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Sporting Life
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Let's break down the week ahead.
Tomorrow night there's an Eagles Monday Night Football game against divisional opponent the Redskins. That normally would be about as big of an event on the radar here, but this week it's small potatoes. Nonetheless, we'll be watching and we'll be tired on Tuesday morning.
Just in time for Pearl Jam to begin their 4 night stand to close up shop at the Spectrum. Lots of fond memories there. If you think PJ doesn't know about the Spectrum's place in rock history go back to last summer. While launching into a Baba O'Reilly encore to cap a two night run in Camden Eddie says, "Say goodbye to the Spectrum for us." Little did they know they'll be saying goodbye to it for us.
[audio:http://movingpaperfantasy.com/music/mp3s/2-12%20Baba%20O'Reilly.mp3]
The next night, Wednesday, Pearl Jam continues their shows. And oh yeah, the Phillies play game one of the 2009 World Series at a site yet to be determined. Are you tired yet? Don't be, cause there's more.
Thursday night is game two of the World Series. Pearl Jam is off that night. No worries here on what to do. I may be wringing my liver out for a brief respite.
Friday, it's the reverse. No Phillies game that night, but Pearl Jam brings us show #3 of the Say Goodbye to the Spectrum For Us run.
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Thank the lord that week is over. What? We're just getting going? OK...
Saturday. D-Day. Last night of the Spectrum, home Flyers game at 1 and a World Series game at Citizens Bank Park. And it's all happening on Halloween.
Now, let's sandwich this bonanza with an Eagles game at home against the Giants on Sunday afternoon at 1. Then another home World Series game that night.
OK, now I'm tired.
What happens next is yet to be written by the Phillies. Could be more games, could be another celebration.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to take a nap now.
(Go Phils)
Last night's game 5 between the Angels and the Yankees was a thriller, a back-and-forth affair reminiscent of game 4 of the NLDS between Philadelphia and Colorado.
It also popped a big ugly hole in the mystique that the American League teams are somehow inherently better than their National League counterparts. This was a game riddled with sloppy play, bizarre managerial decisions and bullpens as shaky and flaky as, well, as the Phils' was most of the year.
How afraid are you of a manager who'll pull his ace starter in the 7th to let Darren F. Oliver (Darren Oliver!) face Mark Teixeira?
How afraid are you of a manager who'll pull his most dangerous hitter — and one who's actually pretty fast — for a pinch runner in the top of the ninth while trailing by a run and when his run would only tie the game?
How afraid are you of Brian Fuentes? Of Phil Hughes? Of C.C. Sabathia for that matter?
[...] MySpace for more. A possible anthem for when the Phil’s beat the Yanks in a scant few weeks (if they even get to the series)? Not to mention, what would Hova [...]
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In celebration of last night's epic walk-off victory with this pretty astounding Sporcle quiz: Name, in 15 minutes, every player to ever appear on an opening day lineup for the Fightin' Phils in the last 22 years.
Why 22? The quiz creator doesn't explain the methodology, but it looks to me that the 1988 lineup contains some of the last vestiges of the Phillies' late-70s/early-80s glory years. Following the lineups through the years is an oft-painful remembrance of the ugly rebuilding years of the early '90s and the ugly rebuilding years of the late'90s/early aughts.
Without taking the quiz first, can you name the player that shows up most frequently, and one of the players who appears just once?
I am the creator, and the reason is because sporcle limits you to 200 answers, which only allows for 22 lineups of 9 players each. But I'll have to start workong on one for prior years.
Thanks for the explanation, Tim. After seeing that 1988 lineup, it seemed to make pretty decent sense to start with the last of the "Steve Jeltz years" as a jumping off point and then tracking the various rebuilding and dismantling efforts that followed. But the 200-answer limit makes sense, too. Can't wait to see more of these. Keep up the good work.
I clicked on the link before I got to the end of the post. 133/199 was my score. I don't want to tell you some of the people I missed. But I will say I got Benito Santiago. Whaaaat??
In case people want to go back further, I've posted this one that covers the opening of the Vet until 1992 (so there's some overlap with the other one, but the Vet really seemed like a good point to start -- it's just a shame I couldn't squeeze 1993 in there to bookend it with that club). http://www.sporcle.com/games/tk926/Phillies_Vet_lineups
The memes are flowing fast and furious here in Red October. In our inbox today: The Cliff Lee Clutch Bar, a send up of the Clif energy bar and an homage to the Phillies' postseason ace.
Still in search of a source of this bit of graphic noodlery, which has been up on the Cliff Lee Facebook fan page since. Oct. 7 but which no one seems to be taking credit for there.
What's the best Phillies meme of this post season?
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I'm a fan of Choochtober. For he is Señor Octubre.
I can't get enough of the black taco. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense but it's magical powers have worked so far. BLACK TACO! GO PHILS!!
Let's keep this simple:
- Who's gonna win the series?
- Who'll be MVP?
- Will the Shane Victorino/Hiroki Kuroda feud continue?
- Will Matt Stairs get another shot at Jonathan Broxton?
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| Full results at blog.bicyclecoalition.org |
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia released its preliminary data on the controversial bike lane pilot program on Pine and Spruce, and early results indicate that the lanes are definitely increasing bike traffic on the streets (up about 90 percent overall) and, just as importantly, DECREASING the number of bikes on the sidewalk.
WHYY's Elizabeth Fiedler reported yesterday that the city has thusfar received slightly more positive feedback than negative. In her report, she quotes Andrew Stober, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Mayorâs Office of Transportation and Utilities:
We're hearing from drivers and neighborhood residents who are pleased with the bike lanes and they find traffic moving in a more orderly fashion. We're also hearing from some drivers who are complaining about cyclists behavior and who are complaining that they only have one lane to drive in.
Which leads me to wonder how many of the negative comments address the actual bike lanes and how many are just anti-cyclist.
Previously: The New Bike Lanes: They're real and they're spectacular!
[...] up by people on the "cyclists are scofflaws" side of the urban biking argument whenever these things are hollered [...]
these bike lanes are AWESOME. they DO need some repaving.. it's really really bumpy, but it DEFINITELY makes me feel safer riding in the streets of philadelphia near cars
I hope the city starts actively enforcing the rules and fining cyclists for riding on sidewalks. And I'd like all the cyclists who whine about drivers' behavior to think about their own behavior in relation to pedestrians. I'm sick of cyclists blowing the lights and only looking for vehicles, not pedestrians.
Fair points, Anne. As a cyclist who does his best to look out for pedestrians and cars, I'd like to add that I wish pedestrians would think twice about popping out from between parked cars mid block — aka jay walking — without looking. I say this as someone who's twice ended up on the asphalt — once with a ruined pair of brand new Pumas and once with a separated shoulder — as the result of a pedestrians essentially jumping out in front of me.
I enjoyed my encounter last night at 5th & Arch Streets when the bike rider heading northbound on 5th did not feel the need to stop at the red light as the cars were doing. My companion and I were crossing on the green light and she rode right through the two of us in the crosswalk, she only slowed down for a second in the middle of the intersection to wait for cars to pass and then proceeded on, still on a red light. I guess this is the illegal rolling stop that is the norm for bicyclists in this city to perform. The only reason I refrained from calling her a cunt was that my companion had one and she may have refused me some later. I forgot to mention there is a very nice and clearly marked bike lane on 5th Street. Maybe the bike lanes at all intersections in Philadelphia should have stenciled in "STOP HERE AT RED LIGHTâ.
I have to say that I've seen no lessening of bikes on sidewalks. I saw an old woman mowed down today as she was about to cross 15th & Spruce with the light and a bike came between pedestrians on the sidewalk and rammed right into her. Not sure if she's ok--the fact that it was really slippery & nasty didn't help. I'm all for bikers' rights being respected by cars, but I'd like to see more attention to pedestrian rights. (admittedly, I do jaywalk but with caution...and I don't object to bikes rolling through red lights as long as they use similar caution, though the police may disagree).
I think police have a lot better things to do than ticket bicyclists. Anyone who thinks it is a priority that needs to be set for the police should really look at the motivation they have for thinking so. Whatever form of transportation anyone is using they are sure to violate laws, whether in a car, on a bike or walking. Unfortunately some think only cyclists should be punished for it. Yes, riding on the sidewalk is wrong. Yes, blowing stops light is wrong. Bicyclists are not above tha rules but neither is everyone else.
Charming, JohnWa.
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| pic from bleacherreport.com |
"I'd be shocked if John Stevens is the coach by the end of the season."
Now, I like Bucci. He knows a lot of things about things. But I was like, no way, dude you been listening to too many Guster songs (which is to say: any Guster songs). Then I saw the comments his column inspired and holy crap. A lot of people think Stevens sucks. Like Flyersfan 1981, who says:
"I really hope Bucci is right about Stevens...I've been praying for his firing for about 2 seasons now...time for a coach in Philly, not a babysitter!!"
Praying? I was and am shocked, so I wrote to Buccigross and asked him to elaborate. He replied with two simple words, as I told my brother ...
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[...] I'm shocked, even though, you know, John Buccigross personally told me this would happen. [...]
i have not thought that john stevens was an nhl-caliber coach since day 1. i don't know if i would call him a babysitter, but he has no verve or inspiration. he is intelligent though, but that relegates him to an assistant coach at best. he is not a leader and the flyers will NEVER win a cup with him at the helm. to be honest, i am so glad the bucci said something about this. for whatever reason, no one talks about stevens' flaws even though he has many (any bozo could manage the players we've had into a wining record). when the young flyers were all getting wasted and partying too much last season, what did he do? traded upshall. when they were doing it during the playoffs, what did he do? nothing! they were out partying before game 6 v the pens, what kind of coach is even remotely tolerant of that kind of behavior? i have more to say but i will stop here....
re: he is not a leader and the flyers will NEVER win a cup with him at the helm. That's nonsense. The Cup could be hoisted here as soon as June of next year.
Last night's series-clinching 5-4 win over the Rockies, featuring a 3-run, 2-out rally in the ninth, was quite possibly the most tense contest in the Phils' current three-year playoff run.
In response to my exaltations about the game on Facebook, Chuck Meehan dropped this bit of wisdom: "Craziest shit I can remember since the 1980 NLCS."
To those who remember the 1980 NLCS game five — a flip-floppy affair which saw the Phils fall behind by 3 in the seventh inning while facing a height-of-his-powers Nolan Ryan, rally for 5 runs in the top of the eighth, surrender 2 in the bottom of the eighth to tie and eventually win the whole series on a Garry Maddox double in the 10th inning (the fourth extra-innings game in the five-game series) — which game was crazier?
Sorry to say it, but the 1980 game was better, because it was the final, sudden death game of the best playoff series ever, against a hall of famer. As great as last night was, if we'd lost we would have had another shot, at home, with one of our two best pitchers.
Have to give the edge to 1980. Like Kieren said, if the Phillies had lost last night, they still would've had another shot to wrap it up tonight. There was no tomorrow in 1980. That said, last night was definitely an all-timer and will rank right up there in Phillies lore
Last year's three-day game 5?
r U Ryan's brother?
Thanks for asking, ben. I'm not Ryan Howard's brother — though my sister affectionately refers to No. 6 as Li'l Brudder. I am just a guy with an eerily similar name.
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| ruckfocktober.com |
Today's Philies T-shirt of the day is more of an anti-Rockies shirt, but hey, we're feeling a little anti after last night's 49584739820-hour game, even if the ol' Phils did pull it out in the end.
The Ruck Focktober T-shirt, seen briefly on-screen during last night's this morning's telecast, is available in Phillies red/white, Dodgers blue/white and Giants orange/black (aw, remember when the Giants had playoff hopes?), and has its own Facebook page. (Rocktober, of course, is the annoying Rockies' October baseball motto.) This is, of course, one of those shirts with a very limited relevance window, and given that the eBay site where this is being sold offers Priority Mail as its fastest delivery option, you'd really need to hate the Rockies — and really, why wouldn't you, I guess — to order this given that the series will almost definitely be over by tomorrow (rain, snow, sleet, hail notwithstanding).
Speaking of lousy game conditions, how much of last night's game did you tough it out for?
AWESOME! I LIKE THIS !
Almost as good as my homemade "Sillies Phuck" t-shirt.
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Last night, an insane hockey game between the Flyers and Penguins — one full of hard checks, bad bounces and nice goals — finally collapsed into a pile of angry people. That's cool. In Philly, we like our teams to go do swinging. Mike Richards went careening into the net awkwardly. Chris Pronger grabbed Chris Kunitz by the collar and started choking him from behind. That cool.
But from the scrum behind the net, the Pens' Chris Kris Letang (holy crap that's a lot of Chrises holy crap that's two Chrises and one Kris) came skating away visibly upset, holding one hand in another, claiming that the Flyers' Scotty Hartnell had just bitten him on the finger. After the game, Letang, with a bandaged finger, told the press to ask Hartnell wtf. Hartnell's reply wasn't really a denial: "a lot of stuff happens on the bottom of the pile. He had his hands in my face doing the face wash and we're rolling around. I can't say what happened."
This isn't the first biting incident in the NHL. Just last year, Jaarko Ruutu of the Senators sank his teeth into Andrew Peters of the Sabres, through his glove. Ruutu got a fine and a two-game suspension. I'm guessing Hartnell totally bit Letang. He's a nut, usually in a good way. Not sure whether the NHL will punish him for ii.
Here's my question to you, dear readers:
Would you, could you, bite another human being's finger in anger (as opposed to self-defense)? If so, who?
Everyone on the Nobel Peace Prize comittee..
If you're going to publish an article...make sure you spell check. It's Kris Letang, not Chris!
Thanks for the tip, Carly!
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