East Coast Bias

This Is Our Last Post

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:47:00 -0500

After completeing almost 40+ podcasts and 200+ posts East Coast Bias is calling it quits. Thank you for reading our blog and listening to our podcast. Unfortunately due to time constraints, schedule problems, and other unforseen scenarios myself, Brendan Canney and Jason Mish will no longer be publishing the blog and its podcast. Again, we thank you for reading and listening to us since July. Hopefully a time will come when we can devote ourselves to another sports blog. Thanks again for all the support!

Sincerely,
Brendan Canney and Jason Mish

The Mitchell Report

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:58:00 -0500

East Coast Bias has been watching all the press conferences and so far, myself, Brendan Canney, am disgusted with Major League Baseball. Even though there is a lot of hear-say in the report, there is enough evidence that points to major players, like Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite, that they indeed took steroids. It truly is a dark day in baseball.

Stay tuned to East Coast Bias as both me and Jason will chime in soon with both of our opinions on what has been said and reported.

Bobby Petrino Resigns As Falcons Head Coach

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:32:00 -0500

Bobby Petrino has resigned his position as coach of the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, and is currently negotiating an agreement to become the new coach at the University of Arkansas.

After only 13 games as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, which included 10 losses, Petrino is out of the NFL. Petrino had a five-year, $24 million contract with the Falcons and will be taking a pay cut to coach the Razorbacks.

The Falcons are assured of the 32nd losing season in their 42-year history. Petrino's resignation is another blow to a team that dealt with Vick's legal troubles since the first day of training camp, a blow up with DeAngelo Hall over personnel decisions, and a bunch of injuries.

Poor Arthur Blank....

The Podcast Is Up!

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 12:08:00 -0500

Check it!

Sorry about the delay folks. Archive.org was being bitchy and finals week starts on Monday.

Not Guilty, And He's Sticking To It

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 03:04:00 -0500

Bonds' new lawyer entered a not guilty plea in U.S. District Court to the four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice contained in the Nov. 15 indictment.

"Barry Bonds is innocent," defense attorney Allen Ruby said "He has trust and faith in the justice system."

The indictment charges Bonds with lying when he testified he never knowingly used performance enhancing drugs, even though prosecutors say he flunked a private steroids test in 2000. Bonds' personal surgeon, Dr. Arthur Ting, collected the blood sample and is expected to be called as a witness if Bonds take the case goes to trial.

Investigators also say they seized other evidence, including an alleged "doping calendar" maintained by Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson, who spent about a year in jail for refusing to help investigators in their perjury probe of Bonds.

I have always been an outspken critic of Barry Bonds so I hope all of these charges stick so we can land this dirtbag in prison. I'm sick and tired of his whining, unprofessional, and "It's all about me" attitude. He broke the most storied record in all of sports and instead of having people embrace him as our new home run king, most people despise him.

Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera Moving To Detroit

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 4 Dec 2007 19:33:00 -0500

The Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers have agreed in principle on a trade that will send Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for key prospects.

The Tigers would send outfielder Cameron Maybin, pitcher Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo and three other minor league pitchers to the Marlins. The most notable of those prospects obviously is Andrew Miller who went 5-5 in 13 starts after being called up last summer.

A huge move for the Detroit Tigers. They get a hude prospect and RBI machine in Miguel Cabrera (who according to reports is losing the bulk) and Dontrelle Willis, who might see a resurgence in his new city. The AL Central just got a lot more interesting. Perhaps this could lead to a conclusion of the Johan Santana trade talks because it appears that the Tigers mean business.

East Coast Bias- December 4, 2007

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 4 Dec 2007 17:32:00 -0500

Today's Headlines

- The "Live Wire"

- NFL Rundown

- College Football Rundown

The Weekly Phil

- Billy King Fired as Sixers GM

On today's show we begin with some of the latest news on Johan Santana trade talks, the wild Pats-Ravens Monday Night Football game last night, and the tragic passing of Sean Taylor. The NFL Rundown is next where we dive into the Sunday gridiron action followed by the College Football Rundown were we dissect Saturday's big games. And we wrap up the show with The Weekly Phil featuring the news of Billy King's dismissal as Sixers GM.

Holy Crap, We're Back!

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 4 Dec 2007 17:20:00 -0500

After a long hiatus Team ECB is back in the saddle! Be prepared for the podcast debuting tomorrow and regular blog updates there after. Between work, the end of school, and other family matters we have been really tied up, so we apologize for wait!

Live Wire News

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:44:00 -0500

Barry Bonds Indicted By Federal Grand Jury

Maybe Bonds would be willing to take an asterisk at this point. Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs. If he is convicted he could serve as many as 30 years in prison. When Bonds was shown papers confirming that a "Barry B" tested positive for two types of steroids in November 2000 he said, "I've never seen these documents. I've never seen these papers."

The ball is in your court Barry. You, in my estimation can do one of two things, admit you did steroids because you were jealous of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, or you could be a coward. Either way what you have done will be tarnished and rightfully so.

You Don't Want To Be Number 2

Oregon is the fifth No. 2 team to lose this season, 34 - 24 to the Arizona Wildcats. USC, Cal, USF and BC all feel the Ducks pain, especially Heisman hopeful Dennis Dixon. The stellar quarterback aggrivated a knee sprain he suffered against Arizona State. Arizona became the 10th unranked team to knock off a top 5 team this season. Depending on who you talk to the belief is is that Dixon could be done for the season. Without Dixon at quarterback the Ducks looked lost on offense. They went 3 and out six times and had only 3 drives after the 1st quarter in which they gained more than 50 yards.

If I'm Kentucky, I would just pretend that their is no polls or BCS because if history is any indication, you don't want to be number 2.

Kiss The BCS Championship Game Goodbye

Our 200th Post! Live Wire News

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:04:00 -0500

Stephon Marbury Fined $180,000 For Skipping Game

- Controversary seems to follow the former all-star point guard at every turn now. On a recent team plane trip Marbury learned from player Eddy Curry that Isiah Thomas planned to start 2nd year guard Mardy Collins ( a Temple University Grad! ) instead of him. Marbury got up and confronted Thomas about the move and later was quoted to ""I've got so much [stuff] on Isiah and he knows it." What this entails not many people are sure of but should Marbury's playing days be done in New York, there could be some juicy details.

Ricky Williams Re-Instated By Roger Goodell

- Ricky Williams retired in 2004 and has only played 12 games since then, including a stint in the Canadian Football League. Williams can attend team meetings and practice immediately, but won't be eligible to play until Week 12 when the Dolphins play at Pittsburgh on Monday night, Nov. 26. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reinstated Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams after a suspension that lasted 18 months because of Williams' violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

Who mants me?!

East Coast Bias- November 13, 2007

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:44:00 -0500

Today's Headlines

- The Debut of the "Live Wire"

- NFL Rundown

- College Football Rundown

The Weekly Phil

- Eagles Win: Lidge Comes In Relief

We begin with the debut of a new segment called "Live Wire", where we keep you up-to-date with the latest news in the sports world. Then ECB delivers the NFL Rundown followed by the College Football Rundown to fill you in on all the gridiron action of the weekend. We end the show with The Weekly Phil, with discussion on the Eagles victory, and the acquisition of Brad Lidge to the Phillies.

Phillies Acquire Bullpen Help, Get Brad Lidge

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:52:00 -0500

The Phillies appear to have addressed their need for bullpen help by acquiring closer Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros in a five-player trade. In addition to Lidge the Phillies also get utility infielder Eric Bruntlett. The Phillies gave up outfielder Michael Bourn, reliever Geoff Geary and Minor League third baseman Mike Costanzo.

This move now allows the Phillies to move Brett Myers out of the bullpen and into the #2 starters role. A role I believe he will be much more comfortable in. No longer will Myers have the pressure on his shoulders to be the number one guy.

The 24-year old Bourn, a Houston native, hit .277 in his first full season as a Phillies reserve. This proves to me beyond a reasonable doubt that the Phillies will be re-signing Aaron Rowand and are comfortable with Burrell and Victorino as their 2008 starters. Costanzo was once considered one of the organization's top prospects before a down year in 2006. He hit 27 home runs while playing for the Phillies AA affiliate, the Reading Phillies.

Kentucky Wildcats Get Rolled On

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:30:00 -0500

The Gardner-Webb Bulldogs brought their bite with them to Rupp Arena. The former Division 2 basketball program held the lead throughout the entire game and dominated the Kentucky Wildcasts in every aspect of the game. The Bulldogs led by more than 10 points the entire second half.

Grayson Flittner scored 22 points to help Gardner-Webb beat the No. 20 Wildcats 84-68 Wednesday night in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Ramel Bradley of Kentucky led all scorers with 24 points, including 14-14 from the charity strike. The last time Kentucky lost to a mid-major? Try November 2001 against Western Kentucky.

The Wildcats were coming off their best defensive performance since 1995 after holding Central Arkansas to 20% shooting. Against the Bulldogs however, Kentucky allowed them to shoot 53% from the field.

Sleepless In Seattle

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:17:00 -0500

David Stern has entered the no spin zone and has laid the smacketh down on Seattle. "I'd love to find a way to keep the team there," he said, "because if the team moves, there's not going to be another team there, not in any conceivable future plan that I could envision, and that would be too bad."

SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett told the NBA last Friday that he plans to move the team to Oklahoma City. The current lease calls for the team to play in Seattle through the 2009-10 season, but Bennett wants out sooner.

Basketball has been in Seattle for 40 years and no one in the Washington legislature or Seattle's can find a way to keep the team there? The Sonics are set up to succeed with the drafting of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. They cleared TONS of cap space with the trading of Ray Allen and release of Rashard Lewis. To not keep a team there, especially one that has actually been a winner, is a sad thing for Seattle basketball fans.

Curt Schilling Remains In Boston

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Tue, 6 Nov 2007 17:39:00 -0500

Curt Schilling, who said it himself that he might have played his last game in Boston after his brilliant World Series performance, is coming back to the Sox. Schilling agreed to a one-year deal worth $8 million dollars that will also include incentives.

$375,000 bonus for pitching 130 innings
$375,000 for every 10-inning increment up to 200 after first 130 innings
$333,333 each time he maintains his weight after random weigh in

When asked by reporters if he had signed for less money he had this to say, "Did I leave money on the table? Yes. Could I have gotten another year? I think so," Schilling said on his Web site. "Looking at the teams that called, my best guess would be around $14 million-$15 million for a one-year deal with the potential to get $25 million-$30 million for a two-year deal."

East Coast Bias- November 5, 2007

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Mon, 5 Nov 2007 18:50:00 -0500

Today's Headlines

- NFL Rundown

- College Football Rundown

The Weekly Phil

- Eagles See Stars; Flyers Fast Start

On today's podcast we begin with action from the gridiron as we dissect all the games in the NFL, including the great game between the Pats and Colts. We then switch to the college kids as we wrap up the week in College Football. Finally, we end the show with The Weekly Phil with Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers talk.

Edit: Podcast is up!

Pats Rally Late To Remain Unbeaten

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Mon, 5 Nov 2007 00:40:00 -0500

Though the Patriots were outplayed and out gained for much of the game vs. the Colts on Sunday, they managed to pull off a come-from-behind win to remain perfect at 9-0.

The Patriots won 24-20 thanks to two touchdowns in the final 8 minutes of the game, after trailing 20-10, to get the comeback victory.

Tom Brady threw for 255 yards and 3 TD's, but did double his season interception total from 2 to 4. On the other side, Manning had a solid day with 225 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. But Manning's final mistake, a fumble coming with two minutes left, was recovered by Rosevelt Colvin of the Pats and ended the game.

The Patriots will now get a chance to rest with their bye next week and then will play at Buffalo on Nov. 18 to try to stay unbeaten.

Navy Ends 43 Game Losing Streak To Notre Dame

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Sat, 3 Nov 2007 19:06:00 -0500

It took 4 quarters plus 3 overtimes but the Midshipmen finally accomplished something they had not in 43 games prior. The final score was 46 to 44 in a game dominated by each team's running game. The combined yardage on the ground of both teams was 492 yards. Each team's combined yardage in the air was only 207 yards.

To put the streak into perspective, the last time Navy beat Notre Dame was when the Midshipmen were led by now Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. Navy won that game in 1963 35 to 14 and wouldn't taste victory for 44 more years.

For Notre Dame, it was its school-record fifth straight home loss, another low point in a season of lows. "We lost the game. The streak doesn't mean anything to me," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.

Wanna Know A Coach?

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 18:10:00 -0500

I will be profiling, dissecting, and investigating present, retired, and six feet under coaches from the universe of the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NCAA (basketball / football) in no particular order.

First on the menu will be Hall of Fame college basketball coach John Chaney.

John Chaney was born on January 21, 1932 in Jacksonville, Florida. John grew up in Jacksonville with his mother, stepfather, stepbrother and stepsister. His mother worked a thankless job cleaning the homes of white families in which she earned $3.50 and car fare. From a young age John knew what a “hard knock life” was. When John Chaney entered 9 th grade his family moved to Philadelphia and thus began his love affair with the game of basketball.

On the playgrounds of downtown Philadelphia, Chaney played with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and other playground legends who never played in a NBA arena. He honed his skill of basketball while playing under the tutelage of Ben Franklin High School basketball coach Sam Browne. John sill refers to him as “my great white father” and his coaching helped him become the public league player of the year in 1951.

His stepfather insisted that he get a 9-5 job but Sam Browne insisted that John attend college. Still in the John Crow era, Division 1 schools rarely accepted black basketball players and John wasn't any different. Sam Browne mentioned a black school named Bethune-Cookman College which is located in his home state of Florida and while hesitant at first ( mainly because of the bad memories of his childhood while growing up there) finally committed and became am NAIA All-American in 1953.

After a short stint playing in the Philadelphia circuit of the Eastern League in which he made the all-star team 6 of his 10 seasons. His basketball playing career however ended abruptly when his car was involved in a head-on car crash he severely injured his leg in. John then settled into his role as junior high school teacher. After returning to his role as a junior high school teacher, John Chaney began his ascension to Hall of Fame status as a basketball coach. From junior high, Chaney moved on to the storied Philadelphia Public League basketball mecca Simon Gratz High (alums include Rasheed Wallace, Aaron McKie, and Mardy Collins), to Cheyney State ( now called Cheyney University of Pennsylvania ) for 10 seasons, including the 1978 NCAA Division II national title. At Cheyney, John was 225-56. He didn't start coaching at Temple until 1982 when he was 50.

When he began coaching at Temple University and was expected to make Temple a nationally recognized college basketball program. He refused to load his schedules with easy teams, and instead traveled to hostile courts to play teams supposedly brimming with talent. Speaking of talent, it was something John Chaney hardly had while coaching at Temple. That's not to say that he never had great players ( Mark Macon, Eddie Jones, and Aaron McKie), but he never had a TOP 25 recruiting class. He couldn't compete with the Duke's, the Kentucky's, and the North Carolina's when it came to recruiting. He was however possibly the greatest coach ever in getting the most out of his kids.

And one thing John Chaney never forgot was that he was coaching kids. He held 6AM practices that his players hated, but later thanked him for. By scheduling his practices so early he made sure his kids had time to attend classes and succeed academically. He understood that there is a life after basketball and that his players needed to understand that. He was tough on his players but you ask anyone one of them if they regret playing for him they will look at you like you're crazy.

While a great coach and teacher, Chaney was known to lose his temper, sometimes resulting in some very embarrassing moments. On February 13, 1994, he said "I'm gonna kick your ass!", and threatened to kill then University of Massachusetts coach John Calipari at a post-game news conference. Chaney and Calipari did makeup however and are even friends now. Chaney's most notorious moment however was what is now considered by many as “Goon Gate”.
Chaney made headlines in 2005 after ordering forward Nehemiah Ingram to commit hard fouls against Saint Joseph's in response to what he thought were illegal picks being set by the Hawks. After the game Chaney admitted to "sending a message" and stated "I'm going to send in what we used to do years ago, send in the goons." John Bryant of Saint Joseph's suffered a fractured arm as a result of an intentional foul. John Chaney promptly suspended himself for one game, and eventually suspended himself for the remainder of the regular season and the A-10 tournament after hearing that Bryant's arm was fractured. Chaney later apologized to Bryant, his family, and Saint Joseph's.

While most casual college basketball fans will relate John Chaney to Goon Gate, enthusiasts and die-hard fans will relate the name John Chaney to excellence.

Has compiled a 499-238 record at Temple

Has compiled a 327-108 Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Record

Won his 400th game at Temple against No. 1 ranked Cincinnati on Feb. 20, 2000

NCAA Tournaments, 1984-1988, 1990-2001 (18)

NCAA Regional Finalists, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2001

National Invitational Tournament, 1989, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

Atlantic 10 regular season Championships, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002

Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2001

Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000

Has compiled 15 20-win seasons at Temple

USBWA National Coach of the Year, 1987, 1988

Consensus National Coach of the Year, Associated Press Coach of the Year

Eastern Basketball Coach of the Year, 1993

Won his 700th game, becoming the first African-American in history with 700 wins

While it would have been nice to see John Chaney leave in a blaze of glory instead of a negative media blitz but he will always be a favorite of people who knew him and followed him. Mark Macon said it best after hearing about John's then announcement he was retiring. "He was my mother and my father," Mark Macon, an assistant and a former star at Temple, said of Chaney on Comcast SportsNet, a cable network. "He'd tell me the right thing to do and not to. I don't have words to say what that meant to me."

East Coast Bias - November 1, 2007

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Thu, 1 Nov 2007 19:53:00 -0500

A Very Special East Coast Bias:

NBA Preview Edition

Today's Headlines

- How good are the Celtics?

- Will Kobe Bryant be traded?

- NBA Conference Predictions

- Finals Predictions

- Handing Out The Hardware

On today's show it's a very special editon of East Coast Bias in which we preview the coming 2007-08 NBA Season. First we start off with what we consider the two most important story lines leading up to this season. We then accordingly tell you who will win their respective divisions and finish up with our NBA Finals prediction. Lastly we hand out the hardwar and give the Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and MVP award out to who we think will be receiving it come season's end.

Torre Changes Coasts: Heads To L.A.

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Thu, 1 Nov 2007 19:11:00 -0500

Two weeks after rejecting a one year contract from the Yankees, Joe Torre agrees to a three year, $13 million deal to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers. The announcement came Thursday and will be officially introduced in a press conference Monday. Torre, the winningest manager in postseason history, agrees to take over a Dodger team that finished 4th in the NL West this season.

Torre should have plenty of talent in a weak National League to compete for a division title. The return of Jason Schmidt from injury and Brad Penny in the starting rotation should be very solid. Talent is evident on offense too with players like Russell Martin, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jeff Kent.

If Torre in anyway matches the success he had in the Bronx, L.A. should be very happy with this move for years to come.

Breaking News: Martina Hingis Retires Under Suspicion of Cocaine Use

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Thu, 1 Nov 2007 16:37:00 -0500

Martina Hingis said Thursday she has been accused of testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon, and then announced her retirement from professional tennis.

In a statement made to the press through her agent, (BIG surprise there) "When I was informed that the A Test I took following my defeat at Wimbledon apparently came back positive for a cocaine metabolite, I was shocked and appalled."

"Acting upon the advice of my family and my management, I immediately took the hair test which can prove whether or not someone has taken cocaine. This test of course produced a negative result, the same negative result as all the countless doping tests that I have taken over the last twelve years."

"However, the B Test from Wimbledon once again produced the opposite result -- positive for a metabolite that apparently stays in the system for some time following cocaine use."

Apparently Hingis retired because she said she doesn't want to spend years fighting the case. Talk about a cop out. Wouldn't one think that by spending years fighting the case that it would entail that she is set to prove her innocence to everyone and herself?

Bulls GM Paxson Says "No Deal!"

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Thu, 1 Nov 2007 16:31:00 -0500

"There's not a deal done," said Bulls GM John Paxson. "There's not going to be a deal done. All the things that were out there were really unfair to all of us who were trying to do our jobs. The misinformation ... I think gets in the way of the process. It's just such a complicated thing and we kind of put it to rest now."

There was a rumor most recently that would have seen Ben Gordon and a signed-and-traded P.J. Brown to Sacramento, Chicago's Ben Wallace and the Kings' Ron Artest heading to Los Angeles and the Bulls landing Kobe Bryant. I could see that deal working defintely infavor of both the Bulls and the Kings, but the Lakers getting an over-the-hill Ben Wallace and a time bomb like Ron Artest just wouldn't have been a logical trade.

The trade deadline isn't until February, so it's possible talks between the Lakers and Bulls could resume.

Carl On The Red Sox and Isiah Thomas'

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:24:00 -0500

Courtesy of the funny people at Adult Swim.

East Coast Bias- October 29, 2007

brendan.canney@gmail.com (Brendan Canney and Jason Mish) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:36:00 -0500

Today's Headlines

- Sox Sweep, Changes in the Bronx

- NFL Rundown

- College Football Rundown

On today's show we start with the World Series and the domination by the Red Sox. We wrapup the week that was in the NFL and finish strong with our College Football Rundown highlighting the best games of Saturday. Look for the ECB NBA Preview Show this Thursday followed by our second mailbag!

Also, check out this wild finish to the Trinity vs. Millsaps College Football game.