Thursday, April 29, 2010

Philly Sports 101

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 05:52 PM PDT

I am starting a new segment called daily roundup, in which I comment on some of the major sports topics of the day.

Kolb Gets Extension: Kevin Kolb, the Eagles starting quarterback has received a contract extension. Kolb was only under contract for the upcoming season. This deal guarantees Kolb with be with the 'Birds for at least two years. The Eagles hope he'll be their starting QB for much longer than that though.

The deal is worth $12.26 million of guaranteed dough over the next two seasons. That's a lot of money for a guy that hasn't started more the two NFL games. It is evident the Eagles are very confident in Kolb. This deal basically means Kolb will get two years to prove himself in Philly.

Kolb: "I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong, I'm trying to prove this organization right for making this move. I know there are a lot of expectations. When you get an extension and you get the starting quarterback position, regardless of where you're at, there's a lot of pressure and responsibility."

Lidge Off DL: Phillies closer Brad Lidge was activated off the disabled list today. The Phillies will send down lefty Antonio Bastardo down to make room for Lidge. Hopefully, Brad can help sure up a shaky bullpen by shutting teams down in the 9th, something Ryan Madson couldn't do.

Antonio Bastard didn't get a lot of outings, but when he did pitch, he pitched well. Bastardo was the only option for the Phils because all of their other relievers could have been exposed to other teams had they been sent down.

Charlie Manuel (on whether Lidge will close right away): "I don't know. We'll have to see where we're at with that. I'll just play it by feel. I'll talk to him first and see where he's at and how he feels."

Sixers Still Looking: Rumors have been swirling all week about who will land the Sixers coaching job for next season. While Larry Brown has been talked about, other candidates are also being contacted by the Sixers. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Sixers have contacted Avery Johnson and the agent for former Sixer Doug Collins. They have also pursued some high-ranked assistant coaches and talked internally about Jeff Van Gundy.

The Sixers have so far denied all Larry Brown rumors. I think Larry would be the best fit for the job. His family lives in the area. Brown has turned around teams before and that's what the Sixers need, a turnaround. They should also make Brown the president of basketball operations.

Flyers-Bruins Preview

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 02:52 PM PDT

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekilby/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Flyers second round opponent was determined last night when the Montreal Canadians closed out the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of their first round series. The Flyers will get the Boston Bruins. The Flyers have to be happy they don't have to face Washington's high-powered offense. Still, they shouldn't overlook the Bruins.

The Flyers were 2-2 against the Bostonians during the season, including a 2-1 loss in the Winter Classic game at Fenway park. I think this will be a pretty even-matched series. Both team's starting goalies were not starters to open the season. The Flyers have a hot Brian Boucher and the Bruins have a young goalie starting in front of Tim Thomas, Tukka Rask.

The Bruins are not a high-scoring team, but their defense is one of the best. The Bruins have killed 19 of 19 penalties in the first round. The Flyers will have a tough time scoring against Boston, especially with Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne out. They will need Claude Giroux (above, during the Winter Classic) to step up like he did in round one. They will also need Chris Pronger to have another big series.

Overall, this is my prediction. I'm going to say that the Flyers win in six games and advance to the Eastern Conference finals. This team really played well against the Devils and I think that will carry over even with the loss of Ian Laperriere, Jeff Carter, and Simon Gagne.

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