Jody Mac's Sports Attack - December 17, 2012

[Jody Mac]

The "Attack" usually comes your way shortly after each Eagle game played. Four days after, the Eagles latest effort still stinks like Limburger cheese! A turnover parade, no needed stops out of the defense before the game became a blowout and Nick Foles taking a step backward. At least those die-hards who went down to the Linc were able to get home at a reasonable hour when the Bengals blew it open early in the fourth quarter.

The negatives once again outweigh the positives by plenty. The only real “silver lining" to be gleaned from the Bengals beat down is for those who continue to count down the games and days to the end of the Andy Reid era. After last weeks come-from-behind Nick Foles lead win over the Bucs, the Reid stalwarts were attempting to spin a tale where Nick Foles blossoming could save the head coaches bacon. A regression game out of Foles put a halt to that theory. After averaging 9.4 and 7.0 yards per carry in his first two career starts, Bryce Brown has been held to just 0.5 and 2.1 per carry in his last two games. Hey it was nice for Trent Cole to join the party in week 15. Don't know if it was because they were playing his former hometown team but he's never going to make another Pro Bowl if that is the case because the Birds don't play the Bengals again for another four years.

Even being mired in last place in the NFC East, tied for the third worst record in all of football, the Birds can have a big say in who wins the division they will be bringing up the rear in. The Giants, Skins and Cowboys are now all tied at 8-6 atop the East. Washington comes to Philly this Sunday and the Eagles go up the turnpike to finish the year against the Giants. They have serious spoiler potential. Will they roll over and look for the quickest way out of town during these last two weeks or can they find some motivation to come to play against teams desperate for wins??

The Sixers have lost three straight, four of their last five and six of their last eight. Their high water mark of 10-6 is now a thing of the past. They have fallen back to .500 at 12-12. The last two losses, to the Pacers and Lakers, came with no Jrue Holiday in the lineup. To say they missed their best player would be a gross understatement. They need both his ability to break down a defense and put points on the board. Evan Turner is being forced into point guard duties which are not his strong suit. On top of that the Sixers miss Holiday's defense, an underrated aspect of his game. Darius Morris and Chris Duhon of LA and George Hill of the Pacers all of a sudden are Chris Paul-like vs. the Sixers. Not good.

If their recent struggles haven't been tough enough, the schedule over the next three weeks is a killer. Ten of their next eleven games are on the road. Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis, three of the four top teams out west are stops on the upcoming sojourn. Meanwhile, there is no new news on Andrew Bynum. He talked to the LA media and decided to put himself in Dwight Howard's class as one of the top two centers in the league. It would be nice if the fans here in Philly who are helping to pay his 16 million dollar salary got to do some judging for themselves!

Last week the Phils added two new everyday players to their lineup, in Ben Revere and Micheal Young. This week they added arms. Mike Adams a free agent bullpen addition, should be the eighth inning bridge man to closer Johnathon Papelbon. Adams has been one of the best setup men in baseball the last three years. With Texas in 2012 he wasn't as dominant in the two previous seasons. He ended the year hurt and needed surgery to correct a case of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. It entailed a removable of part of a rib. Several MLB pitchers have had the same procedure, like Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals and returned to their former form. If Adams is right, he gives the Phils the best back end stability since Ryan Madson was handing off to Brad Lidge.

The Phils also signed a potential fifth starter, inking former National lefty John Lannan. Lannan spent most of last year at triple A. He has had a modicum of success for his career. The Phils have been a nemesis for the junk balling lefty. If you are an optimist you'll say he doesn't have to face the Phillie lineup anymore. If you are a pessimist you'll note that his ERA and WHIP are severely bloated at Citizens Bank Park. At $2.5 million it isn't a big risk. But I hope if either Tyler Cloyd or Johnathon Pettibone out-pitches him in Clearwater that they earn that rotation spot, rather than have it handed to Lannan because he was a free agent signing. Not a big fan of this move but the downside might not be much.

So what is left for the Phillies. They would probably like to add one more power bat for the outfield. Nick Swisher is still on the market but I do not believe the Phillies love him as a player or his potential contract. They have been fans of Cody Ross in the past and would see him as a fit if the deal is right. By the time the Attack rolls around again, I believe we will be talking about how Ross will fit into the Phillies lineup after inking his new pinstriped deal.

The ever changing landscape of college sports took a very interesting turn this week and will have ramifications on the City Six schools. Seven Big East non-football schools announced plans to leave the conference, including Villanova, to go out on their own and start their own conference. About time basketball step up and be heard. Where this takes us we have plenty of time to figure out. Speculation is already rampant as to who else could join these renegade seven to put together a power hoops conference. My first question is, what will they call this new roundball alliance grouping? I put it to you loyal "Attackers" , see if you can come up with a name for this new hoop based group. Tweet your suggestions to me @jodymacman .

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