Topics: Hockey, Football, Baseball, Hockey, Stadium funding
Sports Opinion by Tater
Four score and ... well not that long ago I wrote a rant posted almost monthly. Then I stopped. But now I'm back and will never let you go. Mangled phrases, from your favorite Tater.
Where to start. Football. Eagles are going strong 5 and 3 at the midway point. McNabb cruisin', the Defense bruisin', Reid showing that he does have an idea as to how to coach, the front office showing that they do know how to select talent, unlike what Mr Rhodes said. The team is doing great, even without the Double Deuce, aka Duce Staley. A brief list of the defenses kills, Troy Aikman (concussion), Randall Cunningham (thumb), Cade McNown (seperated shoulder), Frank Sanders (back), Irving Fryar (stunner). There are probably more but that is all that I recall. The offense cost us two games, the defense one, and the special teams none. Which is a major improvement over 1998 when I last wrote, where the Special teams meant handicapped. If they put a TD up against Green Bay a win, if they didn't throw that pick against Washington... God knows what. If the D stood up against New York maybe it could have been a positive experience, if not a win. We could be 7 and 1 if the "ifs" didn't exist. I am still going with my preseason prediction of 9 wins and 7 losses.
Baseball. I don't like the subway series for the fact that I have no one to root for. I hate New York. I will root for the Mets cause I hate the Yanks more. Before I move on I just have to say one thing about Mr Clemens in game 2. The bat broke and pieces flew everywhere. Why the HELL did you throw at Piazza???? A friend of mine said he is rooting for the Yanks because he likes Torres' class. To bad none of it rubbed off on the Rocket. I hate the DH rule. I wonder how brave the Rocket would be if he had to step into the batters box and face a pissed off pitcher controlled by a pissed off Piazza. Thank God Piazza is a mellow fellow, if he was as intense as Clemens the benching clearing meeting would have been a brawl that would have overshadowed the Series. The other thing I hate is the body armor players where to the plate now adays. Everybody can hit .400 if they had as much armor as the guys wear. You would never have to fear an inside pitch, there by taking away one of the last advantages of the pitcher. If I were a pitcher with a 95 mph fastball, the first s.o.b. that wore that armor to the plate against me would receive a ball up his ass (no padding but natures there). The second would see one up close and personal. I would be ejected before a third got to the plate. There is talk of a rule change outlawing armor for all but medical reasons. Maybe what they should do is make a rule that when an armor wearing player gets hit by a pitch it is only a ball not a free base. Then we might see the funniest intentional walk of all time. Ball one in the shin guard, ball two wrist pad, ball three elbow pad, ball four thigh pad take your base. I wonder what would happen if an armor wearer charged the mound. I also think that armor wearers should have to run the bases in all their armor. No get to the base and take off the shin guard, thigh pad, wrist guard, elbow pad, shoulder guard, hip pad, mask, heavy helmet, Gloves, chain mail, and steel plating 9not just in their heads) You wear it to the plate you wear it on base. I bet Mr Biggio and others would drop the armor real fast then especially in mid July in say Florida with high humidity. They would be dehydrated before reaching second. HEHE!
Hockey. My Fly Guys are looking kinda shabby right now. But I trust the they will turn it around. I feel that without Lindros we are a BETTER team. Yes, he did make major contributions to the team during his tenure. But last year he hurt the team more than he helped it, especially in the playoffs. I think they could have knocked off New Jersey in Game 5 if the team didn't spend the game watching the return of 88. After the hit in game 7 that Mr. Stevens delivered should be a sign to Lindros, quit while you still have your head. Don't be another Steve Young. Young says he retired because he wanted to. Truth is he retired because no one wanted to take a risk at signing him. The reason Eric is sitting where he is right now, no one wants to give the Flyers anything of value to get him. The Flyers are listening to trade offers, but someone of Erics ability, no matter how broken down he is, is worth more than a conditional fourth round draft pick. Eric is a former MVP, a point plus per game player, who is a playmaker and injury prone. The Flyers want player/s for him. Not a conditional long shot. They are not asking for a Jagr or a Kariya, they are asking for a sixth defenseman, a fourth line player or even a minor leaguer with at least one positive. I don't know what the percentage of draft picks are that fail but I believe it is very big percentage. If a teams draft ten kids, only two are might make the NHL with that team, and two more are might make the NHL with another team, even with expansion.
Stadiums. Pittsburgh 2 Philadelphia 0 Both the Steelers and pirates have new
stadiums under construction. The Piratse are almost done and will be ready for opening day 2001. The Steelers are
about a year behind that, looking to open for the 2002 football season, if not sooner. Three Rivers Stadium could
be destroyed before 2003. Philadelphia is still trying to figure out how to fund the ballparks. The Eagles are
getting impatient and the Phillies seemed to have found a ball of string to amuse themselves with. The Eagles practice
facility is running slightly behind schedule and can be open by December but the team has decided to not move into
it until after this season... If they stay in Philly. The Eagles have a plan and have their financing and the state's
financing together. The City has found the ball of string the Phillies are playing with and have joined them. The
Eagles demand an answer and are told to call back later. They set a deadline the City ignores it, they hold a press
conference that Mayor Street interupts to say that he is focusing his attention on the issue and the Novemebr 30
deadline is the big one. But the deadline is still a couple of monthes away. He said this in October. Deadline
1.5 monthes away, 6 weeks. He drags his feet, says I am looking into it, then disappears. Only to reappear with
a goal in one hand and no plan in the other. We will give both teams stadiums the Eagles according to their plan
and the Phillies according to this one. The Phillies response "that will only work in a perfect world",
as they play with their string. The Eagles say hurry up. Deadline day November 30. Get the deal done or spend $100
MILLION to fix the Vet and buy a practice facility for an additional $30 MILLION. 130 Million Dollars buy November
30th. or $85 million for the Eagles immediately and $85 Million plus for the Phillies at an undetermined date,
presumed to be much later. Actually the Eagles are asking for less than $85 million. All they want the city to
do is buy a wharehouse and demolish it. Asking price for the wharehouse $56 million, demolition $1 million (probaly
high, includes debris removal)and rezoning to stadium use for the land a simple change, passing of a bill at a
city council meeting. Interest prices have no where to go but up. Which would spell doom for not just one but two
stadiums, and the "refurbishing" of the "ashtray" in South Philly. Go Street Go!
D.A. Tater
The NBA is going to start another season, and still no one cares.
