Wow! Tonight is going to be a night made for those of us who experience attention deficit disorder. We won't know where to turn first. Thank god someone invented the remote control, otherwise we'd have to get off our fat asses every time we wanted to switch back to the football game or to listen to the Republicans snoring while a gelded Obama lays out his latest jobs proposal that has no chance of passing.
Think about it: The Phillies open up a four game series with the Brewers; the NFL opens the regular season in Green Bay; Obama is addressing a joint session of congress; and most important - it is the start of the fantasy football season. All of this is tonight. The remote will be in my hand and will be called upon to go over and above the call of duty.
So, last night I get home from my dance class and find the Phillies and the Braves locked in a 1-1 tie. I was fortunate in missing Mr. Howard striking out with the bases loaded because, had I seen it, I would have lost the good mood I was in. For all you sabermetric folks who keep telling me how valuable Howard is, what does striking out with the bases jammed do to your model?
Who would have thought that Ross Gload would have been the hero of the night with his ninth inning hit that gave the Phillies a sweep of the Braves? If you tell me that you knew Gload was going to drive in the winning run you are either a pathological liar or you were higher than I have ever been. Nonetheless it was a great to sweep the crackers - kind of reminded me of last year. The Braves are now ten and a half games out and, in my opinion, have no shot at catching the candystripers. The Brewers, however, are another story.
I am getting sick and tired of being told by announcers and pundits at how good the Brewers are at home. Going into tonight's game they are 50-19 at home which I admit is a helluva good record. However, they do get to play a lot of games against the Cubs and my beloved Pirates and against the Cardinals, who are having a sub-par year. The Phillies have a 49-22 home record which isn't too shabby either, so I call on the pundits and other such assholes to shut the fuck up. I won't go so far as to call for a Phillies sweep in Milwaukee but it would not surprise me if they at least win two of the four games. Despite the fact that we won't have Utley, somehow the infield will do just fine with Valdez and Martinez. It would be nice for Howard to contribute, but we can't count on him so perhaps it will be Ibanez, Mayberry, or someone else who will create enough runs to allow the staff to do what they do best. I know that Ryan Braun is having a great season - but facing Cubs pitching is not the same as facing our guys all in a row. While I'm not ordering up the Red Kool-Aid yet I feel good about this series. My feeling good could be the kiss of death, so take my confidence with a grain of salt.
I won't be ordering any green Kool-Aid anytime soon since I think the Eagles may underwhelm a whole lot of folks. Yes, they did sign every free agent d-back on the planet during the off season, but two big problems remain that could sink their season. Andy Reid is still the coach, and I still maintain that the Eagles will never win a title with the Lord Of Lard in control. His game day skills are pathetic whether you speak of his play calling or his clock management. The other major problem is still the offensive line. They can't block anyone no matter how many times they move players around. I was shocked at the announcement the other day that Danny Watkins - the teams first round draft pick - will not be opening the season as a starter. The fireman from Canada they now claim is not ready for prime time and will be replaced by a guy who will have had four practices as an Eagle when they open up against the Rams on Sunday. The fact that veteran center Jamaal Jackson has been replaced by a smaller more athletic rookie I believe that Michael Vick could get killed as early as game one. The team did improve on the d-line, but the three linebackers have virtually no experience and, until they prove they can handle themselves, I won't be forgetting Chuck Bednarik any time soon. Should I mention that the kicking game is now in the hands of two rookies? It could be a very long season for the Birds and perhaps at the end of the season Fat Andrew will finally be made accountable for poor drafting, poor coaching, and poor post game press conferences. I am sick and tired of hearing, "We've got to do better".
This is a very good time of the year for the LSF. I can spew my venom against Ryan Howard and Andy Reid at the same time. It doesn't get any better than that. I'd expound but I need to make sure that I put fresh batteries in the remote so that I can get through the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment