Sixers Losing Streak Reaches 7

         The 76ers traveled to the windy city to play the Bulls Thursday night and once again failed to win on the road. Both teams have played without their centerpiece player all season, but the Bulls are still in the playoff picture where as the Sixers are sinking fast. This match up featured Philadelphia with the lowest scoring offense in the league facing Chicago with the 3rd best defense in terms of opponent's points per game.

Temple Inches Closer to At-Large Bid

               Temple improved it's record to 20-8 and 8-5 in Atlantic 10 play tonight in a hard-fought 83-78 victory over a talented Detroit squad.  The Owls and Titans both entered the contest with solid resumes and looking to add another quality win in their quests for the NCAA Tournament.

Phillies Give Braves the Tomahawk Chop

               The offense was out in full force today as the Phillies defeated the Braves by a score of 10-5 at Bright House Field.  Chase Utley returned to the lineup and had an impressive day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double and 2 runs scored in the game.

Saint Joseph's Loss Sums Up Season

         Last night the Saint Joseph's Hawks visited the Saint Louis Billikens, and were pretty much run out of the gymnasium.  The 70-53 loss to the 18th ranked Billikens dropped the Hawks record to 15-11 and 6-7 in Atlantic 10 play. 

Gagne Post Game Interview

       Just gonna post this link to Simon Gagne's post-game interview for anyone still on the BSB.  Great to have him back in Philadelphia. Video courtesy of flyers.nhl.com.

http://video.flyers.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=209081&lang=en

Flyers Capitalize on Washington Errors: Flyers 4, Capitals 1

       The Broad Street Beat sent me out on assignment tonight, which is an embellished way of saying I bought a ticket with my own money with some friends for tonight's game.  If you had a favorite Flyer, chances are he probably scored a goal tonight.  That could be a biased opinion, but either way I shall explain.

Brown and Howard Continue to Impress

                The Phillies fell 12-5 to the Minnesota Twins this afternoon, and saw their Grapefruit League record drop to 1-3-1.  The Phillies pitching staff had an extremely rough afternoon.  Off-season acquisition John Lannan received the starting nod and had a mediocre start in his Phillies debut, pitching 2 innings while allowing 1 run.

Smith Trade Could Impact Eagles

                Earlier today the San Francisco 49ers agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2nd round draft pick and a conditional 2014 draft pick.  It had been widely speculated that the 49ers would ship Smith to a new team this off-season after Colin Kaepernick took his starting role while he was injured.

Win Against Billikens Could Save Hawks Season

          Tonight the Saint Joseph's University Hawks will visit the Saint Louis Billikens in an Atlantic 10 match up that could have huge implications for the Hawks.  After being predicted to win the A-10 in the pre-season, the Hawks have not lived up to their billing, but a win against the 18th ranked Billikens could be the turn around the Hawks need. 

One. Two. Three, Four, Five. Six Game Losing Streak

      The 76ers faced off against the Orlando Magic Tuesday night with a great chance to end their five game losing skid. A very young Magic squad arrived in Philadelphia without Jameer Nelson, one of their few veterans, as he was out with a knee injury. The Magic came in on a 10 game road losing streak and only winning 3 of their last 31 games. This could not be set up any better for the Sixers to snap their own streak against an inexperienced, losing team with five rookies on their roster.
      The 1st quarter was kept close even though at times it seemed the Sixers would race ahead. Philadelphia's defense kept Orlando to 18 points as the Sixers took a two point lead to the 2nd quarter. The 76ers went on a 9-0 run early in the 2nd quarter, but the Magic were able to take back the lead after four Philadelphia turnovers and scoring on the fast break with a run of their own.

Welcome Home Simon!

       One of the last things I expected to happen today was to get a text that Simon Gagne had been traded back to the Flyers, but weirder things have happened.  If you've been a Flyers fan for any longer than 5 years there is no way you can't be excited about this.  The Los Angeles Kings sent him back to Philly for a conditional 4th round draft pick.  We will have to see what the condition is on that draft pick.  Hopefully it's tied to Gagne playing a certain number of games.  Gagne has been a healthy scratch for the Kings as of late, and though he missed a majority of the season last year he came back in time to contribute to the Stanley Cup Series and get his name on the trophy.
       It would be nice to see Gagne suit up for tomorrow's game, since I'll be there on assignment, though there's no telling exactly when he'll hit the lineup.  If Gagne does play soon he'll most likely be on the third line with Knuble and Couturier.  It will be interesting to see who gets sent down to the Phantoms to make room, probably McGinn or Harry Z, though I hope not McGinn since he is entertaining as hell to watch.  $3.5 million against the cap sort of hurts this year, but I don't see Gagne sticking around much longer after this year and if he goes at least he will retire a Flyer.  Even though he's injury prone he can still be productive as a leader and mentor.  Gagne also put up 5 assists in 11 games this season and contributed an average of 14 minutes per game.  Nostalgia is in full swing today, glad to have you back Gagne!  What's a Stanley Cup ring look like?

What Can Brown Do for You? Dom Brown Goes Yard

                The Phillies picked up their first win in Grapefruit League play, in a game at Bright House Field against the Yankees.  Kyle Kendrick got the nod for the start of the game as he tries to solidify a spot in the starting rotation.

Eagles Update

                On Monday the Philadelphia Eagles released a pair of Defensive Tackles, veterans Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson.  This is just the beginning of what appears to be a busy off-season ahead.

Nova Loss Could Cost Them Tournament Bid

                Villanova who had been making a solid case for an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament suffered a bit of a setback in last night's loss to Seton Hall.  The Wildcats were leading when Fuquan Edwin hit a 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds left in the game to take the lead for the Pirates.

Voracek named NHL's #1 Star this week

       Jakub Voracek, whose output has absolutely exploded these past five games, was named the NHL's number 1 star for the week ending yesterday.  Nobody in the league had more points than Voracek this past week.  The Czech finished the week with 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points.  After registering his first ever 4 point game in a 7-0 thrashing against the Islanders, Voracek topped that with his first ever hat trick against the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins.  Voracek now leads the Flyers in goals (7), assists (15) and points (22).
       Voracek has benefited greatly from being moved to the top line with Claude Giroux.  Giroux is registering a higher number of assists as of late, thanks to Voracek, who has proved to be a more-than-suitable replacement for Jaromir Jagr, who is now entertaining tens of fans in Dallas.  Even in this strike-shortened season Voracek is on pace to break his NHL season high for goals.  If anyone had any reservations about Voracek after he signed his four-year, $17 million deal in July the last few games should resolve all that.  Voracek will be a mainstay in Philly for years to come.  It seems as though the Flyers have turned a corner this past week and Jakub Voracek was the catalyst.  Bring on the Caps.

Phillies Mauled by Tigers

               The Phillies were thoroughly mauled by the Detroit Tigers in this afternoons contest at Bright House Field in Clearwater.  The Phillies were able to collect only 5 hits in a blowout 10-1 loss to the Tigers, that saw few bright spots.

More Disappointment for the 76ers

         The 76ers began the second half of the season with a record of 22-29 and 4 games out of the 8th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Needing a solid second half start, the 76ers began play against the Kevin Love-less Timberwolves in Minnesota and following their trend of terrible play on the road they lost 94-86. The Wolves never trailed as Nikola Pekovic dominated the paint on both sides of the ball accumulating 27 points and 18 rebounds. The Sixers really had no one to contend with Pekovic's strength and size and it reflected in the numbers as the Sixers were out-rebounded 51-39. Evan Turner had 17 points to lead the Sixers and Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 5 assists after his first all-star appearance.

Temple Handily Defeats Charlotte

               After only defeating Charlotte by one point in an 89-88 victory February 6th, the Temple Owls manhandled the 49ers in the teams second go-around.  After an impressive win over a strong La Salle team on Thursday night, the Owls came out of the gate firing.

La Salle Defeats Rhode Island in Hard Fought Game

               In a game that was a little to close for comfort, the La Salle Explorers defeated the Rhode Island Rams 72-65.  The win improved the Explorers record to 19-7 while the Rams fell to 8-18.  The Rams figured to be an easy win for an Explorers team that has NCAA Tournament aspirations, but was anything but that.

Phillies vs. Tigers Recap

                The Phillies visited the Detroit Tigers on Sunday at Joker Marchant Stadium in their second game of the Spring.  The game featured a premier pitching match up between Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander, albeit for only two innings.

Phillies Fall in First Spring Game

                The Phillies kicked off their Grapefruit League action Saturday with an 8-3 loss to the newest member of the American League, the Houston Astros.  While the final score was not very good for the Phillies, there was promising moments in the game.

Saint Joseph's Picks Up Much Needed Win

                After being thoroughly outplayed and outmatched a week ago against La Salle at the Palestra, Saint Joseph's picked up a much needed win today against George Washington.  The Hawks won by a final score of  71-59 and dominated for the majority of the game.

Papelbon's Comment the Spark Phillies Need

               Jonathan Papelbon caused a bit of a stir yesterday after he talked about the lack of clubhouse leadership on the 2012 Phillies in an interview.  Papelbon was quoted as saying, "Since I’ve been here I haven’t seen any leadership."  

Big 5 Title Split by La Salle & Temple

                In a premier match up of Big 5 schools tonight, Temple was able to defeat La Salle by a score 82-74 and force a split of the Big 5 crown, preventing La Salle from taking the crown outright.    While the final score looks relatively close, the game was not as tight as it appeared.

Flyers even the score, beat Penguins 6-5

       Boy did the Flyers ever need this one, and thankfully they got it.  After losing the first game of the season to the Penguins at the Well every Philly fan was left with a sour taste in their mouths.  I, for one, refuse to be second best compared to Pittsburgh at anything, except for maybe obesity or depression, Pittsburgh pretty much has the market cornered on those.
       Losing this game was not an option tonight.  Only getting 1 point was not an option.  A win was needed so as not to waste the momentum garnered from the 7-0 beating placed on the Islanders two days ago.  This game was sloppy at times to say the least, but overall really fun to watch.  Voracek seemed to be everywhere tonight, recording a hat trick by the time the night was through.  Simmonds was also a force tonight recording a Gordy Howe hat trick, a rare pleasure. (2 goals, 1 assists, 1 fight)
       Though I'd like to say the Flyers high-powered offense was the reason for this win, the truth is Pens' goaltender Tomas Vokoun and their defense looked off tonight.  The first goal the Flyers scored, by Grossmann, came with ALL FIVE Penguins skaters inside the crease.  It was an absolute clusterf--k in front of the net.  Thankfully Grossmann was able to keep his eye on the puck and punch it in.
       The Flyers seemed almost determine to hand the game over to Pittsburgh in the third period.  After two double minors in a row for high-sticking and over 4 minutes of 5-on-3 play the Flyers managed to escape still in the lead.  After a minute or two of even strength play Brandon Sutter tied the game for the Pens.  Luckily Voracek was able to undo that a mere 32 seconds later with his third goal, another ugly looking one the Vokoun really shouldn't have let in.  Not a pretty win, but I'll take it.  With that win the Flyers move into a tie for the final playoff spot in the East with plenty of hockey left to play.

Notes: -The Flyers record in the Consul Energy Center is now 6-1.  Safe to say Philly owns that building.
           -In another act of general Pittsburgh douchebaggery the announcer now seems to be pretending the players are wrestlers after they score a goal.  As evidenced by James 'The Real Deal' Neal being used over the PA tonight.

Utley to See Spring Action For First Time Since 2010

               Reports emerged from Clearwater today that Chase Utley is due to see his first Spring Training action in 2 years.  More encouraging is that Utley is scheduled to play consecutive days, with an intrasquad game on Friday and the opening of Grapefruit League play on Saturday.

Time to Free Quarles & Other Reserves

                Only 5 games remain in Saint Joseph's University's basketball season, one that has been filled with disappointment.  The Hawks who were predicted to win the Atlantic 10 and received some votes to be ranked in the pre-season are currently 14-10 and 5-6 in conference play.

La Salle Visits Temple With Big 5 Crown Up For Grabs

                After overwhelming the Saint Joseph's Hawks in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday at the Palestra and shooting the lights out, the La Salle Explorers will travel to the Licouras Center to face the Temple Owls with an outright Big 5 Title on the line.

Heated Competition for Remaing Bullpen Spots

                The Phillies figure to carry 7 pitchers in the bullpen to start the season in 2013, and barring injuries, 4 of those spots are likely taken already.  Locks for the bullpen look to be Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Adams, Antonio Bastardo, and Chad Durbin.

76ers' Mid-season Review

All-Star Weekend marks the unofficial “half-way point” for the NBA season. Ok, maybe it’s not even close to the halfway point of an 82 game season, but it’s a good time to reflect on an underwhelming season for the 76ers. The preseason blockbuster trade that sent Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets and that acquired Andrew Bynum from the Lakers seemed to mark a new era for the Sixers, one where they could build around an All-Star center. Hopes were high that the Sixers could solidify a playoff spot for the third straight year. However, sticking with the theme of ‘disappointment’ in Philadelphia sports this year, things have not gone according to plan. Bynum has yet to play a game and through 51 games the Sixers stand at 22-29, not currently holding a playoff berth. 

Positives:

Jrue Holiday- The young point guard has had a breakout season so far and was named a first time all-star. Jrue has been proven himself as the best player on the roster and has been producing career highs in points, rebounds, and assists per game. He is also shooting a healthy 45% from the field and has already recorded 14 double-doubles and his second career triple-double. Luckily for Sixers fans, the 22-year-old signed four year extension with the team earlier this season and should be a star for years to come.

Thad Young-The sixth year forward has had a great season leading the team with 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Although the rotation was in question before the season, Thad has solidified himself as the starting power forward and should remain so if/when Bynum returns. The only downfall of Young’s play this season has been his decline in free throw percentage (57%, down from his career average of 70%). Recently, Thad has been sidelined with a hamstring injury but should return within the next two weeks and re-energize the team.

Negatives:  

            Injuries- The 76ers have been injury-plagued all season and it has certainly hurt their performance. Their once hoped-to-be franchise center has yet to play because of nagging knee injuries and has since suffered countless setbacks (...from bowling). At first Andrew Bynum was set to miss only a few weeks, then return in January, then return before the All-Star break, but each return date came and went with nothing to show except progressively stranger Bynum hairstyles. Knee injuries have also ended Jason Richardson’s season. The former Slam Dunk champ, bothered by injuries all year, was not the scorer they thought he would be when the team acquired him in the Bynum trade. And recently, Thaddeus Young has been out with a hamstring issue for a few weeks; however he should not be sidelined for much longer.

            

            Tough Division- Although starting out strong, the Sixers have fallen behind in their division and now are fourth in the Atlantic division, 10.5 games behind the first place Knicks and only 2 games in front of the last place Raptors. The Atlantic division has been particularly competitive this season with the Knicks off to a surprisingly dominant start, the Nets continuing to improve after firing Avery Johnson, and the Celtics playing well recently even after losing Rajon Rondo to a partially torn ACL. Even the Raptors have been making noise winning 7 of 9 after the Rudy Gay trade.

           

           Road Woes- The 76ers have been awful on the road, winning only 6 of 22. On the other hand, they are 16-13 at the Wells Fargo Center. Unfortunately, only 12 of the remaining 31 games will be played at home. Coach Collins needs to find a way to motivate his young team to elevate their play when away from Philly.   

            

           Blake Posterizing Spencer Hawes Last Week- Ouch… it was bound to happen to somebody. Maybe with Bynum in the paint that wouldn't happen… 

       The second half of the season for the Sixers starts February 20^th in Minnesota against the equally injured depleted Timberwolves. The remaining 31 games include 4 against divisional rivals and 3 against the reigning champion Heat. The Sixers are 4 games out of the 8^th seed, currently held by the Bucks, and 5.5 games behind the 7^th seeded Celtics. Hopefully the return of Thad and (cross your fingers) Bynum can spark the Sixers to catch up. Otherwise, the Sixers could be caught in the awkward spot of missing the playoffs and not owning a high enough draft pick to make an impact for next year.

Flyers 7, Islanders 0

       In one of the most impressive showings of the season so far, the Flyers downed the New York Islanders today 7-0 at the Nassau Coliseum.  Claude Giroux took responsibility over the weekend and told the Flyers that the production needed to pick up starting with himself.  G had one of those games that we all knew he was capable of, scoring only 26 seconds into the game.  When Giroux scores in the first minute of a game you just know it's going to be a good one, case and point: the shift against the Penguins last playoffs.  Giroux also tacked on an extra goal and assist in the second period for good measure.
       Jakub Voracek looked like a finely-tuned assist machine out there today, notching 4, a career high.  Danny Briere joined the party with 2 goals and Schenn, Read and Rinaldo each also had 1 goal.  Bryz had a great day too, earning his first shutout of the season by denying 19 shots.  Hard to take anything negative away from the Flyers today.  Hopefully this is the game that wakes them up.  They manage to pass the Islanders in the standing with this win.  Now there is no turning back.  If they can go into Pittsburgh Wednesday and beat the Penguins they will have all the momentum of a truck going downhill with no brakes when they come back to Philly the 21st for a 5-game home stand.
       On a side note, it was good to see Keith Aucoin out there on the ice today with 11 minutes for the Islanders.  Back when I had season tickets for the Hershey Bears (what? I grew up out that way) he was definitely one of the 3 most exciting players to watch on the team.  Even though he's getting on in years and it's already taken him this long to get to the pros at least he sort of kind of makes the Islanders worth watching.
       Islanders, you may now return to your post at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

Ruf Will Get Chance to Prove Himself in 2013

                Facing the likelihood that Delmon Young will start the season on the DL after having surgery on his ankle in the off-season, the Phillies will look to Darin Ruf to step in and prove that last year was just the beginning of a productive career.

Can Kyle Kendrick Solidify Spot in Rotation?

                One word can sum up Kyle Kendrick's career better than any other and that word is streaky.  After going 10-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 2007 at the age of 22, and taking 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting, Kendrick's pitching has been like a never-ending roller-coaster.

Saint Joseph's Tough Season Continues

                In a season that started with such high hopes for Saint Joseph's, picked to win the Atlantic 10 and receiving votes to be ranked in the top 25 before the season, hope has slowly but surely diminished.

Will Offense Finally Get Lee Some Win's in 2013?

                No pitcher on the Phillies other than Cole Hamels really racked up many wins during the 2012 season and for the most part it was deservedly so, but their was one pitcher who despite having a fantastic season just could not seem to get a W.

Dom Brown, Still Prospect or Bust?

                While quite a few members of the Phillies organization need to prove themselves on the field in 2013 to show that 2012 was just a down year, perhaps no one needs a big season more than Dom Brown.  While he is still only 25 years old, 2013 could be a make-or-break year for Brown.

'Machine Gun' McGinn

       Here are just some notes here on a few players since I haven't been writing at a vigorous pace as of late.  It was great to see the Flyers beat the Jets two nights ago, since as everyone knows I was against giving Winnipeg back the Jets since the beginning.  Really, do you honestly think any of their players can be happy having to live in Winnipeg most of the year?  Aside from the victory itself, one player really stole the show in my eyes and that was rookie Tye McGinn.  I can't say enough positive things about this guy.  He was so close last game to notching a Gordy Howe hat trick (1 goal, 1 assist, 1 fight).  The goal came on a redirect and was impressive, but not nearly as impressive of the fight.  There is no way you couldn't give McGinn the win in that fight.  McGinn took down eight-year veteran Mark Stuart, a player who is also known for fighting quite a bit.  McGinn looks completely at home on the ice, fits in well with the system, and if you didn't know any better you'd swear he was not a rookie.
       Hopefully McGinn can speed up his progress a tad though, to make up for Claude Giroux's slumping numbers.  After 14 games this season he only has 3 goals and 5 assists, which, for our captain, is too low.  Perhaps Giroux used all his gas up last season.  Maybe the added pressure of having the C on his uniform is taking it's toll.  Maybe he doesn't have as many other pieces as last year, like JVR and Jagr, or perhaps cutting his hair took away most of his power in some sort of weird Samson-like situation.  All of those are valid excuses, but Giroux is a top-10 player in the entire league and needs to step up and lead this team back to the top of the Atlantic Division.  If anyone is capable of it I know he is.  As a side note, I also need him to pick it up being that he was my first-round selection in fantasy hockey this year.  If you aren't gonna lead the Flyers to a Stanley Cup, at least help out Honey Nut Chelios, Claude!

Doc's Shoulder, Chooch's Suspension

                 Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz spoke to the media earlier today, addressing much different issues.  Halladay was speaking for the first time since the end of last season to address his recovery from a shoulder injury that saw him face one of, if not the toughest seasons in his career.

Healthy At Last? Utley & Howard Among Players Already in Camp

                While only time will tell if they are truly healthy and can maintain that health for the long run, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were among players that have already hit the field in Clearwater.  Mandatory full-squad workouts won't take place until Saturday, but Utley and Howard were already taking fielding practice today.

Recapturing the NL East Should Prove Daunting Task in 2013

                After an overall disappointing 81-81 finish to the 2012 season, the Phillies began to regroup and prepare for the 2013 season.  Trades and signings of free agents took place, but this may not be enough to get the Phillies back to the top of the NL East this season.

Spring (Training) is in the Air

              The truck carrying the Phillies Spring Training gear was due to arrive today at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater.  The truck is carrying over 1,000 baseball bats and 2,000 baseballs, not to mention 15 cases of gum (probably all for Charlie Manuel).

Cole & Heidi Hamels Adopt Ethiopian Child

             Just over a month ago reports emerged that Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi had adopted an Ethiopian child.  Tonight Reeve Hamels will make her first television appearance in an interview televised on ABC with Cole and Heidi.

2013 Phillies Projected Opening Day Lineup vs. My Suggested Lineup (Assuming Everyone's Healthy)

Projected:                                                                                           Suggested:
1. Rollins                                                                                             1. Revere
2. M. Young                                                                                        2. M. Young
3. Utley                                                                                                3. Utley

Sestitwo: Lightning Strikes Twice

       Hope I didn't overdo the puns in the title of this post.  It's good to be back.  As I'm sure none of you know, I was not allowed to reference the Flyers on social media during the past few months that I was an intern with the organization.  Since the season started and my internship ended at almost the exact same time, I guess I'm free to get back to the BSB.
       Last night was an interesting game to say the least.  This might be the game that gets the ship righted for the orange and black.  The Lightning are a tough team, loaded with talent, so my hopes weren't too high going into this game, but three things happened that made last night the game of the year so far.
       Bryz was absolutely on last night.  He made the saves that you would expect a $51 million goalie to make.  The Lightning are averaging almost 5 goals per game, but last night Bryz shut them down with 21 saves and a .955 save percentage.  All things considered, Bryz is looking much better than last season.  Here's hoping he keeps it up.
       The fight that Zac Rinaldo had against B.J. Crombeen is also worth a mention.  I love a good fight that a Flyer absolutely dominates and this was exactly that.  Some say Rinaldo violated an unwritten code by punching Crombeen while he was down, but he was actually mic'd last night and you can hear the referee absolve him of any guilt by listening to this http://www.the700level.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/news/Video-Zac-Rinaldo-Was-Micd-Up-During-Cro?blockID=829371&feedID=8510.
       While Rinaldo is known more for fighting than actually contributing to the offense, the same could have been said for Tom Sestito...until last night.  If you had asked me if I thought I'd be cheering for Tito Burrito to notch a hat trick last night I would have called you crazy.  The man has 4 goals over his 32 career games, 2 of which came last night.  Before last night his last career goal was in 2010 when he played for Columbus.  Last night though, he looked unstoppable.  The kid single-handedly won the game for the Flyers.  So at least for the next day, left is right, up is down and Zac Rinaldo is killing it out on the ice.  If there's any team that he should be able to replicate this against it's the Florida Panthers, and as luck would have it they come to Philadelphia tomorrow to try and avenge their 7-1 beating they got last time.  Let's see if tomorrow's game can live up to last night's.