Back in college a group of us played stickball every time the weather got nice.  It was a
good-natured game – everybody drank while they played and only remembered who
won for a couple hours – but it was also full of its little rivalries. 
Included amongst these was the delightful fact that my buddy Jake (a Mets fan),
normally a competent-to-better player, was completely incapable of hitting
me.  It might have been my delivery, or the fact that once he missed a few
times pressure mounted, or  maybe just dumb luck, but lifetime he was
probably something like 1-36 against me.  Naturally, the longer this went
on the more convoluted my smack talk had to become.  One bad game might
have been a simple insult - I
own you like Jordan got Starks, I
got your heart from the time you step out -
but ten bad games, that warranted social
commentary: I own you like -
due to a series of unequal expansions and systematic organized economic
repression of the proletariat – the top 1% of America owns more capital
resources now than at any point since the jazz age. My ownership is growing steadily,
and has gained so much momentum that only a revolution could stop it’s
increasing momentum; and a lifetime of bad games demanded the extreme - I own you like girls who were
pretty in high school then fell off in college own self-esteem issues, and that
one is self explanatory. Like how Canseco owns steroids; in that I not only own you,
but I expose you as the reason a national treasure is ruined and then make a
living off of your bad press.  I own you like… [edited for content]. 

Anyway, I bring this up for two reasons.  First, to kick Jake when he’s
down – the Mets bullpen:pitching::pounding bleach:good, clean, healthy
fun.  And second, because I wanted to point out that the Phillies and the
Braves are way past Jordan/Starks territory.  The Good Guys
own the Braves like the American Taxpayers now seem to own every major
financial organization in the country – they may not have meant to, but due to a series of unfortunate events they do
- and perhaps without a clear plan as to how to manage that ownership in an
ongoing fashion without leading into ruin through basic negligance.

Greg Golson, hero for a day

Ron Cortez, Inqy

“If all games ended after six innings, those NL East
standings would look a whole lot different. If games were six innings, the Mets
would be leading this division by 11½ games.” – Jayson Stark

Three lines on their world:

1. Brett Favre and the Jets came up short on MNF

2. Ozzie Guillen continues to be the best quote in pro sports

3. and everyone seems to be in agreement: it was Nick Faldo’s fault

Three lines on ours:

1. Behind some unlikely heroes the Phillies march towards the postseason

2. while the Mets continue to be jokers, this time letting a pitcher hit
   a grand slam against them, putting the Phils up 2.5 with just five left to
   play

3. and the Birds’ franchise tailback is listed as day-to-day
   

Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and what everybody is talking about after the jump

PHILLIES

Rich Hofmann both shows his age and puts into print the first comparison between this Phillies team and the one that brought home the last chip. It’s a comparison that he can’t get anyone to recognize (Dallas Green prompty shoots it down), but is fun to think about. READ

Paul Hagen dares to talk playoff matchups. SKIP

Bob Ford points out that really, really fast rookie Greg Golson just had his ‘welcome to the bigs’ moment. READ

John Gonzalez quite literally emails it in, essentially writing a column about one of his previous columns.  Between the mailbags and the Sheridan/Ford/Gonzo email exchange columns he runs the Inqy is about two months away from just printing the password to this jamoke’s account and calling it a day. SKIP

Zolecki’s notes look at Geoff Jenkins‘ possible first playoff run, Ryan Madson’s hot streak, tie-break scenarios and more. READ

Murphy’s focus on Madson’s turnaround, Greg Dobbs‘ leg, the Braves, and more. READ

Mike Sielski says that, in baseball, sometimes it comes down to the Greg Golsons of the world. SKIP

EAGLES

Les Bowen reports that Brian Westbrook is day-to-day. SKIP

Brookover’s Up/Down drill lacks its usual punch. SKIP

Phil Sheridan says that this Birds team is developing the feel of a winner. SKIP

John Smallwood thinks that while Andy Reid may have tuned down his gameplan because the Birds were injured  before, he won’t let those same injuries effect his gameplanning again. SKIP

Les Bowen’s writes what probably amounts to the worst ‘Further Review’ column of his life.  Bowen knows the team, and FR is usually interesting and often insightful, but this week he doesn’t develop any story lines and spends his word count attempting to crack bad jokes throughout.  SKIP

Parrillo’s notes focus on the young linebackers’ production, Curtis‘ comeback, L.J.’s lack of production and more. READ

Sheridan, Ford, and Gonzalez talk (no joke) taking computers into bathrooms, L.J.’s future with the team, and, well, not more. My two cents: great fun, and maybe he stops hating catching passes. SKIP

Bob Brookover watches the game tape and puts Max Jean-Giles, Brodrick Bunkley, and Omar Gaithar under the microscope. READ

Dan Gross dives into the Hank Baskett/Kendra Wilkinson matter. Of course he does. SKIP

Bob Brookover praises Buckhalter, breaks down the blitz, calls out Reggie Brown, and more. READ

SIXERS

Kate Fagan looks at Andre Miller’s contract situation and other odds and ends. READ

FLYERS

Sam Carchidi reports that 18 year old Luca Sbisa is looking good already. READ

Ed Moran reports that Braydon Cobrun is itching to go. READ

TODAY and MORE

Ted Silary checks in on the high school football scene, and national power-rankings all over the place are starting to hype the Birds.  We’ll be in and out.

As always, feel free
to email
with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.  

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