I didn’t have a problem with the Eagles’ going for the win. What do they have to lose? The season is over and they were in a position to steal a game on the road. If anything, it gave Carson Wentz some experience in a big moment. What was interesting, however, since I listened to a large chunk of the game in the car, was Merrill Reese and Mike Quick trying to comprehend the Eagles’ decision to kick with the wind in the third quarter, thus sending them into the wind in the fourth, which may have complicated the decision to go for the win or tie. Oh Doug.

Let’s hit it!

 

But first, a word from our sponsors:

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The roundup:

The Nerlens Noel situation is spiraling out of control. He has essentially been benched after complaining about his playing time:

Nerlens Noel went from playing 8 minutes, 2 seconds to being out of the 76ers’ rotation for the foreseeable future. He’ll only get playing time if Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor are in foul trouble.

The Sixers say it has to do with their logjam at the center, with three starting-caliber players in Noel, Embiid, and Okafor. Coach Brett Brown was adamant Sunday that it had nothing to do with Noel’s voicing his displeasure with playing just 8:02 against the Los Angeles Lakers two days earlier.

Noel is somehow keeping his shit together:

 

Doug Pederson won points in the locker room for going for it, probably because everyone just wanted to get home early:

“Our coach is aggressive, and he believed in us,” said quarterback Carson Wentz, who drew the Eagles within one on a 4-yard touchdown plunge.

“I think you ask anybody in this locker room, everybody’s going to tell you they loved it,” added linebacker Jordan Hicks. “He is who he said he was going to be — he said it earlier in the year, that he was going to be aggressive and he was going to battle with us. Love that.”

 

Here’s Sheena Parveen’s boyfriend.

 

Lane Johnson returns to the Eagles today. Cool.

 

I feel like this Embiid photo is just begging for a Photoshop contest:

Photo credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

 

Why the Phillies extended Odubel Herrera a year before they had to:

The Phillies, rather than going year-to-year with Herrera, achieved some so-called “cost certainty.” It is difficult to know how much Herrera would have earned from 2018-20 through arbitration had he continued on his current career arc. But if the Phillies exercise both options for 2022 and 2023, they will have purchased Herrera’s first three years of free agency (2021-23) for roughly $33 million. That could represent a massive discount for the team. They have Herrera under control now through his age 29 season, at the very least. In the post-steroid game, production has skewed toward players under 30.

This feels like a very Klentak move. I feel like Ruben Amaro would’ve waited for Odubel to turn in another productive season and then signed him to a seven-year, $489 million deal with player options for years, 8, 9 and 10.

 

Donald Trump, who won’t talk to reporters and may very well ruin America as we know it, held a Christmas party for the media and of course they showed up:

If there’s one thing people in the media love more than the truth and talking about themselves, it’s free food and drinks. God this is embarrassing for those who attended, some of which are identified here. And before you go comparing this to the White House Christmas party – an official event in a house owned by the public – it’s worth noting that Donald Trump has bashed the press at every turn and hasn’t held a press conference since July, making this painfully obvious attempt to win over the media on his on dime that much more transparent.

 

I really find it hard to dislike Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliot:

https://twitter.com/SportsCast_THN/status/810842306563735553

 

WE CLINCHED!

 

The Eagles fan’s mindset:

 

Ian Rapppopopopopoprpt says he doesn’t see the Eagles making major changes:

“Coming into the season, they were expecting to be at least a year away, potentially even more. There’s a lot of reasons for that. First of all, take a look at what happened last offseason before Chip Kelly’s final year. They were simply gutted of personnel. They knew they needed to beef up the kind of skill players they had. They knew they needed a quarterback. So they made the decision as an organization to actively rebuild, find a quarterback and avoid the 9-7, are we good enough, are we not type of thing. They wanted to start over and try to restock.”

 

John Smallwood: The Eagles should be careful with Wentz, even if that’s not manly or something:

“If you are Eagles coach Doug Pederson, what is your top priority for the final two games? A hint is that it involves ignoring much of the established macho culture of the National Football League…

Play Wentz because you want him to complete a full NFL season, but protect him at all costs. Pederson’s game plan in Sunday’s 27-26 loss to the Ravens is the perfect blueprint for what to do against New York and Dallas – run the ball while limiting the passing game to screens, dump-offs and short patterns. Basically, a passing play requiring Wentz to hold the football for more than three seconds is a bad one…

The pocket is going to collapse and that’s going to open up Wentz to hard hits for steamrolling defensive players.

So Pederson should keep it dialed down. If weather was actually the motivation for what he did against the Ravens, then pray for a nor’easter to blow through Philadelphia come Thursday when the Eagles host the Giants. Design a game plan that does whatever it can to protect Wentz from taking a physical beating. Do the same on New Year’s Day against Dallas.

Pederson should be a poppa wolf watching out for his cub to ensure that he can ultimately grow into all that he can be.”

 

There are 100 great faces in this picture:

 

Is this good?

 

That’s future Sixer Markelle Fultz:

 

Move over Curt Schilling’s bloody sock, Joel Embiid’s bloody compression pant is here:

 

This is about as expected as this could have been for anybody:

 

Oh, and this too:

https://twitter.com/SportsFunhouse/status/810537624800727040

 

Sideline people (coaches, cameramen, sound guys) get run over all the time. This might be the most awkward one I’ve ever seen:

 

Oh Bernard:

 

Texans fans got very excited for anyone not named Brock Osweiler Delco’s own Tom Savage.

 

It was so cold in Chicago, Matt Barkley wore a wetsuit under his uniform.

 

Podcast:

Airing of Grievances with Josh Innes:

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The Stepover Episode 17 talks winnable games, Brett Brown criticisms (before the Cavs loss), and some fun Joel Embiid stats:

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Number 1 Hockey Podcast Episode 2:

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