Play it: “Winners Take All” – Aesop Rock

The MLB Playoffs mean way more photogs assigned to cover each game. I was at the Phillies win on Monday night. Quite a tense experience, I can say. I can’t say it was completely fun. For 7 innings, I was the lone red hat in a sea of blue and my team was losing.  I was alone and dejected. Then, when my team took the lead and won, I was alone and a target! But, I survived.

In the post-game searches I thought these four photos were particularly inspiring.

• Matt Stairs’ homer from behind home plate
• Brad Lidge punchin’ suckas out
• Matt Stairs gettin’ mobbed in the dugout
• Manny’s helmet

Other blogs would just steal the photos. I’ll link to them, because they’re commercial. And, I respect the image.

“50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” – Paul Simon

I just wanted to make sure nobody at all missed my favorite NFL player’s wondrous miscue. His name is Dan Orlovsky, and he’s a backup QB for the worst team in the league. Greatest player ever!. Ever? Seriously, are all Orlo(v)skys really absent-minded? Is it a genetic thing? This is so brutal.

YouTube – Dan Orlovsky Safety “Dumbest QB Ever!!” Lions vs. Vikings.

Play this: “Lonesome Loser” – Little River Band

(Ed. note: I have been adding significantly to this post since I published it.)

Trash, seen on exiting Dodger Stadium after the Los Angeles squad eliminated the cursed Chicago Cubs. It was a surreal feeling, happy that the local team won and seeing all the happy people, but knowing all the booing and aggressive, brainless vitriol I’d seen directed towards Cubs fans at the game will be directed at me, should the Phillies advance to face the Dodgers.

I still remember the first Phillies game I went to as a young kid. It was against the Braves in the old Veterans Stadium.  Some Braves fans sat right in front of us, and I was baffled the whole time, wondering what they were doing there. They cheered all the Braves plays, and were not mean or anything. But, as the Braves won the game, they were happy and I wasn’t, and there was something that seemed unfair about that. To this day, I wonder if opposing fans in a home stadium care about the kids whose time they ruin? And, on the flip side. I can see the hope in that handmade sign. Hope that was crushed. I’m sure whoever made it was young and took a heap of abuse for it. I’m probably too sensitive about this. I mean, it was probably adorable when I saw that wheelchair guy in the James Loney jersey to teach his 8-year-old daughter to give the “throat-slash” gesture to Cubs fans. And the drunk fans ejected for flipping people off and swearing? It’s just the fun of sports, yeah?

Is it important that I deck out in Phillies regalia if I go to a Phils-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium?  Would it be make more sense to do so if I had friends who were Phillies fans? Is it worth the tense confrontation with beer-soaked Dodger fans just to wear a red hat when all around you wear blue? Am I jinxing the Phillies by thinking about this before they clinch against the Brewers?

All the answers will come soon. I can’t wait to be throat-slashed!

Just think, if Brett Favre hadn’t been so impatient in forcing the Pack’s hand, he might’ve ended up in New England with Brady down.  Now, that would have been a much better story than Favre with the Jets. I picked up Matt Cassel for my fantasy team. It’s a gamble.

“Right Place Wrong Time” – Dr. John

Well, Joe Blanton didn’t have it today against the Nats, getting pulled early. It’s not looking good for the new guy, ol’ Kentucky Joe.  I defended the move when the Phils picked him up, so I’m gonna do what I gotta do to help him be successful.

So, if Joe Blanton records a W in the month of September, I will do it. I’ll rock the chinbeard. I know it’s a drastic measure, but this is a pennant race and I’m stepping up and laying my chin on the line.

Play it: “The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin” – Sam Sham & The Pharoahs

MLB – Philadelphia Phillies/Washington Nationals Box Score

In the beginning, there was the Wolf Pack.  In the wake of that followed the Padilla Flotilla, Chase’s Chicks, and even Sal’s Pals. Any Philadelphia Phillie player with any sort of character seems to get a possibly-alliterative, perhaps-rhyming, potentially-punny nicknamed fan club.

Last night, however, a new one surfaced to support sophomore starter Kyle Kendrick.

Full Coverage and credit at Philadelphia Will Do: Kendrick’s Hendrix

I’m not sure I can support this one. They’ll have to start playing lefty and come up with a better drawing. Of course if it leads to KK warming up to “Spanish Castle Magic” then I will be on board.

Bonus flashback: Preseason prank: Kyle Kendrick traded to Japan

For some reason, I’m disproportionately amused when something I’m already interested in reaches the radar of the the uber-arcane blog Language Log. It’s happened before, of course. Today, the tensions between the Philadelphia Eagles and CB Lito Sheppard crossed over into the the world of the wordy when Lito got into some edgy expressionism.

Language Log » Disappreciation.

Seen on The Fightins’ » Philly & Long Beach together? Now you know you in trouble..

Best. Celeb. Pic. Ever!

Funny pic of the day: Schilling rocking the McNabb jersey out in public. I thought he hated Philly? Actually I guess McNabb will hate Philly soon, too…

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling stands with his arm in a sling, Monda… – MLB – Yahoo! Sports

How great is fame? Or, rather how great does a goalie have to  be to make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame?

I recently read that Ron Hextall is entering his first year of eligibility. Ron is up there among my favorite athletes to have watched in my lifetime. The default adjective for him has always been fiery, and it’s been well-deserved. He’s a favorite of a lot of lunkhead Philly fans who appreciate fights more than skill, but Hexy had that too. He finished up with 296 wins. It wasn’t so long ago that 300 was considered a magic number for getting into the Hall, but I don’t think that’s the case any more. If I recall accurately, Calgary needed a goalie and offered Hextall a contract for 1999-2000 but Hextall turned them down and hung up the skates. So, in my mind at least, he could have reached 300 if he wanted it. Should he be in the Hall of Fame? Probably not; No Stanley Cup is a big monkey in this case.  Shame, as there was nobody who battled harder for one.

That doesn’t mean I’ll ever forget:

• Banging the pipes
• Hex (P) Towels
• Jumping Chris Chelios
• Scoring on the Bruins
• The original Vic stick
• #27
• Leaving it all on the ice against the Oil in 87

Hexy was one of a kind. I hope he gets a few votes, at least. Here’s a few trips down memory lane: