Crossing Broad

Jamie Moyer: The Ageless Wonder

"I'm going to throw this now... it'll get there eventually."

The man will not quit.

Jamie Moyer pitched four perfect innings for the Rockies last night in his bid to earn a spot in the Rockies Major League rotation. The old dog keeps reinventing his tricks, and showing that he's still a fuckin' boss.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

Moyer, a 24-year veteran who has won 267 major league games with seven teams, went to a three-ball count only twice and 30 of his 45 pitchers were strikes.

“Was I quick enough for you tonight,” Moyer joked after a typical outing with pin-point control and a below 80-mph fastball. “At this stage it’s all about progress, making a little bit each time. I feel I moved forward tonight.”

His fastball doesn't reach 80 miles per hour.

One more time...

His fastball doesn't reach 80 miles per hour... and hitters don't know what to do about it.

Moyer was a leader in the clubhouse with the Phillies, often telling the younger pitchers that they were fighting to take his spot on the roster. He might be saying much of the same to some of the youngins in Colorado this year.

If he makes this squad, no one is surprised anymore. I'm convinced that he wants to win 300 games and that's why he keeps going. It's almost impossible because he is 33 away, but Moyer is persistent as all hell.

He won't make that goal, but it's pretty awesome to see him try, if, in fact that is where he's aiming.

Ilya Bryzgalov Makes History With Something Other Than His Mouth, Amongst Other Things

Bryz: "You know that goal you scored was bullshit, right?" (Photo: CBC.ca)

Suddenly, the universe is making sense for Ilya Bryzgalov, and no one in Philadelphia is complaining.

During the second period of last night's game against the Islanders, Bryzgalov surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck and... John Vanbiesbrouck for the longest shutout streak  by a goaltender in Philadelphia Flyers history. Here's how the history book will read, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:

Ilya Bryzgalov – 249:43, Mar. 6-15, 2012

John Vanbiesbrouck – 227:40, Oct. 17-26, 1999

John Vanbiesbrouck – 218:42, Jan. 3-16, 1999

 

He's saying all the right things, too:

"I think it's not for me," Bryzgalov said humbly. "I think it's a great team accomplishment. I know I was not alone on the ice. It is a team thing. And I think the whole team deserves it. I just want to say congratulations to the organization and all players who played these games."

 

Bryz did give up two goals in the latter half of the third period, but who the hell is gonna knock him for that after 250 minutes of pure excellence? 

Not me. The Flyers have won seven of their last eight and the game they lost in that stretch saw Sergei Bobrovsky in net. I'd be shocked if Bryz wasn't between the pipes for the Saturday matinee in Boston against the Bruins, who have given up 21 goals in their last four games, losing each contest.

Apparently he didn't even know about the record until after the game... maybe that was for the best...

There's a whole lot else out there to talk about today as well. We'll continue to keep an eye on Eagles free agency moves, although it seems like by the end of business next week, they'll have extended the contracts of every single player on the current roster. No linebacker signing yet, but I'm sure they'll pick up a stud in the 6th round of the draft.

Keeping with the birds and how they tend to please fans, it looks like they want resident jackass Evan Mathis back. 

Temple plays tonight at 9:50 pm against South Florida. Old pal and ESPN's Ryan Feldman pointed out that Temple doesn't win if they score under 70, and South Florida gives up under 60 points per game. Me no likey.

Here's what else you missed:

Flyers Sign Andreas Nodl, Lose Cap Space

After Thursday's blockbuster moves, this may seem like a relatively meaningless blurb, but we are a site that revolves around Philadelphia sports, and so here we are.

The Flyers signed restricted free agent Andreas Nodl to a new contract, the terms are not yet disclosed.  They also signed Tom Sestito, who has played 13 games in the NHL. Nodl had 11 goals and 11 assists last year. He was actually a +14 to boot. Look for him to hang out on the fourth line. We'll see what happens with Sestito... frankly, no one cares at this point. 

The real reason anyone would blink at either of these moves is because they cost the Flyers a bit of cap space, albeit pretty minimal. Thursday's orange and black explosion has left some fans scratching their heads. Others are excited, and the rest are intrigued.  Final cap calculations after dealing Richards and Carter, and signing Ilya Bryzgalov have left me and many others to think that the Flyers have one more big signing or trade up their sleeve. Every signing the Flyers make that isn't the big move will induce a shrug or sigh from this point forward.

Flyers fans will surely pay attention to restricted and unrestricted free agents this coming Friday when NHL free agency begins. It will be one of the more exciting and intriguing weekends in recent memory (if we don't count last weekend), as we are expecting something...

...something.

One signing I wouldn't mind to hear about kinda soon-ish would be Ville Leino. I know Im not alone there.

Iggy Trade Rumors Go Hollywood: Lamar Odom's Name Surfaces

Hey, if this works out, you don't get JUST Lamar Odom... ugh.

Happy NBA Draft Day folks! Last year, the buzz surrounding the Sixers centered on who the team would take with the No. 2 overall pick. This year, the focus is whether or not a staple of the organization will be a Sixer tomorrow morning.

Since before the season ended, rumors surrounding a possible trade of shooting guard Andre Iguodala have dominated team talk (and that whole "imminent sale of the Sixers" thing of course). Monta Ellis was the first big name we heard from the rumor mill, shortly followed by Chris Kaman. Now, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated is reporting that league sources have mentioned a possible deal being discussed for Lakers power forward Lamar Odom.

Amick goes into detail about what it would take to make the deal happen:

The deal would have to include another Lakers player in order to work under salary-cap rules. One of the sources said the Lakers might include small forward Ron Artest, who will be paid $21.7 million over the next three seasons and has an early-termination option for 2013-14.

 

Could you imagine? All of a sudden, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest (THIS Ron Artest) on your Philadelphia 76ers? I would say that something like this is a longshot, but with the way that the Sixers have actively been shopping Iggy, I suppose anything is possible at this point.

Odom will enter the final year of his contract with the Lakers next season, making just under $9 million. With the NBA's painful salary cap rules, the Sixers and Lakers can't make a straight-up swap involving him and Iguodala, because Iggy makes $13.5 million next season. This is why Artest's name (or another Laker) would have to be thrown into the mix.

On top of all of this, the Sixers would also be trading for Odom's wife, Khloe Kardashian (the one who is in no way, shape, or form what anyone would consider "physically attractive"). I hate the Kardashian's about as much as I love Kim's ass. Having Khloe in Philadelphia for the next year, accompanied by her awful reality show, will annoy and fascinate me (and you) all at the same time.

I'm starting to twitch...

The Odom rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't know how seriously you should take the following blurb either. Amick threw this in at the end of his piece:

Iguodala is in play for Minnesota as well, according to a rival general manager who called the possibility of the Sixers acquiring the No. 2 pick in a package for their 27-year-old swingman "definitely real."

 

While it would be exciting for the team to have the No. 2 pick for the second year in a row, I'm not salivating over this year's draft class, and I'm not sure trading up is the answer for the Sixers. Having said that... I would probably still take it.

Like I've said in the past, it's time to turn the page on Andre Iguodala. Any half-reasonable move involving his departure, in my opinion, would be a step forward. It's hard to say if Iggy will be a Sixer tomorrow morning, but the possibility that he wears another uniform next season (or whenever they resume play) is more likely than ever.

With a potential NBA Lockout looming the team's brass knows that if they are going to make a move, there is no better time than now.  It is the driving force behind how actively the Sixers are shopping Iguodala right now.

Sources: A Sale of the Philadelphia 76ers is "Imminent"

Referencing ESPN twice in a day is like mortal sin to me, but when news like this comes out of nowhere, I can't bring myself to ignore it.

Henry Abbott of ESPN.com is reporting that according to sources, there are conversations to sell the Philadelphia 76ers and that a deal is "imminent".

Um, I had no idea that the Sixers were for sale, did you?!

If such a deal were to happen, the team would be sold to Joshua Harris, described in this piece as a "New York-based leveraged buyout specialist." Comcast Spectacor has owned the team since 1996, when Spectacor merged with Comcast (thus... the name... not rocket science, people).

This is indeed big news if it does go down, but diehard Sixers fans shouldn't worry too much. It doesn't look like the team will go anywhere in the event of a sale:

Comcast-Spectacor also owns the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, and the Wells Fargo Center where both teams play. The company would continue to own and operate the arena with the Sixers as a tenant, according to sources.

 

Nothing has been announced or made official as of this writing. Abbott is the only writer reporting this story at the moment. More to come if or when it develops.

Rumor Party: The Sixers May Trade Andre Iguodala

"You might wanna kiss me goodbye..."

Sixers news does exist!

After a minor blip on Friday regarding a potential Andre Iguodala trade for Hedo Turkoglu, the new rumor is another trade involving Iggy. But this time, it seems to have a bit more life.

ESPN's Ric Bucher is saying that the Sixers and the Golden State Warriors are discussing a deal that would send Iguodala to the West Coast in exchange for the Warriors' leading scorer, Monta Ellis.

Although such a move would mean the tragic end of our Portrait of a Leader series ::tear::, it would be a clear sign that the Sixers are willing to move on and begin a new era with the team... sort of.

While Ellis is not as good as Iguodala is defensively, he certainly serves as more of an impact scorer. The trade will also save the Sixers more than $10 million over the next three seasons, but the contract of Elton Brand will continue to be a finanicial handcuff for the team until his deal expires after the 2012-13 season.

My feeling is that Sixers fans are excited about this move because it's something different and/or they're frustrated with the decision making they've seen from Iguodala in the past. However, Jordan Sams of Liberty Ballers makes a compelling argument that the Sixers already have an Ellis-like player on their roster. Sams compared the numbers of Ellis and Sixers guard Lou Williams and calculated what they would look like if both players logged similar playing time. Below were his findings:

Per 36

Ellis - 21.5 points, 5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals

Williams - 21.2 points, 5.2 assists 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 steal

The only significant advantage Monta had over Lou is his field goal percentage of 45, opposed to 41 for Lou. However; when free throws and threes are factored in, the players' true shooting percentages are identical. Lou got to the line 2.5 more times per 36, and shot a slightly better percentage (82% to 79%). He also made 0.3 more threes per 36, but shot a slightly lower percentage than Monta (36% to 35%).

 

Did that rain on your parade a little bit? Sams' research made me a bit less optimistic from when I initially heard the news, but part of me would still want to get the deal done... probably because I've wanted Iggy out of here for quite some time. If not a trade for Ellis, a trade for someone else. Sometimes, something different is better than the same old thing.

What say you, Sixers faithful?

Instead of Letting It Go, McNabb Releases Statement on Hopkins, Marcus Hayes Continues to Play the Race Card

Nice suntan!

Can't it just die already?

I was proud of Donovan McNabb for not immediately jumping the gun with a response to Philadelphia's own fist-throwing, big-mouthed, ignorant-ass jerkoff... Bernard Hopkins. McNabb has always been a classy guy who has carried himself as a professional, but his way of words in the public eye has rarely ever helped his case.

By not responding, McNabb showed that whether the comments were justified or not, he was above the criticism. He showed that he could let it just die and go away, which would make Hopkins look even worse. The player  I loved growing up (and still love) finally figured it out... and I was proud.

Then, without fail, McNabb responded via his agent, Fletcher Smith.

Before I delve any further, read his statement:

Bernard Hopkins Makes Me Absolutely Sick

I hope Jean Pascal (right) does this to B-Hop (left) a thousand times next Saturday.

I tried to keep my mouth shut for the better part of the past three years, because Bernard Hopkins is a native Philadelphian and I've tried relentlessly to support him. He also seems like the kind of guy who would find and annihilate me if I wrote something negative about him.

But when someone speaks publicly with the ignorance, carelessness, and classlessness the way that Hopkins has, I can only stay mum for so long. The fact is this: When he opens his mouth, Bernard Hopkins is a fucking disgrace.

Yesterday, while in Philadelphia for his fight against Jean Pascal on May 21st, Hopkins took another opportunity to rip former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for absolutely no reason. In the past, Hopkins has questioned McNabb's ability and his heart when it came to the game of football. This time, he went completely overboard, implying that the quarterback isn't black enough.

"Forget this," Hopkins said, pointing to his own dark skin. "He's got a suntan. That's all."

 

Um...no. That's not all. (Is it ever?) Marcus Hayes' piece for the Daily News insinuated that no one had ever asked about McNabb during Hopkins' media-invited training session. Instead, someone asked about Michael Vick and Hopkins took the opportunity to connect the dots back to the former Birds quarterback. Hayes elaborates further:

Concussion King Eric Lindros Has Something to Say

This brings back awful memories...

...and his words hold some merit, probably because his parents had nothing to do with it.

In an interview with the Toronto Sun, the former Philadelphia Flyer and soon-to-be inductee into the London Sports Hall of Fame (...congratuations?) said that he believes rule changes in the NHL have led to a higher rate of concussions.

Lindros could be considered an authority on the topic. Once anointed "The Next One", he suffered four concussions during his NHL career. The most  infamous of those  was the shot he took from Scott Stevens in game seven of the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, which you can view... right here.

 

 

Was that really 11 years ago? Jesus.

Anyway, here is what Lindros had to say on the topic [Pro Hockey Talk via The Toronto Sun]:

"They did away with the red line (for the two-line offside pass), so the rate of speed through the neutral zone is much higher. Defencemen can't help their partners by slowing opponents down between the blue line and the top of the circle and goalies can't play the puck behind the goal line outside that (trapezoid) area.

"Would Raffi Torres have been coming through the neutral zone as fast as he was otherwise?" he added of the Vancouver forward's hit on Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks during their first-round playoff series, which earned Torres an interference penalty, but no suspension. "Everyone's being so reactive right now, but the problem's actually been there for a long time. I think there are some strides being made, though."

 

Lindros is basically saying that the much faster speed of today's game makes the hits and checks even more dangerous. (If you didn't click on the link for the Raffi Torres hit directly above, you need to. It's a great illustration of his point.)

The elimination of the two-line pass call and the goalie's inability to be effective outside of the trapezoid area forces more movement on both sides of the ice, especially by the end boards. You notice that the Stevens hit on Lindros was similar to the Torres hit on Seabrook, except where the incident took place. The Stevens hit took place in the neutral zone in open ice, but now players can get that room pretty deep as well.

UPDATE! So Derek Lowe Got A DUI Last Night...

"Now who wants to take a ride?!" (Photo courtesy of Zimbio)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was arrested last night for driving under the influence, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Lowe was stopped last night around 10:00 pm in the ATL. A spokesperson for the Georgia State Patrol shared brief details on the incident.

The trooper "detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage"  and gave Lowe a field sobriety test, Wright said.  Lowe refused to take a state-administered alcohol test, he said.

Wright said Lowe was also charged with reckless driving and failure to maintain lane. 

 

There's no word on how this event will affect him on the field. The Braves begin a three-game series with the Phillies next Friday. If everything stays as is, Lowe should start in the first of those games.

Way to go, champ.

UPDATE! Derek Lowe was racing somebody.

Charlie Sheen Bails Out Lenny Dykstra... Seriously

 
Duhhhh! Bailing!

Something you can only find in the Dykstra Zone, TMZ is reporting that Charlie Sheen paid more than $20,000 to bail out former Phillie Lenny Dykstra.

The embattled Dykstra was arrested recently for bankruptcy fraud and his bail was set at $150,000. Sheen came forward with 15% of the cash-money so Nails could go free... for now.

When Sheen was asked about his actions, he replied. "The rendition guilty trolls that kidnapped my dear friend Nails clearly forgot that he's a fellow Vatican assassin and his best pal is a warlock."

I suppose that Sheen owed him one, considering that Dykstra hired a lawyer to try and help his buddy get back on the set of "Two and a Half Men" after he was fired last month.

It's scumbags helping scumbags, folks... like watching a car accident in slow motion.

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday's News About the NFL Lockout isn't What You Were Looking to Hear, and You Should Be Pissed Off

Does the draft even matter to you at this point? If it doesn't... it's people like Roger Goodell that you can thank.

If you are a true football fan, this whole NFL labor situation should foster the kind of anger and frustration inside of you that makes blood shoot out of your eyes.

The NFL Draft is two days away and the Philadelphia Eagles should have a huge chip to play with this offseason in Kevin Kolb, but the NFL is in the sixth week of its historic work stoppage.

The domino effect in Philadelphia? Almost no one gives a shit about this draft on Thursday. The Phillies are surging in April, the Flyers have a huge seventh and deciding game in South Philly tonight, and even the Sixers are in the playoffs. So you have every right to be nonchalant or unmoved about a league whose owners don't give a fuck about you.

Yesterday's news about the  lockout being "lifted" probably got you quite excited at first glance, but looking into it paints a picture. It's a picture that tells us that yesterday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson provides no immediate progress in what will continue to be a long, drawn out process. This process will continue to push away fans of a league where nothing was broken.

To be clear: NFL owners opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement two years early. The CBA that expired on March 4th of this year was initially set to expire in March of 2013. The players did not want this lockout, nor did the fans. I'm skeptical to say the same about the owners.

The rookie pay scale and the 18-game regular season you keep hearing about is only a fraction of the dispute between the two sides. The biggest issue is sharing the pie. The owners want more while the players wanted what they were already getting... and that's the reality. It is the single-biggest force driving this public relations disaster unfolding right in front of you.