Mediocrity of Philly Sports

       This year, major expectations were placed on the Philadelphia sports teams. To start, the Phillies had a terrible season. They are obsessed about living in the past. The period in which they scored the most runs in the league and had a dominant rotation. Now, all of their talented players they invested in four or five years ago have past their primes, but the Phillies still want them on their team. The recent re-signing of Carlos Ruiz proves my point that they want to keep their core of aging players. Along with this, Utley received an extension and Howard has a max contract to sit on the bench for half of the season. Halladay's pitching has declined with his age and he is no longer the annual Cy Young candidate he once was. Their outfield and the bullpen are the only good things they have going for them right now. Domonic Brown is developing into one of the best up and comers. Revere was able to end last season on a hot streak and his speed obviously poses a threat when he gets on base. Mayberry is solid flex play along with Hernandez. Their bullpen was up and down last year, but there are some young guns they have that can throw in the high nineties. They have building blocks, but not a deep team. Ruben Amaro needs to stop living in the past and look forward to the future.
       Next up, the Eagles. Chip Kelly has done a very good job with the youth on his football team. I think the way he has handled the QB situation has been great. Although we all know Vick wants to be out there on the field, Kelly has gotten Vick to buy into Foles, along with all the Eagles fans. For the most part, Foles has been very consistent and has not made very many mistakes. He has put the Eagles in a position to make the playoffs and has led one of the best offenses in the NFL. Along with Foles, Shady McCoy has been a key part to Kelly's up-tempo scheme. He is having a career year leading the league currently in rushing. He is looking like an elite back with the quick cuts he can make and his on-a-dime acceleration. Although when most think of the Eagles, the first thing that comes to mind is their offense, but their defense has kept them in games at some points this year. Trent Cole is their best player at linebacker. Their cornerbacks led by Cary Williams and Brandon Boykin have looked a lot better than the "elite" core they had last year. I believe this team is moving in the right direction and Chip Kelly is definitely suited to be an NFL coach.
      Finally, the Sixers and Flyers. The Sixers came out of the gates hot winning three straight games, two of which were against the Heat and Bulls. Since then, they have lost 9 of 12 games. They are showing why they were projected to be the worst team at the beginning of the season. Evan Turner has been a major piece to their success and inefficiencies. He is averaging over 20 PPG, but it seems like his is too self-centered. He only cares about himself when he should really be caring about getting his teammates involved. After him, Hawes has been having a solid season, but he is not that aggressive big man down low they need to compete in the East. Their team is filled with inexperience and youth. With Noel in a suit for entire season most likely, the Sixers are going to need to figure out what direction they want to go in by the trade deadline. I believe Turner will be traded by then at the latest, and this team will begin to build from the ground up with the new talent they bring in with this star-studded draft class.
       Now, the other team that plays at Wells Fargo, the Flyers. After getting off to a rough start, the Flyers decided to change directions when they fired Peter LaViolette. Since then, under Craig Berube, their record is 10-8-2. They have looked like a real hockey team. Although their seven point streak ended Monday this week, that streak is still impressive for a team that had extreme doubts after their start. Currently, the Read, Couterier, and Downey line has looked like the most aggressive and impressive on the ice. Read is beginning to consistently score goals and Couturier is looking more aggressive with the extra weight he put on over the offseason. Along with the team, their captain, Claude Giroux, was ice cold to start the season. He didn't record a goal for almost the first month of the season, but now he is looking like the leader we thought of him as before the season started. Their defensive core has been impressive with Streit, Schenn, and Coburn. But as a Philly fan, we all know what the Flyers problem has been since their last cup. GOALTENDING. Steve Mason is beginning to look like the guy who won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008-09. His puck control has been outstanding, and his head is all there, unlike Bryz. As long as the Flyers can provide Mason with a little bit of support, the team should be competitive for the rest of the season.
       This year has been mediocre for the Philly sports teams, but if the Flyers, Eagles, or both are able to make the playoffs my views may change on the year.

2014 MLB Free Agent Projections

Not the best free agency year we have had, but one that can be big for the next couple years.

Carlos Beltran- Yankees- Beltran is going to get paid this year, and the Yankees have the money for it. Look for a 2 year deal at around 30 million dollars.

Bronson Arroyo-Twins- Twins need pitching and they have some money. Bronson Arroyo is a veteran talent who would fit in with the Twins given he would be their ace.

Phil Hughes-Yankees-Marlins want to bring him in for a 1 year deal but I believe Yankees are going to pay to keep Phil in the pinstripes.

Jacoby Ellsburry-Mariners- He is from Oregon and the Mariners have the money to bring him in. If not the Mariners, then obviously he will be back in Boston.

Curtis Granderson-Yankees- Yet again, Yankees have enough money to bring in or bring back anybody they want

Ricky Nolasco-Phillies- Phillies need cheap pitching and one of their best bets right now is Nolasco.

Grant Balfour-Yankees- Mariano Rivera's replacement in New York.

Josh Johnson-Phillies- Phillies gave a 2nd chance to Dontrelle Willis, and they would be willing to give Josh one as well.

Dan Haren-Giants- California native who will be looking at a one year deal from any team.

On this day in Sports History...

Joe Montana became the fifth quarterback to surpass the 40,000 yard mark with the Kansas City Chiefs. Arguably one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, Montana won four Super Bowls with the 49ers and was selected to eight pro bowls. This man changes the way the game was thought of and played. The passing game has evolved from Montana on to today where the league is pass first. Not to mention he was part of one of the most infamous plays in playoff history, "the catch". Montana changed the game and will forever be a major figure when talking about the history of the NFL.

First Impressions of a College Basketball Season to Remember

           This year we as college basketball fans have an opportunity to watch what could be the best season we have ever seen. There are so many good, young players who will be going to the NBA this year and making big splashes. Let's start with No. 1 ranked Michigan State. Keith Appling and Gary Harris is easily the best guard combo in college basketball. Adreian Payne is one of the best centers in the country. All-around, Michigan State is the real team to beat this year. But there are a couple teams in mind who can make an argument against that. Kansas is all around great with Wayne Selden at guard and Joel Embiid playing Center. Did I mention they have Andrew Wiggins, the high school prodigy compared to Lebron? Kansas has a very good chance at being No. 1 some point during this season. Another team to watch as the season goes on is Kentucky. They are a very young team with the Harrison brothers, James Young, and that guy Joseph Randle, projected to be a Top 3 pick in the draft this year. Kentucky is young, but as the season goes on they will get better and better. The last team I want to mention in this mix is not Duke. Jabari Parker is a great player but overall I cant see Duke competing with these guys. The real team to watch this year is Oklahoma State. If you thought the Michigan Sate combo was good, look at Marcus Smart-Markel Brown. Marcus Smart single-handedly beat Memphis on his own and last night Brown and Smart combined for 50 points, beating USF by almost 30 points. These 2 guys are beasts, leading Oklahoma State to 2nd in PPG.
             Now let me tell you about these over-rated teams. Beginning of the season Memphis was ranked 11th. Now they are slowly falling, because of there poor back-court and there lack of talent at guard. They are playing with a bunch of OK guards, but that isn't going to help you maintain your spot on the top 25 list. Another team that is on a very slippery slope is Louisville. The 3rd ranked team to start the season has a similar problem to Memphis, not having a good back-court. They have Russ Smith helping them keep games close, but one guy cannot win every game for you. Louisville doesn't deserve a spot in the Top 10.

Teams to Watch:
California: They return 4 starters from last season, and gain a great talent in Freshman Jabari Bird. California should be one of the top teams finishing in the Pac-12.
Iowa: Iowa returns practically everyone on there roster from last year and have a lot of talent/potential especially at the guard position

Projections as of right now: It is early in the season, but I believe the clear cut winner as of now in March is Michigan State. They are the overall best team in the nation. As for player of the year I am going with a dark horse, I am taking Doug McDermott from Creighton. He is averaging 30 points a game and about 9 rebounds. A lot of people believe he is slow, but wait until you see his shot. He is one of the most under-valued players in the nation.

The Playoff Push

Currently, there are 14 AFC teams still in contention to make the playoffs. As the weeks dwindle down to the end of the season, the race for the playoffs begins to heat up. The last wildcard in right now is 5-6. Is it reasonable to think a .500 or even a team with a losing record could make the playoffs? I think not. The magic number for the AFC playoffs right now is nine wins, but with the littering of teams in contention, anything can happen. I believe the Steelers have a good chance to make it into the final wildcard or even take over the division. Cincinnati has not been very consistent with Andy Dalton playing subpar at best the past three games, two of which they lost two. Their remaining schedule is tough with games at San Diego and Pittsburgh along with tough games against Indianapolis and Baltimore. I believe this Thanksgiving game is a turning point for Pittsburgh. They are playing very well coming in to Thursday winning three straight games. Their defense is beginning to look like a well-oiled machine, forcing turnovers and rattling the quarterback. After this week, the Steelers play three of their last five games at home, two of which are divisional games. If Pittsburgh is to not make the playoffs, I believe the next team up for that last wildcard spot is San Diego. Phillip Rivers looks like his dominant self from two or three years ago. Although his wide receiving core is filled with a bunch of youthful talent, he still has his rock Antonio Gates. Passing is the number one form of offense in the current day NFL, and San Diego has one of the best. They were able to beat the Chiefs in a shootout, who arguably have one of the best defenses in the NFL and only lost to Denver by ten. They are one of my favorites to get the final spot to play into January. With all this being said, this playoff picture will not be decided now. It will come down to how these teams play over the next five weeks of the NFL season.