a quarter of the way there, but winning two in a row at Yankee Stadium will be tough, especially with CC Sabathia on the bump in Game 7.

      We’ll see though – I know a lot of casual baseball fans will be rooting for them to knock off the “Evil Empire.”

      MLB

      Is Edgerrin James’ career finished?

      November 4, 2009 /

      When Edgerrin James requested his release from Arizona this past offseason, he was hoping that he could resurrect his career elsewhere and have one last shot at being a team’s primary back.

      James thought that team would be the Seahawks, whom he signed a one-year, $2 million contract with in late August. But less than three months later, Seattle released the struggling James, who carried the ball just 46 times for the Seahawks in 2009.

      The former Colt and Cardinal was averaging a paltry 2.7 yards per carry this season and was highly ineffective. Comparatively, Justin Forsett was averaging 5.7 YPC and Julius Jones was averaging 3.9, so it just didn’t make sense for the Hawks to keep James on the roster.

      It didn’t seem that long ago that James was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was making yearly trips to Honolulu as Pro Bowler. But considering it’s unlikely that he’ll garner much interest on the free agent market, it appears that James’ career is over.

      If 2009 does mark his final season, James would finish with 12,246 career rushing yards, a 4.0 yard per carry average and 80 rushing touchdowns. He is currently first in career rushing yards among active players and his 9,226 total yards makes him Indianapolis’ record holder for most career total yards rushing.

      James fell off the map as soon as he signed a lucrative deal with Arizona in March of 2006, but he’s definitely a potential Hall of Fame candidate.

      NFL

      Were Mangini and Kokinis at odds?

      November 3, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, head coach Eric Mangini and former GM George Kokinis were apparently at odds with each other “early on.” The Browns fired Kokinis yesterday despite hiring him in the 2009 offseason.

      Less than 24 hours after Browns owner Randy Lerner pledged to add a new “credible, serious leader” to reorganize his football operations, the team parted ways with General Manager George Kokinis. According to league sources, both men became disenchanted with the other early on. In training camp, Mangini and Kokinis were seldom seen talking on the field. Rumors intensified over the past month that Kokinis could be fired.

      It’s interesting to hear that Mangini and Kokinis were at odds early on, because the pair obviously had to work closely together at the draft considering the Browns made so many draft-day deals. Unless one of them was calling all the shots while the other sat idle to the side, in which case I could see why issues would occur later on.

      This is one of the more dysfunctional organizations in football, right up there with the Raiders and Rams. Chances are that if the Browns finish with only one or two wins (which is a major possibility), then Mangini could be fired in the offseason and the organization has to start all over again.

      NFL

      Snyder apologizes for the state of the Redskins

      November 3, 2009 /

      In a recent interview with reporters, owner Daniel Snyder said that the Redskins have “let everyone down.”

      From ESPN.com:

      In a rare, in-season interview with reporters, Snyder said at a charity event that the team is embarrassed by its 2-5 start and hopes to turn things around soon.

      Snyder has been the subject of much ire from some fans. Signs critical of the owner have been confiscated at recent home games as part of the team’s new crackdown on all signs and banners at the stadium.

      Snyder was asked about the sign ban but did not address the issue. Regarding the fans, he said: “We’ve let everyone down, including ourselves, and we know that and we’re just apologetic.”

      The Redskins are like a recipe that has gotten out of hand. Over the years, Snyder has simply added his favorite ingredients to the pot without regard to how the final product will taste. And what he has now isn’t even editable.

      Snyder better take a long, hard look in the mirror once this season is over and re-evaluate the approach he has taken with running his team into the ground. His free-spending ways don’t work and it’s painstakingly clear that they’ll never work. He needs to do a better job of allowing the people he hires to run the football operations…to actually run the football operations.

      He created this mess and now it’s up to him to figure out how to get the Skins back on the right track. Everything starts at the top.

      NFL

      Heisman Barometer: Week 10

      November 3, 2009 /

      DRAFT ZOO thinks Florida’s Tim Tebow and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen’s stock has risen again in this year’s Heisman race.

      1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
      There it was, that’s what he needed. A vintage Tebow game from the Gators’ QB. Two touchdowns through the air, two touchdowns on the ground. All against a rival team. Tebow has the most impressive stats of any of the preseason “big three,” and his play finally has Florida looking like the number one team in the nation. If he can go on another run and continue to drive the UF offense to the SEC title, he’ll have the inside track to winning his second trophy. This award has become more about being the face of the best team than being the best player in the nation.

      2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
      If only, if only. If only Clausen had beaten USC then he’d be atop the list. Still, like always, he’s got the best stat line of any BCS quarterback and the voters have been dreaming of giving this award to a Notre Dame player since Tim Brown won it back in ‘87. Clausen may lose out to a player on a better team, but right now he’s a lock for an invite. If he can somehow get the Irish to the BCS, he’ll have a puncher’s chance of winning the award. More than likely, he’ll have to settle for being the top pick in next April’s draft.

      I’m interested to see how Clausen finishes the year and whether or not he bolts for the NFL. The fact that he plays in a pro style system for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame will endure him to some scouts, but fair or unfair he’ll draw comparisons to Brady Quinn, which could hurt him given how bad the Browns’ QB has played this season in the NFL.

      I’m also interested to see if Alabama running back Mark Ingram can continue to play as well as he has, because to me (and I think our friends at DRAFT ZOO would agree given that they had him in their top spot last week) he is leading the Heisman race right now.

      I know Tebow played well last week against Georgia, but the Bulldogs haven’t stopped anyone this year and have one of the worst defensive backfields in the SEC. I’m still waiting for the Gator quarterback to play more consistently and he only has a month to do it.

      College Football

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