Linc Looking Soggy in South Philly

The rain continues to fall on a tarp covered Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia.

The Eagles(1-1) look to host the Cleveland Browns (1-1) at 7:30ET Thursday but with heavy rains setting up for the wake of Hurricane Irene the status of the game is still to be determined.

After taking a pounding by interstate rival Pittsburgh the Eagles need every chance they can get the “The Dream Team” in season ready condition.

Fortunantly if the game is cancelled you won’t have to resort to “So You Think You Can Dance” because it’s finally over.<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 650px"

The Linc continues to get pummled by rain just hours before kickoff.

Philly Prophesy Fulfilled

Not everything was prophesied this Easter Sunday.

Certainly if you prophesied the Philadelphia sports straight sweep then no leftovers for you, because you’re liar.

Let’s be honest, with the Phillies looking for their first swept of the San Diego Padres on the road in 32 years and the Flyers and Sixers both in elimination games, no one saw this coming.

But then slowly the pieces started falling into place.

It started with mashed potatoes on the floor as a jubilant celebration dance broke forth at the dinner table once Lou Williams and the Sixers officially cooled off the Miami Heat 86-82 avoiding the series sweep.

Sixers coach Doug Collins said it time and time again he doesn’t believe in moral victories at 60-years of ago but on this holiest of days there’s a feeling of some pretty good morality here.

After chillin’ in the Flyers locker room like it was an after hours bar Friday night, rookie Evan Turner must of soaked up some kind of winning touch, probably from the pile of sweaty socks he was standing on by having his most promising game of his young career dropping 17 points in front of the home crowd.

The Sixers didn’t “shock the world” Marc Zumoff style but they certainly shocked the Delaware Valley and parts of South Florida if they weren’t too busy lubin’ up the coconut oil on South Beach- it’s an Easter tradition.

One game, that’s all we asked for and the Sixers delivered.

Then as we began to comatose from all the turkey and gravy a bit of the spirit began to touch our hearts because we actually considered tolerating that Hip-Hop bunny, for the kids sake, but then Michael Leighton snapped us back into reality. Leighton took to the net for the Flyers as they face their own elimination game down 3-2 to Buffalo in the first round of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

If you haven’t noticed where this article is going, well continue reading you soon will, because like the miracle of Easter the Flyers found themselves mounting a comeback after going down 2-0 in the first period. As is accustomed during Flyers playoff games, Peter Laviolette pulled his goalie yet again inserting Friday’s letdown Brian Boucher back in net after he gave up 3 goals on 11 shots.

Boucher said he wanted revenge and what better day for revenge then Easter? Slowly, as desert came around, the Flyers started looking like a No. 2 seed again tying the game at 3-all heading into their second straight overtime. OT, a no man’s land where they never seem to escape victorously.

Meanwhile clear acrossed the country- do they even celebrate Easter in California- Roy Halladay was making his first start after one of his worst outings of his career against the Brew Crew.

As Doc took the hill and mowed down Padre after Padre, the Philly Trifecta began to take form. Fourteen, a new career high, San Diegans went down in all before Halladay was pulled with two outs in the ninth.

Again one was the magic number.

All it took was one pitch for Antonio Bastardo to record the final out as the Phils swept their first four game road trip against the Padres since the Carter administration, 3-1.

Back in Buffalo as the day came to a close, the weight of this most perfect holiday fell on the shoulders of the Flyers and the stick of savior Ville Leino as he sent a rare rebound shot off Ryan Miller past the blue line and securely in the net for the 5-4 win.

Victory.

One win. One pitch. On OT goal was all it took to make Philadelphia happy.

Was that too much to ask for? Now pass the corn.

Eagles Give Fans Something to Cheer About

Lockout? What lock out? Eagles fans celebrated Wednesday night about being locked in.

If you’re scratching your head, the NFL draft is April 28 and we’re focused on a far hotter topic.

Cheerleaders.

Fifty-seven finalist competed in front of a packed house at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for just 38 highly desirable spots during the annual Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading final auditions.

Yeah, that’s right. If you missed it, well let’s just say you missed it.

The event was streamed live and with celebrity judges and former Eagles icons Tra Thomas, Jeremiah Trotter and Ike Reese smack dab in the front row, this years eye picked squad is sure to be a game stopper.

For over a month the ladies have been auditioning and on the final night it all came down to smarts, dance moves and who are we kidding, it came down to who was hot enough to help the Eagles repeat as Sports Illustrated’s hottest NFL cheerleading squad.

The final team will be announced Friday while the first performance will be celebrating yet another quarterback selection at next weeks draft.

If nothing else it was one fine step in the right direction for the 2011 NFL season.

If this is a lock out trust me you want to stay locked in.

Down, Set, Action!

By day he’s busting through lineman and blazing the way for NFL running backs.

By night he’s reeking havoc on movie sets.

No this isn’t the newest figment of Stan Lee’s imagination.

This guy’s the real deal.

This guy’s Owen Schmitt.

If you don’t know the name take note. Schmitt is the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles and he crashed onto the scene in a big way Sunday versus the Washington Redskins with 3 catches for 43 yards.

He’s also the newest face in a rapidly growing Philadelphia film scene.

After fullback Leonard Weaver went down in week one, Schmitt was at the top of the Eagles list for replacements.

He didn’t hesitate to sign when the call came.

Schmitt was drafted in the 5th round by the Seahawks after heading a West Virginia University back field along side college superstars Pat White and Steve Slaton.

The Birds were attracted to his brash, unselfish, hard hitting, self inflicted face smashing, (yeah he smashed his own head with his helmet), style of play that will put him in another explosive back field with LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick (give or taken some broken bones.)

For all those reasons local Philadelphia film makers Shaun Paul Costello, Joe Gariffo and Brian Gallagher also gave Schmitt a call.

A call to the big screen.

Once again, Schmitt didn’t hesitate to jump on the opportunity.

The film is Booted. Shot all in the Philadelphia area starring Philly actor Greg Bell, Allan Ruck (Ferris Buellers Day Off, Spin City) and Jackass’ Ryan Dunn.

Even NBC 10’s Doug Shimel and Bill Henley make cameos.

Schmitt wasn’t able to smash heads in the film but he plays a larger than life bum who befriends Bell who is trying to get his girlfriend back by selling hot dogs off his booted car engine.

Whew!

Sounds as complicated as Andy Reids play book. It’s just exectuted better.

As if testing screen passes on the field wasn’t enough, he’s passing screen tests in the theatres as well.

Either way Schmitt’s in the middle of all the action.

Philly Fans; Is It Time to Change Your Rep?

So ESPN football analyst Mark Schlereth thinks Philadelphia fans are “nasty.”

How do you feel about that?

Whether you love or hate the stereotypes of this city and whether or not they are true, Philly fans must live with being the most hated fans in sports.

Or do they.

Sunday could change all of that.

With the highly anticipated return of Donovan McNabb, the greatest quarterback in Eagles history, the country is holding its breath to see how the city will react.

Especially since he’ll be flossing a hated division rival Redskins jersey on his back.

Yet another target on the back of head coach Andy Reid’s first draft pick way back in 1999.

So now what?

How are fans going to react? Will fans resurrect the old No.5 from the Salvation Army and thank McNabb for his five NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl showdown?

Will they bring their Duracells?

Will they cheer if Nate Allen the Eagles second round pick from Washington in the McNabb trade, picks McNabb off for six?

If we get a freak blizzard will he get pummelled by snowballs?

The answer is no to all of the above.

Except the resurrection of the jersey, and the pick and heck maybe a sack or two.

The bottom line is the city lives and dies for their team.

In fact, the city is part of the team. Blue collar America has never been more tightly knitted to their team than in the City of Brotherly Love.

The city was named that for a reason right?

Seems like an oxymoron nowadays.

Nevertheless, fans invite them into their homes, to dinner and even to an old fashion kelly green themed wedding.

Yet there is something the rest of the country just doesn’t understand.

Philadelphia loves a winner.

McNabb knows that and that’s why he told ESPN 980 in Washington he thinks he’ll be cheered.

He will because Donovan McNabb is a winner.

His career numbers prove it.

So he never won the big game and his laughing, over thrown receivers and balls in the ground made gave every Philadelphian and ulcer until February.

That’s all Washingtons problem now, as if the Nations Capital doesn’t have enough already.

But it was a heck of a ride and Philadelphia got used to winning, perhaps too much.

During this past off season it was time to move on. For the Eagles, for McNabb and for the fans.

It was also time to implement the future in Kevin Kolb into the permanent skeme.

So much for that. It’s funny how with McNabb gone, Reid is more prone to act on a whim, naming Mike Vick the new Eagles starter.

Is he the future? Who knows.

But since Vick has settled into the drivers seat the Eagles can finally move forward, at least until he overthrows a receiver.

Philadelphia may never change its image. It seems this country loves to give individuals like Vick and McNabb second chances but never a city.

That would spoil good headlines.

So maybe Philly should just embrace being “nasty.”

Until then enjoy the homecoming of an Eagles great.

He deserves it and so do Philly fans.

Philadelphia loves a winner but with the Las Vegas predicting an Eagles win, they love revenge just a little bit more.

Birds Draft a QB with “McNabb Pick?”

Round one of the 2010 NFL Draft is history.

The Eagles filled a much needed void at defensive end moving up 11 picks to 13th to snatch Michigans Brandon Graham.

The first defensive end selected in the draft.

The moves cost Philadelphia two third round picks on the road to rebuilding but one monster pick remains.

Number 37.

The draft pick number will remain infamous for Eagles fans known simply as the “McNabb Pick.”

With all the talks of harvesting a new defense could the Birds use the pick for, dare we say a quarterback?

College gods Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy, whom many thought would go first round, still remain undrafted.

Is it possible that McNabb could be swapped out for one of these highly talented QB’s?

Clausen is a Notre Dame stud familiar with the pro style offense and some would argue better suited for the NFL that No. 1 pick Sam Bradford.

McCoy is the winningest QB in college history with an NFL arm and frame.

Is it really that crazy to think the Eagles would do this?

Is some type of trade involving back-up QB Michael Vick to bump up the Eagles from the fifth pick in the second round to the second or third pick?

Who knows.

The Eagles have yet to fill the void at safety since the departure of Brian Dawkins making Taylor Mays the third best safety in the draft out of USC a natural choice.

That is if he’s still on the board when Andy Reid makes his move.

Offensive tackles Charles Brown and Rodger Safford are also still available for a weak Philadelphia O-line.

Maybe they take a runningback?

Either way pick will be highly anticipated.

But how much do we really know about Kevin Kolb?

Is two starts enough to make him the franchise QB?

Only time will tell.

With two picks available for the Eagles in the second round only one thing remains certain.

Both Randall Cunningham and Ron Jaworski were the 37th picks in their drafts.