Semis: The Phanatic Speaks (Really), Mets More Broke, and More
Not one of these is post-worthy by itself, but, when taken together… you get the point.
– FOX’s Jon Morosi is all frowny face about the 2012 Phillies:
The Phillies are favored to win a sixth straight National League East title. They have an excellent chance to reach the World Series for the third time since 2008. And yet there’s a new, uninvited guest at their spring camp.
Doubt.
The Phillies’ professionalism and preparedness should sustain them for a time, but the air of inevitability is gone.
– The broke Mets continue to get broker (more broke?):
U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled Monday that Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, his family, businesses and charities must pay as much as $83 million to the trustee trying to recover funds to net losers in Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. He also ruled that the sides will go to trial March 19 over an additional $303 million that [trustee Irving] Picard is seeking.
The Wilpons’ lawyers had filed a motion to have the case tossed entirely.
– A great story on how NBC and Comcast are focusing on sports to rejuvenate the entire company. Plus, a vivid anecdotal tale about the time NBC won rights to the Olympic games through 2020 and Bob Costas got excited:
Throughout the flight Burke had been in contact with his team, but all of a sudden nobody on the ground was answering his calls. Finally he reached Brian Roberts, the CEO of Comcast, who had led the presentation and was still in Lausanne. As he listened, Burke balled his right hand into a fist, thrust it into the air, and yelled, “Yes!” He and Costas high-fived. Roberts was even more emotional. He would later describe falling back on his hotel room bed in a mix of euphoria, exhaustion, and relief upon hearing that NBC would host the Games through 2020. “I was,” he confessed to me, “moved to tears.”
Awkward.
– Finally, the Phillie Phanatic received a key to the City of Clearwater, stopped by fan-favorite Lenny’s and zoomed around Clearwater Beach this weekend. Here are three videos, produced by the City of Clearwater. The highlight comes at the 20 second mark of the first video, when the unmistakable voice of the Phanatic’s best friend, Tom Burgoyne, can be heard saying, “I’m trying to hold it.”
I thought the Phanatic didn’t speak?
Phillie Phanatic Goes Putt Putt on Clearwater Beach from City of Clearwater on Vimeo.