The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae

Meet the Best Line in Hockey: Flyers v. Blues Preview

2009-11-07T17:36:41-05:00

Okay, a slight exaggeration... or is it? There was a long stretch before this current three game win streak where the Flyers were a bit of floating debris, awash in a sea of inconsistency and turmoil. I will attest that erratic defensive play and a ridiculous schedule had alot to do with that. But the most important factor in TEH EPIC Flyers FAIL was the loss of checking center Blair Betts. I cannot stress enough what his presence on the third (or call it fourth if you want) line means to this Flyers team. The most obvious benefit of having the former Ranger signed this season was a providing relief to star offensive forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on the PK. What most people didn't know was that putting Dan Carcillo and Ian Laperiere on either side of Betts would create one of the strongest checking lines in the league. They take care of business in their own end with blocked passing lanes and blocked shots, and when they dump it in the corner, this line forechecks and cycles like its their job. After the DUMP... err... JUMP, I review last night's win in Buffalo and preview tonight's game against the Blues.

The prevailing story heading into last night's game against the Sabres was "Flyers fight Flu, face stingiest defensive team in league." Usually, Jim Jackson likes to get his excuses for a Flyers loss out of the way so the actual loss doesn't seem so bad. In this case, half the team was dying from the flu and Ryan Miller of the Sabres turned into God at some point. Fast forward a couple hours later and you have a completely different outcome. Namely, the Flyers, specifically their lower lines, feasted on Miller and netted 5 goals. Another "bizzarro" moment came when the Sabres scored their 2nd Power Play goal on a very capable penalty killing Flyers club. Maybe that third line was too busy trying to light the lamp?

Actually, the two opposing goals were on the flukey side. Derek Roy scored after a slapshot wide caromed off those end boards Coatsey is always warning us about. It came around to the opposite side of the net where Roy squeezed it past a sprawling Emery. Truth be told, the Flyers usually give up about three of these a year. The other Buffalo goal came on a rush from rookie Tyler Myers. In a desperation play, he banked in a back hander from behind the net off of... guess who. BRAYDON COBURN! He may have rebounded a bit in the past few games, but strange goals are still going into the net off of number 5... and I'm sure he's not Emery's favorite person.

On the offensive side, Pronger scored again... as did JVR. Aside from him averaging more than a point per game so far this season, I can't help but be impressed by his ability to emerge from traffic with the puck. He doesn't have the zippiest of stick handling skills and his moves can look a bit slow, but they are most definitely steady. Last night, he picked off a tricky outlet pass, settled it on his stick, took it wide on Miller and put it through his five hole on a errant cross ice pass to Carter. The puck follows him around on the ice and it finds the back of the net whether he's looking for it or not. That's a very good thing.

I'd also like to congratulate Dan Carcillo for his first two regular season goals as a Flyer. He used his rock hard hands to "softly" deflect an airborne shot past a confused Miller. He then proceeded to spend the rest of the night trying to obliterate any Sabre within "carbombing" distance. He has a very bad reputation in this league, and we as fans of the Broad Street Bullies were basically force-fed a huge helping of "this guy was born to be a Flyer." Well, with a full year under his belt devoid of any outrageous penalties on a line that's very responsible, I will concur that the Flyers' faithful are going to love Dan.

As far as tonight's game is concerned... you'll find everything you need to know in the above graphic. The Flyers go for four in a row tonight at the Wachovia Center.

Terrelle Pryor returns to the [Penn State] Country; Big Ten, BCS on the line?

2009-11-07T12:00:00-05:00

Originally posted on Black Shoe Diaries by BSD member smashtheguitar

Kevin McGuire from Examiner and Nittany White Out is back again to provide The 700 Level with a Penn State game thread.

This is the game that Penn State faithful have been waiting a long time for. While attempting to get revenge on Iowa was near the top of the list for 2009 (FAIL!), welcoming Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor to Beaver Stadium was right there at the top of the To Do List as well.

For those who do not know the history, allow me to quickly bring you up to speed.

Terrelle Pryor was a top quarterback recruit out of high school from just outside of Pittsburgh. He had three schools at the top of his list; Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. It was rumored to be between Penn State and Ohio State and Pryor eventually announced that he would go to the Buckeyes because the program would better prepare him for the NFL (Kerry Collins or Bobby Hoying? You decide). Since taking over the starting job behind center Pryor has made numerous mistakes that have left many OSU fans befuddled. Oh, and he also fumbled the ball away against Penn State last year, allowing the Nittany Lions to come back and win while the Phillies and Rays were in a rain delay before game three. Since then Pryor has not shied away form speaking his mind on a number of issues. When asked about Penn State he said that it was "too country" for his liking.

Which brings us to today's game. Pryor needs to come away with a solid performance, but so does Penn State's Daryll Clark. Clark was knocked out of the Ohio State game last year by the bruising Buckeye defense. Clark also could use a signature win to give him some recognition on a national scale.

The winner of today's Penn State-Ohio State game could play to a tie for the Big Ten title (if Iowa ever decides to lose a game) but the winner could also be a front-runner for a possible BCS berth in January. Penn State has the better shot right now (ranked #11 in the BCS, Ohio State is #16) at playing in a big-money bowl, but Ohio State could snak into the mix with a win this weekend and next week against Iowa.

Oh, as if you really needed a reason to root against Ohio State, New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher (pictured) is an alumnus of Ohio State. So you can see what kind of character athletes the Buckeyes are turning out.

Kickoff is 3:30 pm. Of course it would not be a big game without the appropriate "hype" video, so here you go.

I Don't Know On Third Base

2009-11-07T11:40:14-05:00

Ruben Amaro is wasting no time this offseason, already telling Brett Myers thanks, but no thanks for his services next season. Now it's becoming clear Brett may not be the only semi-high profile player being bounced this fall. According to an article at Philly.com, with the team option due on Pedro Feliz by Monday, the Phillies GM is looking at potential replacements for the third baseman.

"More than anything else, we want to see what options may be out there for us and decide whether picking his option up is best suited for this club to try to move forward," Amaro said.

A move away from Feliz would not be a complete surprise at this juncture. He's one of the better defensive players in baseball at a very difficult position to field, but he leaves quite a bit to be desired at the dish. At age 34, he's battled injuries since joining the club and seen his modest power numbers decline in a small ballpark. His postseason was largely considered an abomination too, mustering just nine hits while looking plain defeated at times.

Not to get too down on the man though. Feliz was certainly a critical piece of both the past two season's runs. It's not as if we're trying to run him out of town, but we believe most people see this as an area that could possibly be upgraded, in fact the only spot in the regular lineup that might require any tinkering at all.

Which brings about the obvious question: if the Phillies are serious about replacing Feliz, and they seem to be, who are the potential candidates? The top free agents are Adrian Beltre, Mark DeRosa, and Chone Figgins, and there's no guarantee any of these players won't re-sign with their current clubs. Andy Martino suggests they could also seek a trade.

Personally, while Feliz has been steady the past two seasons, I like the idea of improving. They have the money, and the time is now. That said, if they decline the option, they have to be reasonably certain they can bring somebody in who is actually, you know, better.

How do you see this playing out?

>> Phillies consider changes at third base [Philly.com]

P.S. The Phillies picked up the option on Cliff Lee for $9 million.

Michael Vick Needs Clothes Too

2009-11-07T11:00:00-05:00

Here's a Philly.com video of Michael Vick at the tailor. If ever there's a name to trust with your suits, it's Pasquale Scioli.

Today in Philly Sports History: Ugie Arrested for Machete/Gasoline Attack, 2005

2009-11-07T08:00:00-05:00

I think we all want our closers to be just a little bit insane. There's something about the position--the pressure, the tension, the occasional self-flagellation involved--for which many reasonable, level-headed pitchers just aren't fit. Pitchers on the verge of lunacy just seem a little better-equipped to be the one to take the ball in the ninth inning. As with many things in life, however, there's a rather fine line between "a little bit insane" and "certified wacko nutjob," a line which Phillies reliever Ugueth Urbina almost certainly leapfrogged on his way to getting arrested for attempted murder on November 7th, 2005.

Note for 700 Level readers: If you ever end up working on Ugueth Urbina's farm in Venezuela, avoid any situation in which it might be at all possible for Urbina to come under the impression that you have stolen his handgun. Allegedly, Urbina and others attacked five workers accused of doing just that, cutting them with a machete and pouring gasoline on them in an attempt to set them on fire. All five were injured, though none slain, and Urbina was detained for his efforts. "This, of course, can in some way hurt his career as a professional ballplayer," said defense lawyer Jose Luis Tamayo. In some way.

Urbina had come over from the Phillies late in the 2005 season, in a trade from the Detroit Tigers for second-baseman Placido Polanco (considered excess baggage in Philly with the development of Chase Utley). With Billy Wagner already in place as team closer, Urbina mostly saw middle relief, with a 4.13 ERA in 56 appearances. A year and a half after his arrest, Ugie was found guitly of attempted murder, and begun a 14-year prison sentence. Needless to say, the 2005 season was his last in a Phillies (or in any other) uniform.

Tri-State Vengeance: Sixers Look to Take Out City's Frustrations on Nets

2009-11-06T18:40:06-05:00

New Jersey may not have asked to get in the middle in the tug-of-war between Philadelphia and New York these past few weeks, but hey, no one invited them to the Interstate. Tonight, an ailing sports city casts their eyes to the city's pro basketball team--well, some of them might, anyway--to help lift their spirits after the Phillies' unfortunate vanquishing at the hands of the Bronx Bombers. The Nets seem like a good team to regroup against, especially with the team's lone All-Star, Devin Harris, the team's lone bright spot, Chris Douglas-Roberts, or even the team's lone seven-footer, Yi Jianlian. The Nets are a paltry 0-5 for the season thusfar, and they only managed 68 points in a brutal "Whichever Team Makes Two Baskets in a Row Wins" slugfest against the Bobcats earlier this week.

That said, the Nets were something of a kryptonite for the Sixers last season, not only sweeping the season series, but winning two games in unbelievably soul-crushing fashion--the worse of which being the Devin Harris half-court buzzer beater, pictured above (albeit in fairly low resolution as to not cause me complete cardiac arrest). This seems like as sure a win as there'll be for the Sixers this NBA season, but really, there's no such thing for a team as young and fledgling as ours, and if the boys take the game lightly, I guarantee they'll end up paying for it with their lives. Or a loss. Whichever.

Tonight would especially be a good chance to look to get Elton Brand involved and feeling good again in the offense. Without Yi in the lineup, Elton'll be battling against a frontline combination of Brook Lopez, Josh Boone, Sean Williams and Eduardo Najera. Against those stiffs, at the very least, he shouldn't have to expend too much of his energy on the defensive end. Can we get 20 points tonight, Elton? One finish in traffic, at least? Please?

I'd like to say something like "If they can't even win THIS game convincingly, then season = over." And maybe that's what it is. But there'll be at least 77 games to come after it, and I don't want to say anything I might have to spend all 77 trying to weasel out of. Let's just say that winning would be a good thing to try to do tonight and leave it at that.

7:00 tip from the Wach. Let's all get back in that Ill State of Mind.

Some Much-Needed Flyers Hockey...

2009-11-06T18:03:59-05:00

I try not to complain about two things when I post about hockey on this site—"weak" penalties and the schedule. I try, but I fail. Miserably.

Lately it seems like there's a week between brief spurts of action for the Flyers, two games around a weekend, off for three, four, five days. Coming off of the massive bender that is a 162-game Phillies season, followed by the insanity of a playoff run, it seems like the Flyers play about as often as the Eagles. In the end though, all the NHL teams play the same number of games, and with the Phillies in the playoffs, I didn't mind it much anyway.

But that run is done, so let's get down to the nitty gritty... Let's get this show on the road.

Buffalo Sabres - Ryan Miller, originally uploaded by mikelynaugh.

The Flyers better be ready, because starting tonight in Buffalo at the HSBC RSTLN E Arena at 7:30, they'll have a lot more of the Philly sports world's attention and a tough matchup with a hot goalie.

They've been up and down this season, but after back-to-back losses, they've kicked the shit out of two struggling southeastern clubs, scoring six times in each of them. We were all a little distracted right about then, so hopefully they can reprise those performances tonight.

It won't be easy though—the Sabres are no Lightning. Led by the always steady backstop Ryan Miller, Buffalo is off to a hot 9-2-1 start. They're not scoring a whole lot, but they've only allowed 24 goals, so it hasn't much mattered. The Flyers have found their scoring touch, even with some injuries to their forwards. As they always seem to do, they're pulling goals from every line. A veteran like Simon Gagne goes down, and it could be a disaster, but so far it hasn't been.

Guys like rookie James VanRiemsdyk are picking up the slack lately, with JVR leading freshmen in points (T-13) and assists (11). Yep, kid has three more points than he has games played, and he's only a rook. He's come a long way since fans and the brass wondered if he was getting soft at UNH, rather than toughening up with the Phantoms. So far, no worries, and JVR has a legit shot at a Calder Trophy. Did I mention he's a plus-6 too? Gotdamn, I shoulda.

One key tonight (yeah, I know, keys to the game are always hella lame) is that the Flyers can't get caught up in their past two showings. They can't just expect that the goals will come as easily as they did then, they need to remember what it was like to have the Caps come back and steal one from them, and the feeling of playing a solid game against the Sharks and still losing 4-1. Any one of those things could happen tonight, and the Flyers scoring 6 goals is the least likely of them. It'll probably be pretty close, and most likely a low-scoring game. The Flyers are still at the bottom of the division, and that has to be a little embarrassing considering they're tied with the Islanders. String a few more wins together, and they'll be out of the cellar, but not by much.

Oh one last thing I try not to complain about, because it always happens—every year, the Flyers get the flu. This year, everyone everywhere has it, and there's definitely a strain in the locker room. Don't be surprised if a few of the guys look a little pale(r than usual).

Welcome back, Flyers hockey. We missed ya.

Listen for the Uproarious Laughter. No, Wait for It.

2009-11-06T16:01:33-05:00

Yeah, can't hear it. Great idear, Bloomberg. Tool shed.

And the Dominoes Begin to Fall: Myers Says His Phillies Career is Over

2009-11-06T14:27:47-05:00

Wow. That happened a lot faster than I anticipated. One of the key pieces of the Phillies magical run over the past two seasons is reportedly done as a Phillie.

"I officially won’t be a Phillie next year," Myers told the Inquirer's Jim Salisbury. Ruben Amaro Jr. met with Myers today and told him his time in Philadelphia has come to an end and thanked him for his work.

"I was just like, 'OK, thanks for putting up with my (stuff),'" Myers said. "He thanked me and wished me and my family well."

"I’ll miss the guys on the team and the fans who have supported me. Hopefully I’ll be playing against the Phillies and when I do I want the roughest treatment the fans can give me – when I’m pitching. I’m an opposing player – you have to give it to me."

Most people didn't expect Myers to be back in 2010 but it just seems too soon to start parting ways with guys. I haven't even come to terms with the season being over yet.

When he first arrived in Philadelphia, Myers, who looked up to Curt Schilling, was thought to be a guy who could turn into an ace for this team. While that never really materialized, he did put in a few solid seasons in Philadelphia.

Myers time in Philly will likely be remembered for the few really bad mistakes he made, the incident in Boston, the head case issues that sent him to the minors in the middle of the season. But ultimately he was a champion in Philadelphia. Philly fans don't forget that.

The Inqy has much more.

Previously: Brett Myers Epic Walk & Shane's Grand Slam Against Milwaukee (2008)

Things You Haven't Done in a While (~177 Games)

2009-11-06T13:43:45-05:00

I went to a social function last night and didn't check a sports score on my phone once! Also avoided all sports on television, including highlight shows such as SportsCenter and DNL for an entire day.

What have you done differently since the Phils departed the playoffs?

Impersonating Jaws

2009-11-06T12:42:05-05:00

One of the few redeeming qualities about the latest incarnation of the Monday Night Football broadcast crew is the presence of Eagle great Ron Jaworski. The guy pretty much watches film for a living and his knowledge is vast. A Houston Texans wide receiver does a pretty nice impression of old number 7.

Via Hot Clicks and Awful Announcing.

A Little Friday Photoshop Fun with Big Red

2009-11-06T10:56:43-05:00

You may remember our pointing out the fantastic photo of DeSean Jackson bumping with Big Red from last week's throttling of the New York Giants and subsequent Photoshop work.

The ruffians over at KSK took the Photoshop efforts to a wonderful place that only they're capable of. Check out their gallery here. Truffle Shuffle was our favorite.

If you've got anything to add, email them our way.

[video below]

Today in Philly Sports History: The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, 1979

2009-11-06T09:00:00-05:00

Apparently, the turn-of-the-decade period between the 70s and 80s was the first golden age of NBA stars hitting the big screen. You had Kareem in Airplane!, Wilt in Conan the Destroyer and Sixers immortal Dr. J in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh--the disco-era, astrology-fixated pro-ball comedy released on November 6th, 1979. It's utterly impossible to piece together what this movie is about from the title and poster alone--some sort of lucky magic fish that helps a team of ragtags and misfits to cheat their way to a championship, maybe, like The Sixth Man with a sturgeon replacing Kadeem Hardison--and after reading plot summaries from about a half-dozen sources, I still don't really have a clue. What I know is this:

1. It's based around the idea of organizing a basketball team based on having the same astrological sign (Pisces, the fish of the title), thus adding to team chemistry. One one level, this idea sounds too absurd to base even a ridiculous cameo-fest of a movie around, but on another level, it also seems oddly ahead of its time.

2. Julius Erving's character in the movie is named "Moses Guthrie," a designation that would seem to be a playful jab at Dr. J's teammate Moses Malone--except that Big Mo didn't join up with Moses on the Sixers for another four years. Of course, I wasn't born until years later, so it's always possible that in 1979 one out of five American males was named Moses or something.

3. One of the actors' names is James Bond III. Not a character. The actual name of the actor.

It's sort of a shame that the Kobes and LeBrons of today seem too busy doing boring things like focusing on winning championships to film ridiculous vanity projects with Philly Soul-stacked soundtracks. In the meantime, though, I think we have our first flick for the inaugural meeting of the 700 Level Film Preservation Society.

Roy Williams Will Not Have You Mistaking Him for TO, Thank You

2009-11-06T08:01:06-05:00

I don't know what it is about sports that makes us enjoy the valleys of our rivals almost as much as our own teams' peaks. I believe the Germans call it schadenfreude, and try as I might (not really) to be above it, I can't help but get a laugh when a Cowboys star tries to detonate his cresting team.

Kulp mentioned yesterday that Roy Williams, the "stud" receiver the Cowboys spent a huge haul of draft picks on, then a huge haul of money to lock up, wasn't happy with anyone thinking he's a number 2. Most of us thought he was lower than that on their depth chart this year (literally fourth in receiving production), but he'll have none of that. He also showed no amount of veteran leadership in his comments about Miles Austin's success and both receivers' chemistry with Tony Romo. Now, in order to clarify his statement, he did what most foot-in-mouthers do, he indicated the comments were taken out of context, and then threw someone else's name into the mix—Terrell Owens, in this case. Didn't I tell you this was fun?

"I'm not a T.O.," Williams said. "I'm not trying to be a T.O. I'm happy to win. I've said that a hundred times. I don't understand why people don't just say OK."

Why would he go after TO like that? Could it be because Owens name-dropped Williams just last week?

"I have been looking at my stats compared to Roy E. Williams' stats over there with the Cowboys and my goal is to have better stats than him by the end of the season," Owens said Wednesday. "I am looking forward to it. I can feel the momentum on this team."

Yes, if you're going to reach for the stars as a #1 WR, you should set your sites on Roy Williams, who is on pace for a little better than 30 catches and 4 TDs this season. Things have gotten bad in Buffalo, and now, you can be sure a reporter will be reading Williams' comments about "not being a TO" at Owens' next press opportunity.

We haven't reached full-on cat fight status yet, but who knows what'll come next. Speaking of which...

Video via Deadspin.

Has Your Special Ladyfriend Been a Good Phillies Fan This Year?

2009-11-05T19:51:26-05:00

If so, I think we may have a gift idea for next month's giveapalooza. Hell, why wait til then. She probably wants to show her pride right now. From Sharif's Etsy shop, check out this ill pendant.

Via Philebrity.