Condolences for Avant, Jaws Speaks His Mind

Before anything else, please send your thoughts and prayers to Jason Avant and his family. His father died Saturday of injuries sustained in a car crash in New Jersey. Jerry Avant lost control of his Chevy Blazer in Burlington County during the wet conditions and crashed on the opposite side of the road. The Mount Holly native was 51 years old.

If the labor dispute in the NFL is bothering the fan base in Philly, it sure isn't showing. With the annual draft party coming up at the end of the month, the 6,500 free tickets the team gives away have all been spoken for once again. While it's obvious fans don't want to get into the middle of a fight that isn't theirs, it will be interesting to see the draft this year and how the incoming players respond to the mess they will walk into after the draft is over.

With the draft in mind, Muhammad Wilkerson has been my favorite for a while now, and it's reported that the Eagles have been looking at his teammate, Temple safety Jaiquawn Jarrett. Despite the fact that Nate Allen should be back next year and he has a lot of talent at the position, after seeing his injury last season, it couldn't hurt to bring Jarrett onto the team. If nothing else, Jarrett could backup for Allen and possibly replace him one day.

In Kevin Kolb news, the Bengals are the newest team in the sweepstakes. With Carson Palmer about as excited to play in Cincinnati as Kolb is in Philly, this deal might be one of the most promising ones yet. If Palmer was to shake things up, it could make the Bengals more desperate to make a three-team deal. Not that I'm excited about benefiting from another team's desperation, but at this point that's what's driving Kolb's potential stock through the roof, and that's never bad for the Eagles.

Meanwhile, in Eagles alum news, legend Chuck Bednarik was released from the hospital Thursday morning. Bednarik was hospitalized for shortness of breath, but was cleared with minor health comments. Ron Jaworski has caused a stir with his comments to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jeff McLane regarding the lockout. Jaworski voiced his concerns with the sense of a work stoppage, given the game's popularity, and the sad state of disabled players' medical benefits. He also spoke on the timing of the return of the Arena Football League team, the Philadelphia Soul, to play after a three-year hiatus following their 2008 championship. The Soul make a return sans Bon Jovi, with Jaws as part owner.

Follow on Twitter: @asprice18

Wednesday Football Two-A-Days

The Greatest Generation in one of their most iconic moments. OOH-RAH!!!

Falcons Could Be Playing Outside in Six Years

Arthur Blank has a dream, and when a man like Arthur Blank dreams, the man who invented the big box hardware story where all your DIY dreams come true, he dreams BIG.

You see, Mr. Blank, erstwhile owner of the Atlanta Falcons, dreams of one of those shiny new outdoor stadiums for his football team, and all of the untapped revenue streams that he gets no part of in the current lease agreement with the Georgia Dome. Mr. Blank understands the economics of the game of football. He knows that to truly make money, his teams need to win, and they need to make it into the playoffs.

There is no margin for error for Blank in Atlanta right now, unlike in say, Cincinnati, where the worst owner in the NFL, Mike Brown, owns his own stadium. Brown may refuse to sell the naming rights, but he still receives every red cent from the stadium (including other bookings beyond football, like concerts). Does anyone here think Mike Brown is worried that he has one of the worst teams in football year in, year out due to his cheap ways? Do you think Mike Brown sweats when the Bengals do not make the playoffs… again? Of course he does not sweat. Mike Brown owns his own his stadium! In the NFL, having a new stadium and the revenue stream that comes from it is better than printing your own money.

While the Georgia Dome is approaching its 20th season of operation this year (it opened in 1992), for an older stadium, it is not a bad venue for football. The seating bowl compares favorably to any new stadium; there is not a bad seat in the house. The Georgia World Congress Center, which owns the Dome, plans on keeping and maintaining the building, even after the Falcons vacate for their new stadium just a few blocks away. This of course makes the most sense, as the Dome is needed for the SEC Championship Game in football, the SEC Basketball Tournament, the NCAA Final Four which comes to Atlanta every five years or so, and the Chik-Fil-A Bowl & Kick-Off games. None of these events, which demand the need for a controlled environment, can be held in the Falcons’ new stadium, which begs the question: are Arthur Blanks’ dreams not big enough?

A retractable roof stadium would be more expensive than the simple, open-air stadium Blank wants, but by forgoing a roof, Blank forgoes the voluminous amounts of revenue a large, roofed structure would provide him, for years and years down the line. The SEC Championship football game alone is one of the biggest moneymakers in all of sports. I think Blank might be wanting to shoot himself a few years after his new stadium opens, as he sees all of those events continue to fill the Georgia Dome, events that could have played in his new stadium if he had just ponied up an extra 100 million or so for a retractable roof.

In the end, Mr. Blank could have been penny wise, but dollar foolish.

Aaron Murray Gives Bulldog Nation a Scare

Over the weekend, Georgia Bulldog rising sophomore phenom Aaron Murray sprained his ankle while playing a pick-up soccer game on campus, nearly causing the heart-stopping deaths of about half of Bulldog Nation.

I am all for kids being kids, having fun with your friends, and of course, getting some exercise is never a bad thing. But Murray is not like a regular college kid. As much as the NCAA likes to pretend that student athletes are exactly like regular college kids, the student athletes in the money sports (football and men’s basketball) are not. They just are not. They have signed contracts (scholarships) to receive an expensive education with all expenses paid by an Athletic Association, which is a business affiliated with, but not a part of, the parent university. Running around an athletic field with your buddies is not the best thing a person in Murray’s situation could do.

More thought needs to be taken by kids who play football and basketball, particularly by the team leaders, especially the starting QB, on the best way to exercise or spend their time outside of football activities. Quarterbacks are supposed to be the smartest, most mature players on the field. Smart, mature players do not put their health or the team’s health in jeopardy by doing stupid things. Tom Brady is not playing pick-up soccer on Boston Common. Matt Ryan does not ride a scooter through traffic in downtown Atlanta. I do not want to come off as a wet blanket, but Murray needs to be smarter.

I hope that after this injury scare so close to the start of spring practice (which he will be able to attend) Murray is smarter.

Today in History

On 23 February 1945, one of the most iconic moments in United States Marine Corps history was captured on film for all to see and remember, for all time.

On the fifth day of the Battle of Iwo Jima, five Marines and a Navy corpsman reached the summit of Mount Suribachi and took part in the famous (second) flag raising on this day, a moment captured in Pulitzer Prize-winning photographic form by Joe Rosenthal and recreated for the USMC War Memorial in Washington, DC.

It is true that this was the second flag raising of the day, as the first flag was thought of as too small and hard to see by the Marines still fighting to control the island, so a bigger flag was found and Rosenthal was grabbed to document the occasion. To this day, Iwo Jima remains one of the longest and costliest battles in American history. Many Marines died fighting for that little spit of land, which was needed for a forward landing strip for an upcoming invasion of Okinawa as well as the bombing of the Japanese home islands.

So please, if you find yourself drinking a beer or an alcoholic beverage of some type tonight, raise your bottle or glass in honor of the Marines who fought and died 66 years ago on Iwo Jima.

TV Dinner

I do not think of myself as someone who particularly likes to beg or plead. It is unbecoming and makes one appear weak.

However, I am here, prepared to prostrate myself before you gentle reader on behalf of a television show that should be a success on par with the first six or seven seasons of The X-Files. Remember The X-Files? That show was FOX’s breakout sci-fi hit in the mid-90’s. A show with a singular vision that was well written, well acted, and contained a kind of built-in mythology that rewarded long-time fans when mysteries were solved, riddles answered. People would have X-Phile Parties to gather and watch Mulder and Scully search for the truth that was “out there.” The show also existed on Friday night for years, a night on which it prospered and grew, and it became a cultural cornerstone for both the network and fans.

I bring all of this up (FOX, well written and acted science fiction show, involved mythology, Friday night, likable leads) because there is another show that FOX has moved to Friday night (now considered a “death slot”) that continues the great spirit of The X-Files, but is in danger of being cancelled well before its time, and that show is Fringe.

Fringe is every bit as good as the earliest years of The X-Files, if not better. The personal histories of the main characters are inter-woven into the show’s mythology in ways The X-Files only hinted, but never realized. Fringe brings us the stories of Dr. Walter Bishop, a still-brilliant but mentally unstable scientist whose work existed on the “fringes” of scientific theory, his brilliant-but-troubled son, Peter, and their FBI handler/partner, Olivia Dunham, who has ties to the Bishops she is unaware of, and secrets of her own.

This show is not like many other science fiction shows through time. It is an action-orientated show, it is a drama, it is funny as hell, and it is all of these things while using some of the trappings of science fiction to advance the stories of the characters.

The show is produced by JJ Abrahms, and I can only think that many fans are staying away because of his connection to Lost, and they don’t want to be left hanging in the way Lost disappointed many people. The thing is though; Fringe answers most of the questions the show poses, frequently within an episode or two. The show is very rewarding in that way, having learned from the mistakes Lost made in keeping people on the hook for too long.

The fact is, Fringe is worth your time and effort. In a television landscape that is full of garbage like Jersey Shore or lame NCIS and Criminal Minds spin-offs, Fringe is a wholly unique and thrilling experience on TV today. Go out an rent the first two seasons on DVD. Then find streaming sources online for the first few episodes of this third season that HULU.com no longer carries, and then pick-up watching the third season as it moves towards its thrilling conclusion in May.

Trust me, you will not be sorry you did. Fringe is worth your time. I promise.

Smart Quote

In honor of the continued struggle in northern Africa for freedom:

All free men remember that in the final choice a soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner's chains.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Inaugural Address

Hey, Check This Out!

Here is a good trailer from before the premier of Fringe’s first season.

Hey, don't forget to follow me on Twitter at UGABugKiller. Thanks!

Philly- Cincy Swap, More of the Same on Kolb

On Saturday the Eagles signed Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rashad Jeanty to a one-year deal. Though Jeanty sat out the 2010 season, this rehab could be what he needed to get back to full strength. Jeanty reportedly chose the Eagles because he felt Philly offers him the best chance of winning. That's not too shabby of an endorsement, coming from someone offered a spot on the red-hot Jets (I'll ignore that the Dolphins were even mentioned).


In a bit of a swap, Eagles quarterbacks coach Jim Urban was recruited by Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on Monday. Some have seen this as a sign that Cincinnati is a possible destination for Kevin Kolb, but it could also just be Marvin Lewis ensuring that he has a competent replacement if Jay Gruden doesn't work out.

Meanwhile, Eagles offensive tackle Winston Justice had minor knee surgery after it was determined that the more major surgery he was expecting was not needed.

In Kevin Kolb news, there has been a lot of talk that the Eagles will want several first round picks or a first round pick plus heavy extras for the quarterback. This is to be expected until the Eagles announce the status of the backup QB, but that is likely a long way off. Kolb has made it explicitly clear that he wants to be traded if he will not start in 2011 (something the franchise-tagging of Mike Vick all but precluded), but some think that Reid may be holding Kolb in reserve in case Vick gets injured during the season. I feel that this is an unnecessary move, if true. I agree with holding out for the best price for Kolb, however he is not necessary for the Eagles' success in 2011. With good trades, free agent signings and draft picks (some of the more likely ones I will showcase in the coming weeks), the Eagles could solidify their offensive line, and offer Vick the protection he got in the beginning of last season throughout 2011. Considering his first injury of 2010, while running for a touchdown, the idea that a good O-line would prevent a QB like Vick from getting hurt is foolish.

That being said, I think that the Eagles should spend the offseason developing Mike Kafka as a solid backup. After seeing his limited playing time in the 2010 preseason, I like him and his potential. I think the best thing to do is have Kolb work with Kafka, get him up to the level where he would be ready to step in, should Vick get injured, then get top-dollar for Kolb. This would have been far easier under the guidance of Jim Urban, a key to Vick's comeback and Philly's solid QB position as of late, but Urban's departure does not make the task impossible, just less convenient. Reid needs to begin developing Kafka now, before the imminent lockout occurs to give him direction to continue training independent of the team during the duration of the lockout. Until March 4th, everything from Mike Kafka to Nnamdi Asmougha to even the already-done franchising of Vick is very fluid and cannot be put into stone. Let's hope the mediation goes well, and try to keep Jerry Richardson as far away as possible.

Follow on Twitter: @asprice18

It Was What It Was: The End of the John Fox Era

For my first contribution to this blog, I figured I'd come up with a brief review of the Panthers season, and from there design a road map for where I'd like to see them go in the immediate future.  However, so much changed from '09 to '10, and so much more has changed since the end of the season, that this could be more difficult than it seems.  I'll give it a shot.

As a diehard Panthers fan, I must admit I was more optimistic than most that we could contend for a playoff spot in 2010.  The running game was expected to be stout once again, and the defense looked talented and had always played well under then-coach John Fox.  The x-factor was quarterback Matt Moore, who was handed the keys after playing superbly in relief duty at the tail end of the previous season.  Moore would need to prove 2009 was not a fluke.

Well, 2009 was a fluke.  With more time to game-plan for him, opposing defenses quickly capitalized on Moore's tendencies to lock onto Steve Smith and spend too much time holding on to the football instead of throwing it away (or, you know, to a Panthers receiver).  Fox foolishly benched Moore after two games in favor of rookie Jimmy Clausen, who quickly proved that he was nowhere near ready to play.  An inability to produce anything remotely resembling a passing game effectively killed the running game, and it quickly became apparent that the Panthers were, well, not good.

Yeah, this about sums it up.

No amount of horrible, canned cliches from Fox could save this season, although it's worth mentioning that the players admirably continued to work their butts off for him.  I think that speaks volumes for the coach, especially since everyone knew halfway through the season that this would be the end of his reign here.  The Panthers finished 2-14 and may have been 0-16 if they hadn't played the woeful NFC West, with the wins coming against Arizona and San Francisco, and the team publicly announced that Fox's contract would not be renewed.

Then, on Sunday, December 26, something happened: the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos both won in dramatic fashion, ensuring the Panthers the number one pick in this April's draft.  Hope was renewed.  A superstar named Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback, had been hyped as the surest prospect at the position since Peyton Manning.  I immediately developed a ridiculous man crush on Luck, and the rest of the city seemed to follow suit.

Luck, however, decided to stay in school.  The qualities that made the kid so desirable are the same qualities that made him want to fulfill his commitment to get a degree from Stanford.  The Panthers still have the number one pick, of course, and what they now do with it at least makes for more of an interesting - if not depressing - argument amongst fans.  The franchise also had an entire coaching staff to replace, and has since moved on that task impressively.  Look for an analysis of those decisions, as well as possible moves in the draft, in future postings.

5 Links From The NFL

The Green Bay Packers Veterans are focused on their opportunity to not only get to, but win the Super Bowl.

The Bears on the other hand have a running back named Matt Forte, and he wants to be a key role in the game against the Packers.

The Steelers players have a message for the fans: "Be LOUD"

The Jets are practicing and practicing hard. Clearly they want to win by the effort and attitude they are putting forth.

Bengals and Coach Marvin Lewis hosted ex-Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress, and discuss defensive strategies and were seen eating at an up-scale restaurant called Jeff Ruby's.