Crossing Broad

Kevin Kolb Texted Pictures of Dead Animals to Vick, For Realsies

 
"Check out your boy getting his hunt in"

Last week, ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill wrote a very interesting piece about the heart warming relationship between Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb.  She managed to paint a picture of two BFF's that share a common goal of winning football games.  And, um, ya know, some other things:

Last week, during the Eagles' bye, Vick received a series of text messages. They were from Kolb. One was a picture of a couple of dead turkeys that Kolb bagged during his trip back home to Texas; another featured a wild hog who met an ill fate with a bow. Check out your boy getting his hunting in, is all Kolb remembers typing in a testosterone-charged week of camouflage and reflection.

 

Sick since of humor that Kolb has.  We'll just assume Vick didn't respond in kind...

What the Hell is Wrong with People? Concussion Edition

 
One day current polycarbonate football helmets will be considered as archaic as this cowhide relic

According to an AP article from yesterday, your homeboy, DeSean Jackson, will be donning some fresh new headgear this week.  A helmet made by Schutt uses air pockets to add extra cushioning to absorb the impact of blows to the head.  In fact, if you do a little Google work, you will discover that almost every major helmet manufacturer is now designing a similar helmet.

D-Jac's new thang

Now, here comes the interesting part.  The NFL, who in the last few weeks has handed out a few hundred thousand dollars worth of fines to players for "dangerous hits," has not made such headgear mandatory.  This is an interesting contradiction if you ask me.  It begs the question, is the NFL really concerned with the safety of players, or are they satisfied with the current state of the game so long as they have carte blanche to use any aggressive players as scapegoats when something goes awry?

The league executives can not be blind to the fact that fans are drawn to the bone jarring collisions of pro football.  It is pretty clear by their marketing campaigns and comercials that they use this aspect of the game as a promotional tool.  They sit there and hand out fines from the ivory tower for the same hits that make them all rich, knowing full well that the technology is out there to keep their cash crop of star players safe.

Even though the league should take the decision out of their hands, the onus really falls on the players.  How stupid is this really?  Hey, does anybody want a concussion?  No?  Didn't think so.  So why not wear the new helmets?

Ah yes, money.  

Players are allowed to wear the Schutt helmet, obviously, but they have to remove any logos from it due to licensing agreements with the league (Riddell, the maker of the more traditional helmet, has a contract with the NFL).  

The only other reason players might not be wearing the new helmets is the cool factor. Look at the Mets' David Wright as an example.  Nobody wants to look like that.  Everybody wants to look cool.

But concussions aren't cool, yo.

Why You'll Never Hear Lavs Say, "Lets take Sergei Leighton and Play, Baby!"

 

A 6-1 thumping delivered to the Islanders last night has put the orange and black on a three game winning streak and placed them at the top of the Atlantic Division in a tie with the Penguins.  It has become increasingly obvious over his last few starts that the one they call "BOB" is the superior Flyers goaltender (see Can We Build a Case for Bob? ).  He has also now managed to beat the high-powered Penguins twice in their own building in less than a month.  This raises quite an interesting question, one that Philadelphia has already had a taste of this year with their football team.

What happens when the "starter" comes back?

I'm sure we could all picture andy Reid in a press conference, breathing heavily with maybe some cole slaw on his chin, and talking about "Michael Kolb" and his usual truck load of bullshit.  Now, lets put him behind the bench at "The Well."  Our starter, Michael Leighton, is down with injury (he just skated for the first time yesterday).  He has a backup who is playing extremely well.  Stop me when this starts to sound familiar.  There is one glaring difference between the Flyers' and Eagles' situations however, it is the lifelong backup, Brian Boucher.  He has been his usual, mediocre to below average self, but continues to get starts on a fairly consistent basis.  But why?

What The Hell is Wrong with People? Bye Week Edition! Our Favorite Dumpy Cowboys Fan is Sad

Let's face it, it has been one hell of a week.  The Phils left us high and dry, the Eagles took a tough loss in a game where they had the lead, and the Sixers... well they were what we thought they were. So to brighten your spirits, I present you this. 

You all remember our friend BlueStarShockTrooper?  Right?  No?  Click the link.  In his latest video, he appears to be a bit upset about the Cowboys' season, as the tears stream out from underneath his "Foakleys" and down all three of his chins.  It cheered me up, so I figured why not share it with you!  Plus it's always fun to see a Cowboys fan cry.

Please excuse the super lame country intro, BSST starts speaking at the 1:00 mark.

Phillies Pass on Romero's 2011 Club Option

 The Phillies have declined the $4.5million option for 2011 on J.C. Romero's contract.  A shell of his 2008 self over the last few seasons, the Phillies' situational left-hander was reduced to the role of "situational walk machine" as he compiled a strike-out to walk ratio of under one.  

The only remaining lefty that can be counted on is Antonio Bastardo, who is far from proven.  This will certainly have to be an area that the Phillies address during the off-season. 

Now, who will fist-pump and crotch grab their way to the dugout?

Weekend Full of Big Hits, Head Injuries Like Jackson's Stir Concern Among League Officials

                         

After a massive collision that left Desean Jackson and his assailant Dunta Robinson reeling, it appears that both men are unlikely to play this week.  Jackson suffered what was described as a "severe concussion" and Coach Reid says it would be "a real stretch" for Jackson to play against Tennessee.  Robinson claims to feel fine, but under the league's current policy concerning concussions, must be cleared to play by an independent physician.

This weekend's NFL slate also featured a couple of devastating shots dealt by Pittsburgh's resident badass, James Harrison.  He let it be known afterward that his goal is to deal out pain.  I kind of had a feeling that he was a fan of breaking bones after he slammed the shit out of that Browns fan that came on to the field a few years back.

In response to this brutal Sunday, Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive VP, told AP reporters that the league is considering suspensions for blows to the head, in an effort to help curb some of the injuries that have been occurring.

"There's strong testimonial for looking readily at evaluating discipline, especially in the areas of egregious and elevated dangerous hits," he said in a phone interview. "Going forward there are certain hits that occurred that will be more susceptible to suspension."

More and more evidence of the severe and lingering effects of head injuries is compiled every year.  It's pretty obvious when you take a look at some of the ex-NFL greats, that a lifetime of using your skull as a battering ram will take its toll (see Ted Johnson).  Nobody wants to see a concussion, or worse.  The type of head first assaults that are in question are usually the cause of even more severe injuries like the kind that happened to Rutgers player Eric Legrand against Army on Saturday. 

On the other hand, bone jarring hits have always been a hallmark of professional football and part of what draws us in.  It is the modern day version of the gladiators' arena, and even 2000 years later, the blood lust of fans remains insatiable.  The bigger the hit the louder the cheer.  I have to admit, I'm cheering too.  I love when someone nearly gets decapitated for the sake of our enjoyment.  Common sense has to take over at some point, however, and that point should be when blows are aimed at or lead with the head.

Cablevision Dispute with Fox May Mean No NLCS, World Series, and NFL for Jersey Folks

News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch prepares to steal the soul of another hapless victim 

UPDATE: No agreement reached.
The reach of Philadelphia sports spans a wide area, reaching out past the bounds of the city to other areas of Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware and parts of New Jersey.  Unfortunately, a scenario is playing out for Philly fans who live in the Trenton/Hamilton area that may keep them from watching their favorite teams take the field this weekend. The main television provider in the area, Cablevision, is failing to come to an agreement with Fox Broadcasting on a fair market price for the big budget network's programming. 

A report from Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman of the Trentonian explains that, unless an agreement between the two parties is reached by midnight of October 15th, over 3 million Cablevision customers will be without local Fox affiliates WNYW-Fox5 and My9- for you mid to north Jersey folk.

Fox's parent company, News Corp, issued the following statement in regard to the matter.

"For the past year, we have attempted in good faith to negotiate a new agreement with Cablevision.  Our position in these negotiations is entirely reasonable — we are simply asking for fair compensation for the value Fox5 and My9 programming offers.

While negotiations are ongoing, we have a responsibility to prepare our viewers for the very likely possibility that as of Friday at midnight, Cablevision may no longer carry Fox5 and My9 programming."

 

These sentiments have not changed as of this post at 11:00PM on the 15th.  In this case of corporate greed it is the fans and the customers who will really end up suffering. But if there is a silver lining to this story, it is that 3million less Americans will be exposed to "Glee" for a few weeks. 

Sixers Remind Us They Still Exist by Screwing Fans With "Variable Pricing"

Photo Courtesy of Philebrity.com

The Philadelphia 76ers are the bastard child of Ed Snider.  His neglect for the team has led them straight to the bottom of the NBA standings and attendance rankings.  The average number of fans at any given Sixers home game last year was just a shade over 14,000, the fifth worst in the entire league.  With the Phillies in three straight League Championship Series, the Flyers reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Eagles being perennial playoff contenders, it is easy to forget about the Sixers.  What was once a proud and dominant franchise in the late 70's and early 80's has turned in to a joke.

Now Snider, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that the best way to bring people back to the stadium is to rape them at the gates when a marquee opponent is in town.  This is detailed in a report by the Philadelphia Business Journal. For example-  when the Miami Heat comes to town for this season's home opener, tickets prices will change from the normal range of $15-$119 all the way up to as high as $238! 

This is a total insult to the few Sixers fans who are still willing to shell out money to see their team play.  Since the Sixers refuse to put together a team that is able to compete at a level that makes them relevant, they had to come up with an alternate plan to make money.  To accomplish this task they have chosen a few well constructed franchises, the Heat and Lakers, and pimped them out at the Wells Fargo Center for nearly double the cost of a normal regular season game. The message from Snider seems obvious:  If you want to see the Sixers play, it will cost you one price, but if you want to see real basketball you're going to have to pay up, fools  (Snider then lets out an evil cackle and the jumps in to his Coffin for some sleep).

Shawn Bradley, Ed Stefanski, the Princeton offense, Sammy Dalembert, resigning AI for thee games: these were all bad Sixers memories that everyone has to deal with.  This time, however, they have taken the cake.  It's bad enough to raise ticket prices in these tough economic times, but to turn a profit off of another team's success, well, that is just despicable.

Of course, you CAN get tickets for well below those prices at Crossing Broad Tickets.

It Turns Out Shady McCoy is Pretty Damn Good

A somewhat disappointing performance from LeSean McCoy during his rookie campaign only magnified the injuries and, in turn, departure of Brian Westbrook as a cause for concern.  And why not? After all, a player with Westbrook's quickness and versatility only comes along every so often. Well, fortunately for fans, somewhere in between the last play of 2009 and week one, something happened that shaped Shady into a totally different player.   As the weeks progress, it becomes more and more obvious that McCoy is an extremely dangerous and very versatile back.

He finished the Monday Night game with a "Westbrook-esque" 92 yards rushing, a touchdown, and 46 yards receiving.  And he looks to be every bit the home run threat of Westbrook.  

His rushing touchdown on Monday night gives him five for the season, putting him just one behind pro-bowler Chris Johnson for the league lead.  Amazingly, in this pass happy offense of Andy Reid, he is ranked 12th in the league in rushing yards- averaging 5.4 yards per carry- and has gained over 100 yards of total offense from scrimmage in three of the first five contests.

Oh, did I mention he played this week's game with a broken rib and still touched the ball more than any other player on the field not named Kevin Kolb?  

It's evident that Mccoy is a tough young back with plenty of quickness and enough long range speed to break a big play at any moment.  It is amazing to see the improvement he has made from last year, when he seemed to run sideline to sideline far too often.  He has also improved his pass block abilities tremendously, which is something he seemed to struggle with at times last season. 

Overall, he has been the Eagles most consistent offensive threat and, in a season full of injuries and errors, he has definitely been the most pleasant surprise.  It looks like the Birds are set for years to come at the half back position as long as the quick youngster stays healthy.  Now, if someone would  only tell Andy that the rules allow you to run the ball more than 20 times a game, we are in business!

Oh yeah, his ribs were broken too.

Reds Greatest Weapons Have Been Their Undoing

In the 2010 regular season, the Cincinnati Reds committed only 72 errors over the course of 162 games.  Good defense and a strong lineup were the forces that propelled the team to the NL Central crown, yet both of those have let them down in their first two post season games.

The bats came up short in Game One, where they could not muster a single hit against a near perfect Roy Halladay. But their woes would only begin there.  Tonight, in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd, the Reds committed four errors and essentially gave away a game they looked to be in total control of.  With Cuban defector (and world renound playa hater) Aroldis Chapman on the mound in relief, Reds right fielder Jay Bruce did what can only be described as butchering the living shit out of a ball that was hit his way by Jimmy Rollins.  The play sent the Reds into a tail spin from which they never recovered, losing the game 7-4 and putting themselves in the unenviable position of having to win the next three from the Phils. 

Although this Reds team has undeniable talent, it appears they simply are not ready for the postseason.  Is it the intense playoff atmosphere they have been exposed to playing in Philadelphia in front of a packed house?  Maybe its simply a lack of experience that has hurt this team.  It's hard to pinpoint a single reason, but it is pretty clear, so far in this series they have not been the same team that led the NL in fielding percentage and runs scored in the regular season.

And as Phils fans, hey, we'll take the win any way we can get it.  This is the golden age of Phillies baseball we are witnessing.  If it takes Jay Bruce getting destroyed in every newspaper in America tomorrow, then so be it.  This team will march on and when the NLCS gets under way this will seem a distant memory.

I Told You So! Vindicated Ricciardi Explains Why He Wouldn't Let Doc Go in 2009

  

In an interview with WEEI.com, ex-Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi explained his reasoning for playing hard ball when it came to possible deals for Doc Halladay at the trade deadline last year.

"I think a lot of it was that maybe we appreciated him a lot more because we saw him do this. Maybe pitching in Canada, he didn't get as much attention. I'm really happy that people across the country are getting a chance to see what he's all about. We kept sitting there saying, This is Roy Freaking Halladay! Do people know?' Not only will you have him for this year, but you'll have him for next year. And whomever trades for him, he's probably going to go to a place he's going to want to stay. There's no way we're going to settle for one prospect, or 1 1/2 prospects. We've got to get a bunch of prospects because we're dealing someone really, really special here."

Ricciardi turned down several offers that he felt were not up to snuff compared to the otherworldly talent he was holding.  Ricciardi said there was no doubt in his mind that Roy would be a successful post season pitcher.  Turns out he was right (see Roy Halladay is Simply The Greatest).

“He’s so prepared. I guaranteed there was nothing left uncovered going into the game. This isn’t a rookie going to the game. He’s a veteran player who has pitched in Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, a lot of big games. I’m not surprised at all. Obviously, I didn’t think he would go out and throw a no-hitter, but I’m not surprised he competed as well as he did."

J.P. also warns that the Doc he knows is only going to be more dangerous as the playoffs progress.

"He pitched this game, he wasn’t rattled by that. I think the scary thing for me would be is now he has a taste of it, watch out, because he’s going to want the whole enchilada."

Ricciardi basically gets two main points across in this interview:

#1)All of you people who thought I was asking too much for Halladay, get it now you assholes?!?! 

And more importantly:

#2)National League hitters should make sure to scrub in before they climb in the batters box because the Doc is in and ready to operate.

Greg Dobbs Wears Energy Bracelets, Proves Said Bracelets are a Scam

 

Dobbs is on the playoff roster, the magic must be in his wrists

If you needed any more proof that these so called "energy  bracelets" are bullshit, then look no further than this article  from Tuesday's San Francisco Chronicle.  Bloomberg News reports that sales of energy bracelets have tripled in the US since 2008.  This is attributed to their popularity among major sports stars like Lebron Jamees, David Beckham and Greg Dobbs.  No, that's not a typo, I did just use Greg Dobbs in the same sentence as Beckham and James.  The chronicle even goes as far as to quote Dobbs (I guess A-Rod was busy) which I will spare you from reading here.

Dobbs, who mustered up just 32 hits in 163 at bats this year giving him a robust .196 batting average, had by far his worst season as a Phillie since joining the club in '07. 

So, if you are an investor in Power Balance LLC, the most popular maker of energy bracelets, my suggestion would be to sell now.  Once this news about Dobbs using the product spreads, shares are bound to tank.  But you never know, I mean, maybe Greg just got a bad batch of bracelets?  You know like those really ineffective steroids David Bell was supposedly shooting up a few years back. 

Nah, never mind it's bullshit.