Cliff_lee_billboard
Source: Meredith Edlow of GPTMC

-According to our buddy HughE Dillion, Clifton and Kristen have settled on a home in Rittenhouse Square.  He won't say exactly where it is (for those stalker types…), but he did say that Lee looked at Pat Burrell's old place, the Lanesborough, before settling elsewhere.  That's a good move.  Burrell's place was probably more of a fun house of fornication than a home.  No kids, don't touch that.

And about the dinner at the Capital Grille… our source tells us that the Lees were joined by Ruben Amaro, Scott Proefrock, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker, and Tom Middleton.  Rube (or more likely the Phillies) picked up the check.  Make that a $120,004,062 contract.

-A bunch of athletes took in the Usher concert last night, including Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Jaamal Jackson, and Oskars Bartulis… one of these things just doesn't belong here (sing song voice). Philly Chit Chat, of course, has the photos.

-Sixers PR man Mike Preston says Rollins, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, and Jamie Foxx will all be at the Sixers Lakers game tonight.

-Oh yeah, today is Chase Utley's 32nd birthday.  Happy birthday, man crush (pre-requisite I have a girlfriend comment).

Finally, reader Christine said (and I quote) "it would be a top ten thrill" of her life if we posted her 'Twas The Night Before Cliffmas poem.  Well, I can't go denying someone of that… 

The F you, Yankees comment helps too.  After the jump.

MyPHL17 also has her poem posted with a solid Photoshop.

'Twas the 13th of December 
And midnight was near 
Approaching the end 
Of a great Philly year 


The Flyers had battled 
Lord Stanley was close 
but the Boston series miracle 
Gave us reason to boast 


The Eagles and McNabb 
Had parted their ways 
And now Starship 7 
Was guiding our sleigh 


The Sixers, while modest, 
Were starting to shine 
A team on the rise? 
We'll find out with time 


The Phillies, as always, 
Had, too, made us proud 
But the silence of Howard 
At the plate still rang loud 


So it's the13th of December 
And all through my home 
Monday Night Football was ending 
I was checking my phone 


When all of a sudden 
My eyes and ears froze 
Whispers, then murmers 
I saw the buzz grow 


Could it be happening? 
Could this be fact? 
The arm of Cliff Lee 
In the void of Werth's bat? 


Then all of a sudden 
The Tweet said it all 
Mighty Lee is returning 
to our boys of the Fall! 


Rosenthal, Zolecki, 
Stark and Heyman chimed in 
WIP proclaimed it, 
Then ESPN 


I texted, I tweeted 
Midnight phone calls were placed 
The Phillies were King!! 
The Yanks had fallen from grace!!! 


And what to my wandering eyes should appear But the greatest rotation EVER; Baseball's most feared. 


On Halladay!  On Hamels! 
On Oswalt and Lee! 
With batting from 
Rollins, and Shane, and Utley! 


Because talk of this lineup 
Arose quite a clatter; 
But lest not forget 
The sheer force of our batters 


My eyes wouldn't close 
Until quarter to 2 
When I woke, I double checked – 
Lee IS back!  It's true!! 


To the Phans of Philadelphia 
An era brand new; 
Merry Christmas to all, 
And to the Yankees – F YOU