Eagles Tie Bengals

The Eagles tied the Bengals 13-13 on Sunday. Unfortunately, there is no typo in that sentence. Exactly 11 years from the day the Eagles tied the Ravens 10-10, the Eagles came out and played horribly, and left Cincinnati with a tie. It's outrageous, embarrassing, and frustrating.

The Eagles continued to show the same problems that they have shown all season long. That begins with Andy Reid having no clue what he is doing, as it was difficult to tell if the Eagles had any type of game plan at all. The play calling was again horrendous, and was all over the place. The Eagles never looked like they had any type of consistent game plan. They could pick their plays out of a hat, and it probably wouldn't look any different.... in fact, it might improve the play calling.

Besides the poor play calling, Donovan McNabb played terribly. He clearly didn't have his best stuff all day long, and ended up tying a career high with 3 interceptions thrown, all while throwing a career high 58 passes. There wasn't much different in the play between McNabb, a 10 year veteran, and Fitzpatrick, who was making his 9th career start. Since McNabb was struggling, it makes no sense why the Eagles didn't try to run the ball, in a cold, windy atmosphere in Cincinnati. The Eagles called 17 running plays (this doesn't include a run by McNabb), on 18 offensive possessions. Really? 17 runs in 18 possessions against a Bengals defense which struggles to stop the run.

The defense was a bright spot, and kept the Eagles in the game as the Eagles offense was constantly turning it over, or Rocca was shanking punts. The Bengals, who actually ran the ball despite little success, couldn't do much on offense against the Eagles defense, who swarmed all over the ball wherever it went. The Eagles defense recorded 8 sacks, and held the Bengals to 56 rushing yards on 30 carries.

The Eagles as a team just have so many problems right now, it's hard not to look toward the future. The problems start with Andy Reid, who is too arrogant and stupid to admit when something isn't working. He can't call plays, and gets outcoached all the time. Because Donovan McNabb played poorly, the Eagles have little chance to win any game in which McNabb plays poorly, because Brian Westbrook does not get the ball enough to have an impact. The opposing defense can key on stopping Westbrook, because the Eagles have no one else on offense to even pay attention to. Against the Bengals, the receivers couldn't get open at all, and when they did, McNabb couldn't make the throw to them.

What does all of this mean? A tie against the previously 1-8 Bengals, which leaves the Eagles at 5-4-1 on the season, and their playoff chances getting slimmer and slimmer every day.

Friday Football Picks

Kotite’s Corner Picks – Overall Record: (5-9-1)

College Picks – Overall Record: (2-6)

Notre Dame (-4) at Navy: This may not be our parents' Notre Dame team, or even our older brothers, but they have lost 2 in a row, and this is not the same Navy team that beat Notre Dame last year. Notre Dame wins handily at Navy.

Oregon State (-3.5) vs. California: Cal has problems at the QB spot, and on defense. Oregon State will run the ball a lot, control the clock, and control the game. Take the Beavers.

Pro Picks – Overall Record: (3-4-1)

Packers (-3.5) vs. Bears: This is a must-win for the Packers after the loss last week to the Vikings. They can’t lose a must-win home game to a division rival. Pack take this one at home.

Jaguars (+3) vs. Titans: This is the week the mighty Titans will fall. The Jaguars will shut down Kerry Collins, and do enough on offense to win outright. Take the Jaguars at home with 3 points.

Guest Picks – Overall Record: (5-5)

Willard’s Picks – Overall Record: (2-2)

Cardinals (-3) at Seahawks: Even though the Cardinals don’t play well on the road, the Seahawks are decimated in injuries this year. Warner will get 3 TD’s by half.

Panthers (-14) vs. Lions: The Lions lost by 24 at home against the 4-5 Jags. It’s the Panthers turn to openly laugh at how bad the Lions are.

Checking in on Our Teams Owned by a Cable Monopoly

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers beat the Toronto Raptors last night 106-96 to win their 1st road game of the season, and break their 3-game losing streak, moving them to 3-5 on the season.

There have been few bright sports this season for our 76ers, but it is still early in the season, and may take a month or so to come together as a team, with new members, and a new philosophy in the half-court offense. Newcomer Elton Brand has been one of the few bright spots thus far for this team. Brand is averaging a double-double with 16 points, and 11 boards a game. Thaddeus Young has also been a bright spot for the Sixers, and shown that he is comfortable at the 3 spot. Young has shown the ability to take the ball to the basket, and hit the jumper when he needs to.

Unfortunately, the Sixers have struggled at the guard positions. I am not too concerned with point guard Andre Miller, as he is a veteran, and should be able to start playing well soon. Miller is turning the ball over too much, and not hitting his usual mid-range ugly sort of set shot. Andre Iguodala has moved to the 2 guard this season, and has also struggled early. He is still very good in the open floor, but struggles with the half-court offense. He looks like when the Sixers run their half-court sets, and throws up too many contested outside shots. That is not his game. Last night Iguodala was one rebound shy of a triple-double, so this is a good sign that he may be regaining his form from last season. Sammy D has struggled as well, and really is limited beyond rebounding the ball, and scoring on a dunk.

The bench has been up-and-down so far this season. Willie Green has played real well, and then real bad. Louis Williams is the best bench player, and is one of the few players who can hit an outside shot. Rookie Marresse Speights has looked good when he had played, and should get more minutes as the season goes on. Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall have provided a nice outside option.

The Sixers have really struggled with turnovers, and entered last night’s game against the Raptors leading the league in turnovers. That’s not a statistic you want to lead the league at.

We feel as if the Sixers will turn this season around, it is still very early. The half-court offense needs to go through Elton Brand almost every time down. He is the best offensive player on the team, and has shown that he can find the open man outside when the defense doubles him. It’s just a matter of the other players hitting their outside shots.

Philadelphia Flyers

Sharing the Wachovia Center (soon the be named something else I’m sure) with the Sixers are the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers, like the Sixers, have started out a little slow, but have played a little bit better after the first few games.

The Flyers are 5-6-3 overall, which isn’t bad, but isn’t good. Just like the Eagles in the NFC East, the Flyers play in probably the toughest division in hockey, the Atlantic. This means the Flyers will have to play and beat the Rangers, Penguins, and Devils multiple times to get back into the race in the Atlantic Division.

As a bright spot for the Flyers, their young core group of players has all played pretty well. Mike Richards, the recently named captain before the season started, already leads the team with 17 points in 14 games. One of the other young stars, Jeff Carter leads the team with 9 goals this season. Simon Gagne, Danny Briere, and Mike Knuble have all played well so far this season. However, just like seasons’ past, the offense is not usually the problem with the Flyers.

The Flyers worked very hard in the offseason to improve the defense. They brought in Ossi Vaananen, Andrew Alberts, and their draft pick, Luca Sbisa, to go along with Braydon Coburn, and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers definitely miss Randy Jones back on defense, and the defense will improve once he is back on the blue line. The Flyers just made a trade for Tampa Bay defenseman Matt Carle, another young defenseman.

The goaltending has been a little shaky, but both Biron and Nitty have also had good games as well and shown the ability to shut down the opposing team and win a game for the Flyers. Biron is a good goaltender, and the amount of goals scored against the Flyers this season, we blame on more lack of defense than poor goaltending. Admittedly, Biron will need to play better as the season goes on, but more importantly, the defense needs to do a better job in front of him.

Bottom line, the offense is a little hot and cold, but can usually score goals. The defense needs to improve, and the Flyers organization has done a good job of loading the team with solid young defenseman, who just need some time to improve. Just like the Sixers, look for the Flyers to start coming together and stringing some wins together.

Machine's Healthy Living Tip of the Week

Injury...the scariest word for any athlete or serious fitness junkie! It is not a word we like to hear, it is not a subject we like to discuss. A most dreaded topic, indeed! It is almost as if by making mere mention of the word, that all of a sudden, we will be plagued by any number of injuries or ailments. Whether it be the horrific pain of plantar fasciitis, the nagging irritation of runner's knee, the most awful snapping of the Achilles Tendon or the terrible tearing of the ACL...any and all can send even the most fit and positive thinking among us, into a depressive, debilitating tailspin.

Suddenly, we are stopped in our tracks and left wondering what is to become of our bodies... the bodies that we have demanded so much from, that we have pushed so hard, that we have convinced ourselves are invincible. It is a frightening moment, this realization, that we may be sidelined for weeks, even months at a time. Even more concerning, is the possibility that we may have done lasting and permanent damage, thereby, ensuring us that our performance will be forever compromised.

The ugliness of it all is too much to bear! It is all we can do not to curl up in a ball and let our muscles wither away...

So, let's not even get to the point of injury...let us instead focus on preventing injury and keeping our physically fit selves in top-notch performance condition!

Being that we are most likely, a bit obsessive-compulsive in nature and that we are constantly looking for that peak, that edge that will get us to perform our best; we may invite injury. We may just have a tendency to overdo it. Perhaps be a bit relentless in our drive to exceed already insanely high expectations...we are just a bit competitive. Some might say that we border on masochistic when it comes to training.

While this dedicated approach to fitness and sport is admirable, and it will be hard to convince this "Machine" otherwise, it may not be the most effective...kills to admit that!

Perhaps what needs to be done is laying off a little...giving the body the proper amount of recovery time between races, games, matches, whatever it may be. This is not to say that we should just plop down on the sofa and start inhaling the leftover Halloween candy while watching Celebrity Fit Club or some other such nonsense. It simply means that we should allow ourselves adequate amounts of rest. We should factor in an "off" day, where we do not go for a run, or even head to the gym. We should also employ cross-training...it is a great way to keep ourselves at the top of the fitness pyramid without risking the occurrence of an overuse injury.

Proper stretching is also very important. Not the stretching that we all were put through in our gym classes way back when, but dynamic stretching that gets the body warmed up before we seriously engage in our chosen activity. It is so important to loosen and stretch the body's tendons and muscles, as well as get the heart pumping a bit. Jumping right into intense physical activity from a completely static state is a definite invitation to injury. Going for a light ten minute jog and doing plyometric types of stretches and movements will offer so much protection from injury and will also enhance your performance. This should be done at the start of your workout/event and then a cool down period at the end of your training/event is also a must.

And of course, we must fuel our bodies well. Without the necessary nutrients, we most assuredly risk injury. Our bodies require that we feed them, and that we feed them healthy, natural, wholesome food. As much as we cannot overeat and expect to perform at our best, we cannot skimp on calories and expect great results. By not eating a well balanced diet, we open the door to stress fractures, lean muscle deterioration, and overall fatigue. So, eat up those fruits, vegetables and wholegrains...take in that protein and even a bit of fat!

No mention of that "I" word will be made again...just remember, there is much that can be done to keep ourselves from stumbling into that nasty land of stagnation. We can keep strong and healthy, it simply takes a bit of common sense and a bit of practice. We must be kind to our bodies and understand that the more care we take with them, the longer we will be able to perform and compete. If that is not a good thought, I don't know what is...

Pittsburgh Panthers College Basketball Preview

The Pittsburgh Panthers open the 2008-2009 season on Friday, against Farleigh Dickinson. After a disappointing end to the 2007-2008 season that ended with a loss in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament against Michigan State, the Panthers look to bounce back with a team that should be able to compete with the best in the country this season.

Pitt returns their top 3 scorers from last season in Sam Young, Levance Fields, and DeJuan Blair. All three players averaged double digits last season. Young and Fields are back for their senior seasons, and both have been solid contributors since they were freshman. Blair burst onto the scene last season as one of the top freshman in the nation, and one of the better centers in the Big East, despite being undersized. The Panthers also return another solid freshman from last season, Gilbert Brown, who will be in the starting lineup this year, and just like Sam Young, is one of the most athletic players in the country.

Aside from the great core the Panthers have returning to the team, Pitt had a very good recruiting class, and should have some freshman join the mix this season, as we usually do. Nasir Robinson, from Chester High School leads the Pitt newcomers this season, and should see significant time at the 2 and 3. Travon Woodall will be the backup at point guard to start the season, and looks to continue to tradition of great points guards in the recent past for Pitt, following Brandin Knight, Carl Krauser, and Fields. Also joining the mix are Ashton Gibbs, and highly touted junior college transfer, Jermaine Dixon… no relation to coach Jamie.

As good as the Panthers look heading into this season, they will need to fill the shoes of the players who are gone. The Panthers will need to find some players who can hit a 3-point shot, as their most consistent 3-point threat from the past four seasons, Ronald Ramon, is no longer on the team. Neither is Keith Benjamin, who could knock down an open shot as well. Both of those players will be missed and will need to be replaced in the lineup by some of the young talent coming in.

The Panthers have some interesting non-conference games this year, playing some very good under the radar teams, but the bulk of the Panthers schedule will come into play this season once the Big East schedule gets under way in January. The Big East will continue to be the best conference in college basketball, and consistently has 6-8 teams ranked in the top 25 in college basketball. It’s never easy playing Georgetown, Louisville, Uconn, Villanova, Syracuse, and Marquette….. back to back to back to back.

This is our best chance to advance past the Sweet 16 for the first time in a while, as we currently have all the tools in place to do so. The Panthers start the season ranked #5 in the AP Poll, and #6 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. There are definitely high hopes from all us Panthers fans, and the Oakland Zoo will be going crazy this season.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!!