Stuff On My Mind, Vol. III

Amidst all the excitement of last year's Stanley Cup series, it was clear that Chicago was a talented and highly developed team.  The Flyers were a bunch of roughnecks, eking out ugly wins throughout the whole season and most notably the post season (see: entire Boston series).  Philadelphia played a style of hockey last season that was contrary to everything this blog believes in.  If you aren't going to win it all, at least look good while you fail.  But I digress.  Chicago had crisp passes, executed plays perfectly, and played at an all around higher skill level.  Fast forward to one year later and it seems as if the Stanley Cup loss was not in vain.  Whether it was a new approach by Coach Laviolette to get his guys playing better, or the players themselves seeing how it was that Chicago made them look inferior, the Flyers are playing with a flair that they have never been known for before now.  Heck, they are lovingly called the "Broad Street Bullies" in homage to the brutal teams of Flyers past.

Leading the league in team scoring is as much an indictment on the conference and divisional opponents as it is an example of the Flyers' top tier offense.  Granted, many times a year they get to face the Devils and the Islanders, but they are truly a gifted team.  Four of the top ten points leaders in the Eastern Conference are Flyers; Giroux(47), Carter(44), Richards(47) and Briere(45).  Those numbers aren't the flashy 68 that points leader Steven Stamkos currently has, but it shows a balanced team.  Pronger has spent a little time on the injured list, but Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle have been solid on defense, helping rookie Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and career journeyman Brian Boucher keep the Flyers in the better defense half of the league.

The combination of the pure will to win that this squad had last year and the new found technical abilities, the Flyers are poised for a repeat trip to the Stanley Cup.  Vancouver looks to be the favorite from the Western Conference, a team that beat the Flyers in December 6-2 and is tied with them at the top of the team scoring list.  Lavvy's team is 5-4-3 against the West this year, and it looks like the only East team that will pose a problem is the instate rival Penguins.  This team is built for a second trip to the Cup, and has the skill and will to win it this time around.  Also, Rick DiPietro got knocked the F**K out.

Let's see what else is floating around in the deep, empty crevices of my brain.

1.  Andy Reid has officially lost control.  The state of the Eagles under Joe Banner's watch is quickly deteriorating.  Reid has moved Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo to Defensive Coordinator.  It's a great move, especially with Castillo's extensive DC experience at Kingsville High School in '86 - '89.  It's a move that shows desperation, and Reid's lack of trust with an outside point of view.  Maybe they have a ace up the sleeve, but right now it looks like there is no plan of action heading into next year.  Yahoo reported that maybe the Eagles would consider a Tampa 2 defense with DC Monte Kiffin in the college ranks.  I understand that college head coaches don't last after making the transition to the NFL, but could it possibly be the same for coordinators?  Head coaches manage players, coordinators call plays.  Banner and Reid need too at least dabble in the NCAA to look for candidates before they play desperation off as inspiration.

2.  The NFL Pro Bowl is officially the most meaningless sporting event in history.  There is not one ounce of competitive spirit or effort put into the game.  It has zero affect on the season, unlike baseball.  There is nothing spectacular that the players can do out of the ordinary, unlike basketball.  They don't even add an interesting twist by picking captains and selecting teams like gym-class dodgeball, like hockey this year.  Half of the players don't want to play, and the other half don't even show up.  Here's my unoriginal solution: a skills competition.  It would automatically boost viewer-ship and encourage players to show up.  The worst part about the pointless game is that it was scheduled the week before the, the midpoint of a gap between two important games that is already too long.  The current format is not working and until it changes, I will continue my Superbowl streak of not knowing what a Pro Bowl looks like.

3.  I'm surprisingly excited about the talent pool in college basketball this year.  There are no John Walls or Derrick Roses or Kevin Durants, but there is a deep lineup of players that could join an NBA team and contribute in a meaningful way.  It's encouraging for an overachieving Sixers team, that could play its way out of a lottery pick, that there may still be worthwhile picks at the 10-20 slots.  Some of my favorites:
Kenneth Faried (Morehead St.) - Rebounds like Reggie Evans, but can actually score.
Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota) - High percentage shooter/rebounder.  Arrest really not as bad as it seems.
Perry Jones (Baylor) - Tall freshman with a lot of potential to be a paint presence.
Jordan Hamilton (Texas) - Purely a pipe dream on this one, but would be nice if we could land him.
Derrick Williams (Arizona) - Ditto

Until next time!