Ahh.. Still November

(continuing from my last post, interrupted by sleep.)

PHILLIES(cont.): Revamping the minor league system and scouting team, beefing up on prospects will help now as the team will be forced to use cheap ammo with so much money locked up in feeble or underperforming veterans (Lieberthal, Thome, Bell, Wolf, Padilla). I'll say this also: If we make it to Opening Day and the Phils are platooning Jim Thome and Ryan Howard, I'm finished with them. What started with the Yankees hat last season will turn into full blown Phils-hatred if no decision is made about that "problem".

FLYERS: 1986 was the first year I really started watching hockey. I was rather young but enjoyed the fast pace and the fighting and the goals. Over the years, I have remained a big hockey fan, through the neutral zone trap and the left wing lock and even those two seasons where you couldn't score with your skate in the crease (ugh). When the rules changed and the rosters really changed before this season I was very curious and excited. My biggest question would be whether the officiating would back up the obstruction penalties that would surely happen over this entire first season. The refs have made the calls and stood strong, and should be congratulated for this. The game has returned to the fast paced, high scoring game of my youth, and I am grateful, because it is fun. Defense is fun, 1-0 and 2-1 is fun, defending a lead is fun, but this game is more fun.
Ken Hitchcock said in training camp that the Flyers were built for the new rules, and they are certainly enjoying success in the "new" NHL. Gagne-Forsberg-Knuble has been a fun line to watch, and the rookies, especially Richards and Carter, provide depth that will be around for a few years. Continuous success is nothing new to this organization, what needs to follow is the Stanley Cup. Sorry guys, anything less simply will not satisfy.

SIXERS: What team loses to Charlotte at home then beats Indiana on the road and Dallas at home? I can't begin to figure this team out for at least another 12-13 games. Maybe they are slow starters, maybe inconsistency will plague them throughout the season (which would make sense as conventional wisdom projects the Sixers as a .500 team). I think depth will be a problem for this team. My own opinion on building an NBA team under this cap would be to have 1 or 2 franchise players, guys who are all stars and still care about wins and losses, 2 or 3 key veterans, guys who can play defense and want to win, and fill my team with players in their first 1-4 seasons, who are playing for a contract. I would never re-sign a player after their rookie contract expired. Some guys play to win, the competition is the heart of the matter, some guys are leaders and winning is respect and accolades and that keeps their heads in the game. A few guys play to be legends, all-stars, hall of famers. But most players want money. Who can blame them? Play well for 4 years, earn 40-60 million dollars, guaranteed. As in never have to actually play again. I can not understand this concept. The NFL succeeds for a few reasons, and one of the largest reasons is the competition, competition that is always good because there is no guaranteed money, those guys are fighting for their financial existience, it is entertaining. Instead, the NBA gives us multi-millionaires like Brian Skinner and Mark Blount and Brian Cardinal and Brian Scalabrine, role players that don't have to give it their all, or in Skinner's case, anything at all, to make their multitude of millions of dollars.
I bring this up because the Sixers gave a lot of money to Sam Dalembert this offseason. I am not rushing to judgement, because Dalembert has a serious injury, a recurring one at that, but lets see him play, that's all I'm saying.

BIRD FLU: is serious, and lets start thinking about how we are going to react to this. I'm not so comfortable with where my job stands when this disease hits globally. Man, SARS really did a number on Hong Kong and China, and Canada. I wouldn't want to be an owner of a KFC franchise right now, that's all I'm saying. Now that I think about it, I would never want to be an owner of a KFC franchise.

MADDEN 06: I've gotten better, but I am still a Level 1 or 2 online player. I love a good game, and beating someone mercilessly is fun to a point, but margin of victory is small to me if I can feel like I am getting inside my opponent's head, calling the right defense, letting it come down to execution. You can beat me with precision passing, not simple route running.
Top 5 Madden Teams (06):
1. Colts
2. Vikings
3. Panthers
4. Eagles
5. Steelers

NHL 06: It's only a matter of time. When I lose online I think, "yeah, but does that guy have a one year old and a full time job?" I convince myself the answer is no on both counts. Don't ask me what I think when I lose at Madden. And I won't play as the Penguins or Devils. Haven't. Won't.

SPORTSTALK RADIO: Here in the Philadelphia area, 950 AM has gone sportstalk almost all the time (whoops on Saturdays?). I, like the folks at 950 AM, believe there is room for two sportstalk stations in this town, and I have treated 660 WFAN from NY as one of them for a while. I present my preferred list of the 3 stations by time slot:
Weekdays:
Early: TIE (610 - Morning Guys/ 950 - Fox Sports Net National Morning Show + Tony Bruno)
It needs to be added here that until Stern goes off he gets first listen on a bit.
MidDay: 610 - Missanelli/Gargano
Joe Beningo on WFAN is good, and Tony Bruno into Jim Rome on 950 is good, but Missanelli puts 'IP on top in this slot, he is a legend in this genre, and he blends sports with BS better than most on this station.
Afternoon Drive: 660 - Mike and the Mad Dog
Mike and the Mad Dog is the best show on sportstalk radio. Period. Sorry Howard. I do like Howard and Jody MacDonald.
Early Evening/Late Night/Overnight: 660 - Steve Somers
I also like Brian Startore (spelling on either name?) on WIP and Paul Jolovitz/Lucy Jones on WIP. I am beginning to think I am not much of a Macnow guy anymore, not sure why. I haven't listend to 950 late night yet, the 700 Level guys are supposed to be starting soon or have started already, not sure. And on WFAN, Adam Schein (Spelling again) is great, most of the overnighters there are well rounded sports guys with good attitudes that let people talk.

I was listening to the FOX Sports Morning Show last week and was excited to hear Scott Farell on the show as a football gambling correspondent. Farell is still selling the same schtick from eleven years ago, that takes balls. I loved it then, love it still today. Give Farell on the Bench his own show. Whatever happened to him as the voice of the Atlanta Thrashers? Did that end badly? Farell was cracking corny jokes about co-eds as he was giving over a dozen college picks. Look, he is entertaining. Is that enough about Sports Talk Radio?

XBOX 360: I am not getting one at launch. I actually made this decision before the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game was pushed back to April or May (ouch). I am just being cautious with money, and the fact that 1. I am happy with my TV although 2. It is not an HDTV. I played a 360 demo in a GameStop earlier this week, wow, it is worth it. It will just have to be worth it next summer. Why is Microsoft pushing the ad campaign so hard now anyway? Two months ago, every game store I went in was out of pre orders for the launch date. When I found one and then gave it back, the clerk told me it wont be until February that a GameStop has systems to sell that aren't reserved. That seems wrong to me. The system has sold itself, through buzz and loyal xbox users. The department/electronics store systems will go in a smattering of minutes to hours, why push so hard with the in store display systems? "Buy this next Spring."? I've opened up the idea of possibly passing and getting a PS3. I'll want a Revolution also, and it will be worth it, I just want to see how it all plays out. Or maybe I'll be standing outside Best Buy on November 21 @ 11 PM. Maybe.

Wow that's a lot.