Philly Sports 101

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Philly Sports 101

Posted: 30 Sep 2009 07:27 PM PDT

The Philadelphia Phillies have clinched their 3rd straight National League East crown. They are now guaranteed a playoff spot and a chance to repeat as World Series Champions. The end was kind of anticlimactic because the Braves lost before the Phils game was over, so they actually clinched the NL East before the game was over. But, hey, a division title is a division title.

As I type this I am watching the celebration at Citizens Bank Park (Photo above). The players are squirting themselves all over with champagne and celebrating their brilliant season. The Phillies pounded the Astros, 10-3, on their way to the playoffs.

Raul Ibanez is the player of the game in my opinion (maybe the smartest free agent pickup this year). Ibanez had a sac fly and a 2-run homer, leading the Phils to the the win.

Brad Lidge was brought out by Charlie to get the final out of the ninth. It was a rather touching moment, as Lidge trotted out to the mound. But was this a curtain call for Lidge? A last hurrah?

So their is still more work to be done by the Phillies. We, Philadelphians, are not satisfied with just a division title. We want a repeat, if not just for us, for Harry Kalas.

This team may be even better than last year's club. Their are only two major setbacks this club has faced, and both have to do with underachieving pitchers. Cole Hamels has to get back to prime form to give the Phillies the repeat. Also, the closer situation has to be addressed and Brad Lidge isn't the answer this year.

The Phillies now have Cliff Lee, a premium pitcher in the prime of his career. They have Raul Ibanez, a streaky hitter who (when hot) can win a series almost by himself. They now have Pedro Martinez, a pitching legend who still has a lot of playoff experience. Also, the have Ben Francisco, a great bat to have off the bench and a decent player.

Let's get ready for some October baseball, Philadelphia!!!!!!

Sports World

Start Playing Poker For Free

Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:41 AM PDT

The biggest worry family and friends have about poker is that you may become addicted and lose all of your hard earned money. You can calm their fears, and your own, by learning poker from the very beginning starting with no bankroll. Because poker rooms want to attract new players they offer multiple daily freeroll tournaments to give players the chance to learn how the software works.

These freerolls often have a small prize pool of around $100 that the poker room puts up to attract players to enter. You can win up to $15 for first place, giving you a starting bankroll that has not come out of your own pocket. You can then play poker for real money without worrying about losing your own cash. Note that you will need to plan which freerolls you intend to play as when registration opens these tournaments fill up extremely fast with over 2500 participants, sometimes within one minute! Play is generally taken seriously so the fact the buy in is free this does not mean you do not get to play proper poker.

Chris "Jesus" Ferguson did a $0 to $100,000 challenge to prove you can build an empty bankroll into something much larger. There is no reason why you cannot turn $0 into much more, providing you are disciplined and always remember to follow proper bankroll management rules. The benefits to starting from scratch is you learn to beat each level from the micro stakes games upwards, practising good bankroll management as you go. This will make your future poker playing far safer and enjoyable as you will not endure the stress of knowing you are gambling with money you should be using for something else.

Off The Post

Sepp Blatter admits he is a diving cheat
Sven Goran Eriksson next to quit his Notts County post
Video: Sir Alex Ferguson urges Jonny Evans to get married… during a press conference… attended by his girlfriend

Sepp Blatter admits he is a diving cheat

Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:59 AM PDT

FIFA president gets his kicks from a bit of simulation Normally, a headline like this on OTP would be a twisted quote or a piece of cutting edge satire. Not this time. This is 100 per cent the truth. Blatter has admitted that he used to go over looking for fouls, and that he still does [...]

Sven Goran Eriksson next to quit his Notts County post

Posted: 30 Sep 2009 03:17 AM PDT

But it’s only temporary! Sven Goran Eriksson is ready to follow Sol Campbell in qutting Notts County - but only for a week. The ex-England boss is giving students who think they can do a better job than him to take up his director of football role at Notts County. His offer is part of Colleges [...]

Video: Sir Alex Ferguson urges Jonny Evans to get married… during a press conference… attended by his girlfriend

Posted: 30 Sep 2009 02:36 AM PDT

Man Yoo marriage gaffe Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson left defender Jonny Evans red-faced when he suggested it was time for the Northern Ireland international to get married. Fergie wasn’t aware that Evans’ girlfriend, Kate Wathall, was sat among the assembled journalists. Evans said: “I don’t really want to talk about that here. Especially because my [...]