Saturday, September 3, 2011

Philadelphia Phillies and the Eagles


TY to over 680,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


This Phillies season feels different than the previous four playoff years.

2007 - the thrill of finally making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
2008 - the perfect World Series year.
2009 - back-to-back fall classic appearance. It's disappointing ending underscored a transitioning team.
2010 - an uneven season that signaled a need for a renewed focus.
2011 - reshaped and recharged. Possibly the best team of this, or of any era - depending upon October's outcome.

Eagles - 


Remember when every training camp dominated the Philadelphia headlines, pushing every ounce of Phillies news aside? The days when the Phillies season unofficially ended in the minds of many sports fans as soon as the Birds players were first seen at Lehigh?

Yes, those are just memories. While football and the Eagles still have their place in this town. They only share top billing, at best.

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The always fashionable Biana DeMarco


Rising NBC star Erin Como reveals her model for success


A model's life: An interview with Kourtney Reppert




When Baseball Cards were King

Five incredible Phillies pitching performances


Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


These six NHL legends would start on any all-time team


Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stands on the goal line
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Friday, September 2, 2011

Phillies on pace to shatter all-time win total


TY to over 670,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


The Phillies are currently playing .654 baseball. If they continue that pace they should finish with 105, or 106 wins.

Either total would break the 101-win seasons that they had in 1976 and 1977. They did not get to the World Series in either of those seasons. Their lack of playoff experience hurt their championship chances back then.

There should be a key difference this time around. A number of current players still have their 2008 World Series ring. That factor should help guide their own October movements and that of their less experienced teammates.

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The always fashionable Biana DeMarco


Rising NBC star Erin Como reveals her model for success


A model's life: An interview with Kourtney Reppert




When Baseball Cards were King

Five incredible Phillies pitching performances


Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


These six NHL legends would start on any all-time team


Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stands on the goal line
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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Phillies - Ryan Howard - Cliff Lee and History


TY to over 660,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


What times we are living in my fellow baseball friends...


Ryan Howard has produced his sixth consecutive 30 homer, 100 RBI season.

Cliff Lee joined Bob Gibson and Walter Johnson as only the third pitcher to ever have two months, in the same season, with 5 wins and an ERA of below 1.00.

The Phillies had 19 shutouts and a staff ERA of 3.04 through August 31.

The potentially greatest season in Phillies history rolls on.

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The always fashionable Biana DeMarco


Rising NBC star Erin Como reveals her model for success


A model's life: An interview with Kourtney Reppert




When Baseball Cards were King

Five incredible Phillies pitching performances


Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


These six NHL legends would start on any all-time team


Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stands on the goal line
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The greatest era in Phillies history continues


TY to over 660,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


Halladay's effort against the Reds was awesome. Beyond his mound performance, he also knocked in 3 runs. Wow!

Tonight, Lee climbs the hill. Cliff's open desire to return to Philly reveals just how much things have changed in the City of Brotherly Love over the years.

This is the greatest era in Phillies history. Another World Series championship will secure that fact.

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The always fashionable Biana DeMarco


Rising NBC star Erin Como reveals her model for success


A model's life: An interview with Kourtney Reppert




When Baseball Cards were King



Five incredible Phillies pitching performances


Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


These six NHL legends would start on any all-time team


Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stands on the goal line
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Phillies - Hamels, Halladay and Lee


TY to over 650,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - Cole Hamels looked sharp last night against the Reds. The thought of Cole, Doc and Cliff motoring down the fall highway is tantalizing.

Never in Phillies history has the team had three starters, who are among the best in their profession, all perform so well at the same time.

If Roy Oswalt can regain his form, the team will win in the neighborhood of 105 games.

All of this does not even count the emergence of Vance Worley.

What an era to live in Phillies fans - what an era indeed!

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The always fashionable Biana DeMarco


Rising NBC star Erin Como reveals her model for success


A model's life: An interview with Kourtney Reppert




When Baseball Cards were King


Five incredible Phillies pitching performances


Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


These six NHL legends would start on any all-time team


Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stands on the goal line
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Monday, August 29, 2011

Philadelphia Phillies - Cole Hamels - Jamie Moyer


TY to over 650,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, Interview and News articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - The team gets back to action against the Reds tonight.

Cole Hamels needs to prove that he is healthy. He is having the best season of his career and will be critical in October.

Another old friend, Jamie Moyer, has begun rehabbing in Florida. The Phillies are allowing him to do so at their facilities in Clearwater.

Might he be given a spring training invite? Hard to say, but it would be great to see him return to the majors next season when he would be 49-years-old.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Keith Primeau was one of the great captains in Philadelphia Flyers history


TY to over 650,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports, News and Interview articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


(The following was Originally published on Yahoo Sports platform on 8/26/11.)


Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau had grit, gusto and was a true playoff performer.

Like Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, he was also a victim of concussions. Hopefully one of the games currently great players won't have his career affected like Primeau's was.

Before head shots took their toll on his body, this behemoth was one of the best red light players in the game.

Spring 2000

A contract dispute allowed the Flyers to acquire Primeau from the Carolina Hurricanes for Rod Brind'Amour in January 2000.

He had eleven assists and only two goals in the playoffs that spring. However, one of those goals happened during one of hockey's all-time classic contests.

Primeau's game-winner in the fifth overtime period enabled the Flyers to tie their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series with the Penguins. The eight period game was one of the longest in National Hockey League history.

The 28-year-old former Hartford Whaler and Detroit Red Wing returned to produced a 34 goal, 39 assist season in 2000-2001.

Domination

The 6 foot 5 inch, 220 pounder had 9 goals in 110 playoff games before the 2003-04 season.

Primeau played as though he was possessed during the 2004 playoffs. The nine goals and seven assists he produced in those eighteen games hardly define how the rink tipped towards him every time his skates touched the ice.

Primeau's two goals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, caused a stronger release of Flyers' fan energy than at any point since Game 6 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

Bilocation

With less than two minutes remaining in the 2004 playoff game, the Flyers captain seemed to bilocate.

First, he passed the puck with his skate to himself through the crease from Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's right side. Then, he went behind the net, reappeared at his left side and knotted the game at four goals each when he tapped the puck in with his stick.

The crowd reaction resembled a volcanic eruption of orange and black blood throughout the cratered arena.

He and Jeremy Roenick both touched a puck that eventually went to Simon Gagne. He scored an overtime goal which took that series to a seventh game in Tampa Bay.

Ice Rushmore

Flyers captain's Bobby Clarke, Dave Poulin and Keith Primeau all have their busts permanently carved into a sculpture that sits in South Philadelphia's Ice Rushmore.

A likeness of the captain who will hoist their third Stanley Cup will eventually join them.

I became a Flyers fan during the mid-1970s and consider street hockey to be the winter version of wiffle ball. Follow me on Twitter @ SeanyOB

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Will the Braves catch the Phillies?


TY to over 630,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - A day off for the Phils and then 20 in a row. It will be interesting to see how close the Atlanta Braves come to the Phillies, or if they can actually catch them.

Having a sharp team like the Braves nipping at their heels, should keep the Phillies focused. If they had a double-digit lead, it is possible that they would be lulled to sleep before the real games start in October.

Will the Braves catch the Phillies? We should have a good idea after these next 20 games.


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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Phillies - Worley and Daytime Baseball


TY to over 630,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


Vance Worley is one of those ballplayers that just makes you enjoy the game. He looks goofy, pitches with determination and is winner. An everyman who has made it big.

Daytime baseball in the summertime is like a snowfall on Christmas.  Is there anything better?

Love the Division Series playoff games that also begin in the afternoons. The Phillies and their fans will experience that in early October again this season.


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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Phillies - Vance Worley and Cliff Lee's NL Cy Young Push


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Phillies - Vance Worley's efforts have been a welcomed surprise in Philadelphia this year. Imagine what every other team in baseball must be thinking as they see the pitching-rich Phillies come up with yet another good arm.


Cliff Lee continues to improve his chances at winning the NL Cy Young award. Coming from well behind the pack, he has reached the final quarter of the race and is gaining on his opponents as he heads for home. If he can somehow get to 20 wins, he may beat Halladay and/or the Dodger's Kershaw in a photo finish.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Monday, August 22, 2011

Phillies, Mets and Cliff Lee


TY to over 620,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 


Philadelphia needs to keep their foot on the pedal and bury teams. Don't let the Braves get too close.

The great about having a solid team like Atlanta right behind you is that you can't (or shouldn't) lose focus down the stretch run.

Cliff Lee still has an outside shot at the Cy Young award. If he wins his next 2-3 starts in a row, look out for quite a battle between he, Halladay, and a few other NL contenders in September.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Thome to return to Phillies? & Roy Halladay's Sunday Showdown

TY to over 620,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - The Phillies have released recently signed left-handed slugger Jack Cust from his contract at Lehigh Valley. This means that the team's need for power lefty bat will have to come from elsewhere.

While former Phillie Jim Thome would have to clear through every other team in the waiver process, he can also opt to reject any team that claims him. So, it is possible that the Phillies could obtain him.

The classy slugger still had juice left in his tank. While he has not good off the bench in his career, the prospect of reuniting with Charlie Manuel and wearing pinstripes once again would certainly play into any potential results he could generate.

Do they want to? Will  it happen? That's one of the things that baseball late in the season is all about. Stay tuned.

Roy Halladay met the Nationals for a Sunday showdown.

The best pitcher since Steve Carlton has a chance to enter the Hall of Fame. In order to make it, he will need to stay healthy and productive for five years, or more.

That length of production should yield close to 100 more wins and a few more Cy Young awards.

A World Series championship, or two (or three) would help his cause as well.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Phillies Roy Oswalt happily back on track - Werth still grim in Washington


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Phillies - Roy Oswalt looked totally back to his old self in blanking the Washington Nationals 5-0.

If he remains healthy the Phillies should roll through the playoffs and into the World Series. From there, the specific American League matchup would determine whether they can win their third-ever championship.

Jayson Werth - did you really have to take that money? The fans that said he did might be the same people who took a job they came to hate and rationalize decisions they see as similar to their own.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Friday, August 19, 2011

Phillies - Jim Thome reunion still possible?


TY to over 620,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - Great Philadelphia beat writer Paul Hagen speculated that it still might be possible for Jim Thome to return to the Phillies.

Like many people, I had also wondered if Gentleman Jim might be headed back to South Philadelphia this season in my Yahoo Sports column in early August.

How amazing it would be for him to wear those red pinstripes once more.

He can still smack the long ball and this could very well be his last year in baseball.

If the gods of baseball are smiling on the fans of Philly this year, Thome will run onto the field as the team wins its third-ever championship this October.

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Jim Thome's place among the top left-handed sluggers of all-time


Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


When Baseball Cards were King


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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Two 2011 Philadelphia Phillies factors that will translate into immortality

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Phillies - They took two out of three from an excellent Diamondbacks team. Arizona knows that they could very well have been swept.

It is fair to say that the Phillies are playing the best baseball that it ever has during the Charlie Manuel era.
Whether, it becomes the best of all-time will be determined by two factors:

1. As long as they get to 102 wins, this will have been the best regular season in club history.
2. If they win the World Series, it will make their season the best one of all time. But, it will also turn this era into the best one in franchise history.

These are truly amazing times to be a fan of the red pinstripes.

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Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Phillies, Cliff Lee and some NBA thoughts

TY to over 620,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html


Phillies - 

Nice comeback win for the Phils. Important to not let the Diamondbacks get the upper hand in this series.

Cliff Lee improved his longshot odds to win the NL Cy Young with another solid effort. He has been locked for the past number of weeks, but has been inconsistent this season.


NBA - 


Is the League really not going to open the season in North America? While various players may play in China and elsewhere, the novelty of that traveling show would have to wear off rather quickly for the fans back home. The inability to attend games would make TV viewing from the far East a drag.

Hopefully, both sides settle this somehow.

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Should Lakers Kobe Bryant take a slow boat to China?


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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Phillies player health news - Hamels and Polanco


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Phillies - 


Placido Polanco is not expected to have surgery for a sports hernia, according to GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. These types of injuries don't seem to go away. So, it will be interesting to see how effective Polanco is for the remainder of the season and if he can hold up.

Cole Hamels  will miss his next start start due to a slightly strained shoulder. Hopefully this is not serious, as the team needs him fully healthy if it hopes to win the World Series.



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Monday, August 15, 2011

What will Jim Thome's place in baseball history be?


TY to over 600,000 readers of my Yahoo Sports articles since 2/1/11. http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/977720/sean_obrien.html

Jim Thome - This post is devoted to gentleman Jim Thome.

As a Phillies fan, I was thrilled when the team inked him to a big deal before the start of the 2003 season. It was electrifying to know that the watershed signing meant so much more than the addition of a great slugger.
It was the dawning of a new Phillies age that has come to be.

Thome's importance in that transitional time was meant to help close out the Vet and pave the path to Citizens Bank Park.

I remember the game Harry the K called his 400th home run with zestful excitement.

I also remember that the emergence of Ryan Howard meant that Thome had to be dealt. Pat Gillick's decision to do so after the 2005 season, also helped to move the franchise forward.

On the occasion of  your 600th home run, we the members of baseball nation salute you Jim. You are a class act. The Hall of Fame will be graced by your future presence.


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