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LSU Tiger Coach Les Miles better beat North Carolina Saturday.

There's been a lot of discussion of the state of the North Carolina football team going into Saturday's game with LSU. First came agent gate followed by tutor gate leading to weeks of speculation about which North Carolina players would be eligible to play against LSU. As I wrote this article reports were coming in by the minute which players were in and out.

I "think" it's finally settled. There are 13 Tar Heels out for the game. A team short on offensive playmaking ability is without their best WR Greg Little, their top two running backs Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. We haven't even got to a defense that is now without stars Marvin Austin, Kendric Burney, and Robert Quinn. You can find the full list of suspended players at ESPN.com.

Most of us that have been following this story knew this was a possibility. UNC coach Butch Davis realized this could happen and had several of the at risk players on the scout team, but you can't prepare for something like this. You just go with what you got and hope for the best. The UNC team playing has nothing to lose so the pressure is really on Les Miles and his LSU team.

For a guy that won the national title in 2007 and has a career 51-15 record at LSU. Miles is not well liked in Baton Rouge. He always seems to be one loss away from being on the major hot seat.

Nothing good can be taken from a loss to UNC. The SEC is 2-0 against the ACC in the Chick Fila Kickoff class. A loss to an ACC team is strike one. SEC fans don't deal with losing to ACC teams very well.

The LSU offense was terrible last year. It ranked 112th in the NCAA. If the Tiger offense can't muster enough offense to beat a depleted UNC defense, then you've got real problems on that side of the ball. That's strike two.

The UNC offense as we've said lost most of it's playmaking ability and wasn't very good to begin with. If they even score 20 points, then that's a bad sign for the supposed strength of the LSU team, and strike three your probably out Les Miles.

It's a mess in Chapel Hill, but Les Miles may not want to go back to Baton Rouge if the Tigers find a way to blow this one.

College Football Preview: Sunbelt

The Sunbelt Conference is a tough one to really make a pick on, not because it is a great conference or it is really tough top to bottom. It is tough to pick this conference because it is relatively unknown, unless you just happen to live near one of the schools. There is no real dominant team and any team could win the conference if they got hot at the right time. This is a wide open race to a New Orleans Bowl birth, and with that said, I have this Conference ending up like this.

Middle Tennessee
Arkansas State
Troy
North Texas
Western Kentucky
Louisiana Lafayette
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Monroe
Florida International

NHL Amends CBA to Avoid Further Embarassment

According to TSN, the NHL will approve the revised contract between free agent superstar Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils. The original (and unprecedented) 17-year contract that the league rejected is now a 15-year deal worth $100 million. Ironically, Kovy will have a $6.66 million cap hit. The league has been scrambling in the [...]

College Football Preview: SEC

The SEC has been the most dominant conference in all of College football for the last few years, While winning the last three national championships and just having the best all around product of any conference in college football. This year, should be another strong year for the SEC, it isn't so clear that there will be a handful of title contenders coming out of the conference. If anything there is probably one team who has a shot to contend and that will be the reigning champion.

East:

Florida
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Kentucky
Vanderbilt

West:

Alabama
LSU
Auburn
Arkansas
Mississippi State
Mississippi

And everyone gets a rematch from last year with Florida and Alabama playing for it all, but here is where the similarities end. Alabama will probably win this game pretty handedly and punch their ticket back to the National Title game. At that point, depending on who they play, it will probably be a heavily favored Alabama team.

Does Reggie Wells Trade Affect Stacy Andrews?

At worst, Wells adds great depth along the line.

As the Eagles were hard at work today deciding who would be the first 10 players to get the axe, they were also in the middle of swinging a trade for Arizona Cardinals left guard Reggie Wells.

A sixth-round pick for a guy who hasn't missed a game in four years seems like a no-brainer, but what are the rippling effects of the move? Clearly the fanbase seems very unhappy with Stacy Andrews at right guard, and the Eagles organization doesn't appear thrilled with him either.

It's not so much that's he been bad, but he's certainly not living up to his paycheck. I'm one of the few people defending him, but even I can't say with a straight face that's he been worth the money he's making to this point.

But, if we back up for a second, you'll see that I said Wells is a left guard. That's what he's always played during his seven-year NFL career, so it seems unlikely they'd move him to the right side and part ways with Andrews.

Andy Reid loves versatile linemen, but if Wells has the versatility necessary, he hasn't been asked to show it too often.

He has played some right tackle for the Cardinals, but probably not enough to breed any confidence that he could step in, build a rapport with the other guys along the line, and perform any better than Andrews could at guard.

Instead, this looks like an indictment of Max Jean-Gilles. He has done everything he can this offseason to get in shape, including undergoing lap-band surgery, but he's been inconsistent during the preseason and still doesn't show that he truly grasps the blocking scheme.

There were a few times he would get caught up combo-blocking with whomever happened to be playing center at the time, only to stand there and watch as a linebacker came flying past him and untouched into the backfield.

Jean-Gilles was a guy who got caught as a restricted free agent under the rules of an uncapped season, so it wasn't surprising to see the Eagles bring him back. Had he hit free agency, it's likely he wouldn't even have been on their radar.

There is definitely a chance Wells could have been brought in to take over Andrews' spot, but only if the Eagles are confident they've found a trade partner for Andrews. They owe him $5 million this season if he's on the team or cut, so it would at least make sense to keep him for some depth at the very least should they not be able to move him via trade.

Finding a team to take Andrews and his lofty contract would certainly be difficult, but his versatility to play right guard or tackle could be attracting enough for a bad team to take a leap and hope he can get back to the level of football he was playing in Cincinnati.

Eagles trim down roster, trade for a guard

The Philadelphia Eagles are like everyone else in the NFL and have to get down to the 53-man roster limit. The made some moves this afternoon, and I don’t think there were any surprises. The team waived RB Martell Mallett, CB David Pender, CB Geoff Pope, DT Boo Robinson, S Anthony Scirrotto, RB J.J. Arrington, [...]

Top 5 Rutgers Performers vs Norfolk State

While the overall team performance was not up to par, there were a few individuals that stood out. Take a look at the top five performers for Rutgers in their season opening win.

Off Speed Attacks

While the 100 mph monster kill gets most of the volleyball glory, every hitter needs to master off speed attacks too.

7th Inning Explosion Propels Phillies to Victory

Some things never change. The Mets always collapse, the NFL pre-season bores me to death, Brad Lidge can't consistently end games quickly, and the Phillies always find a way to overpower opponents. Tonight was a classic display of what the Phillies have been known to be about, 9 of there 12 runs coming from Utley, Howard, and Werth, the 3-4-5 hitters. Seven of the twelve runs came from the long ball another thing the Phillies have been known for. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, Brad Lidge nearly blew another win, but that's for later.

Something else you can usually count on is a not-so-great start from Joe Blanton. Granted, Joe has been impressive lately, but today Blanton went back to his normal not great pitching. Home runs got to Joe early, and in the 2nd inning he gave up two big ones. First a three run homer to Chris Iannetta, and the other, a solo shot by Dexter Fowler. The Phillies would answer back in the 4th with a Raul Ibanez RBI single, and a sac fly by Chase Utley in the 5th, making it 4-2.

The Rockies, however, would not be content with a two run lead. They would answer immediately with a Carlos Gonzalez solo home run to lead off the 5th. Seth Smith would single later in the inning, ending Joe Blanton's night, and extending the Rockies' lead to 6-2. The Phillies and Rockies would exchange runs in the 6th, the Phillies coming on a Mike Sweeney hit by pitch, and the Rockies coming on a Troy Tulowitzki infield single.

The big inning for the Phillies was the 7th. It started quickly with a Placido Polanco double, and a Chase Utley single to score him. The next batter was Ryan Howard and he would start his September on a good note with a two run shot to right, scoring Utley and making the game 7-6 still in the Rockies favor. Relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen would come in for the Rockies to try to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately he would just open the wound more, allowing a Jayson Werth home run on his first at-bat. The Rockies would get an out from Raul Ibanez, but after that the Phillies would go back to hitting. They would get runners on the corners for pinch-hitter Ben Francisco who would single, scoring Shane Victorino. However the icing on the cake to this inning would come three batters later, when Chase Utley unloaded the bases on a grand slam to top off a 9 run inning, giving the Phillies a 12-7 lead.

The Rockies, though discouraged, would fight back that same inning. They would score three runs on a pair of singles from Jonathan Herrera and Dexter Fowler, putting the game within reach at 12-10. There would be little action until the 9th. That was Lidge time. Brad would allow the first batter on base on an error by Ryan Howard. Carlos Gonzalez would single the next batter putting runners on the corners and the game winning run on base. Uh-oh. A run would score on a smart fielder's choice, retiring Gonzalez at second. Todd Helton would be walked the next batter bringing up Clint Barmes. All Barmes needed was and extra base hit to possibly score the game winning run. However Lidge would strike him out giving the Rockies one more chance to score. Luckily for the Phils, Ryan Spilborghs would ground into a fielder's choice, ending the game 12-11, Phillies win.

The game, paired with a Braves loss brought the Phillies two games away from the NL East lead. Since the Giants were idle today, they are now two games out of the wild card. So now there is exactly one month remaining until the Phillies last game, and the rest of the schedule (with the exception of the Brewers this weekend) is solely against the NL East. They will play each team in two series hoping to gain ground and hopefully win the East. If the Phillies can keep up the recent hitting, and continue to get solid pitching from their starters that East title is very much in sight. The Braves have been stumbling a little lately, and all the Phillies need is three slip-ups from them, and three wins of their own, and the Phillies could have their 4th straight NL East title. Welcome to September.

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Which Eagles Made The Best Last Impressions?

Now that the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason has come to a close, the focus will be on who makes the final roster. The starters were on sideline while quite a few regular season hopefuls performed in the final audition. The players who are on ‘bubble watch’ aren’t just playing for a roster spot on the Eagles, [...]

90210 College Football Casting Call

Being that yesterday's date was 09-02-10 or better known as 90210, I became inspired to pay tribute to the kids of West Beverly High in a little college football break down. Now I only used to the original kids because frankly, it never sat well with me that Kelly from Saved by the Bell jumped ship and joined the cast. (Come on, you know every time she kissed a dude after making the move you thought, oh man Zach would so kick his tail if he wasn't knee deep in hanging out with Bob Golic in college.)

Ok, sorry for that slight 90's sidetrack. Here are your college football teams for 90210 as they sit around a table at the Peach Pit planning West Beverly's Senior Prom.

Dylan - He's good, fairly likable by most guys and, thanks to reinventing of sideburns, a complete heartthrob for the ladies. The problem is he is a little wild, a little erratic, and, to be honest, you just know he isn't going to show up for some major event, blowing it off for some random motor cross race or Blind Melon concert. He looks the part, but will he live up to it?

Miami, Oregon, Oklahoma.
These three have the pieces, they look like contenders, but there is just something about them that makes you think they're going to take a week off somewhere along the way. Much like Dylan, Oregon and Oklahoma have had to deal with be derailed by some type of drama/tragedy regarding their quarterbacks in recent history, and you just have to wonder if there will still be some fall out during the 2010 season. While Miami doesn't have to deal with baggage, they do have to deal with a rough few weeks including playing at Ohio St., at Pitt, at Clemson, and then a home game against Florida St. Will they really show up for each of those games?

Brandon - The hard working good guy, who is sometimes over looked, and occasionally just comes up a little short. With that said, he's really easy to root and looks pretty good on paper, but will he be aggressive enough to succeed?

Texas and Nebraska
Both schools should be anchored by strong defenses in 2010, while questions will surround their offenses. Nebraska offense looks very unsettled after an off season of rotating guys at both quarterback and I-back. Texas enters 2010 with a revamped offense scheme and a promising, yet untested, quarterback in Garrett Gilbert. Both teams will have to work hard on the defensive side of the ball to be successful.

Brenda - She's made it to the grand stage before, but is getting used to playing second fiddle. Yeah, she'll put up a front of confidence, but secertly she completely doubts she'll ever be able to wrangle in the Dylans of the world.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies enter 2010 with a promising group of returners on offense and a shallow group on defense. They are going to try and make their presence known, they are going to run for homecoming queen and even tell you they believe they can win it, but secretly, their failures to step up for big games in the past, including BCS bowl games (1-3), haunts them. Can they overcome their big game demons and finally stand in the Homecoming court line?

Steve - He's a schemer, kind of a jerk, but usually successful. Yeah, his shady ways often get him in trouble, but he typically weasels his way out and lands in a pretty good spot.

USC - Come on, tell you me you didn't see that one coming. No school has had more trouble this off season than the Trojans, but even with that, does anyone really doubt they will have a great year? Heck, Lane Kiffin even looks like Steve. They will have a good season, take their post season ban, but also make a lot of noise about how unfair they believe it is. The worst thing about it is, they will probably be very right.

* side note: UNC would be wanta-be Steve at this point. They've gotten into the same amount of trouble, but I'm not quite sure they are weaselly enough at this point to get out of it.

Donna - She's the nice girl who runs in the same circle as the most popular girls, though she really was never good looking enough to do so. She appears to be happy and having everything in order, but every once in a while she does something that makes you think she is secretly a train wreck.

Florida - Just like Donna, Florida would like you to think they have it all together, but every now and then you see a sign that things might not be so hunky dory. Not only are the Gators having to replace their folk hero QB and leader in Tim Tebow with John Brantley, they've also had some bizarre off season drama. Head coach Urban Meyer quits, then comes back, then flips on a reporter, and most recently closes up practices. Now this doesn't necessarily mean anything bad is going on, but just like Donna, it kind of makes you wonder if there isn't a secret train wreck of emotion hiding behind that confident front.

David - He was always the little guy who had big dreams. Yeah, everyone said they thought he was going to make it with his sweet DJ skills, but did anyone really believe he would? Not really, they all just assumed he would end up bartending at The Peach Pit After Dark for far too long.

Boise St. and TCU - We say we believe in them, we talk them up as national title contenders, but do we really believe that? Not really. We're all figuring on them maybe squeaking into another BCS bowl. Of course when that's as far as they make it we will say, "aw, that's a shame, they really had some talent." True be told though, we never really liked listening to their mix tape all that much, we just liked to be supportive of the dreams of the little guy.

Andrea - The smart girl, who doesn't get a lot of attention, but could very easily go to college, get really hot, and make the rest of the kids look foolish. Yeah, she was that girl, unnoticed until it was too late to ask her to the movies.

Iowa, Oregon St., and Wisconsin - Not a lot of people are talking about these teams, but if a few things go their way, they will be in December. Iowa gets OSU, Wisconsin, and Penn St. at home this year and return 14 starters including QB Ricky Stanzi, who led them to an 18-3 record in the past two seasons. Wisconsin returns a pretty good QB of their own in the Big-10 leader in passing efficiency last year, Scott Tolzien, along with stud running back John Clay. Yeah, they have to go to Iowa, but they get OSU at home. Oregon St. has a little rougher schedule, but if they can survive games against Boise and TCU, they will enter conference play with very high hopes. If any of these three get a few breaks, they could very easily clean themselves up enough to look like a super hot date come Prom time.

Kelly - She's the favorite for every award, every court, and for every guy when it comes to hot dates at West Beverly. Barring a disaster, she's seems like everyone's shoe in for Prom queen, Homecoming queen, and every single yearbook superlative.

Alabama and Ohio St. - They seem to be the obvious favorites. Alabama, though losing a ton of starters on defense, doesn't appear to have lost a beat, while offensively they return a ton of weapons in RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones, and QB Greg McElroy. Ohio St. may have the top QB in the country this year, following Terrell Pryor's MVP performance in last year's Rose Bowl, along with a monster on the other side of the ball in Cameron Heyward. With both schools having head coaches with a proven track record of winning big games, barring a disastrous game or emotional meltdown, both should be at the front of the line for the big dance in January.

Now of course you never know what crazy drama is going to happen in West Beverly, which could totally change the way this script plays out, but regardless let's all agree to end the season with a night meal at the Peach Pit. Which of course is run by that semi creepy old guy, Nat, who fittingly will be played by Lee Corso.

Will Eagles Do The Right Thing And Eat Andrews’ $5 Million Dollar Salary?

The Eagles made a good move in drafting cornerback Trevard Lindley. He was supposed to go in the second round in 2009 but he decided to stay in school. He injured his ankle but played on it anyway, but the injury caused his play to dip. It allowed the Birds to draft him in the [...]

What We Learned From Rutgers Season Opening Win

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights opened their season with a 31-0 victory over Norfolk State last night. Sounds like a good game, right? Well, not so much. Here are a few of the things we learned during opening night.

Friday's Awesome Mets Video Clip-September 3

It's Friday again and you know what that means; another awesome Mets video clip. When I think of going to a Mets game, the first thing I think about is beer.

In this video clip former Mets play-by-play guy Bob Murphy endorses Reingold beer. 7 ounce cans and a logo thought up by a third grader, what more could you ask for in a beer. Enjoy the video.

If It’s Between Harris, Demps And Calvin, I Think They Will Keep Harris

The Eagles have a decision to make in the defensive backfield. Who should remain between safeties Macho Harris or Quintin Demps or recently acquired cornerback Jorrick Calvin? First of all, we know that Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, Trevard Lindley and Dimitri Patterson are corners that are cemented on the roster. That’s five cornerbacks. [...]

Who has the better Heisman Site Florida State QB Christian Ponder or Georgia Tech QB Joshua Nesbitt?

Now I'm not asking who has the best chance to win the Heisman out of Christian Ponder or Joshua Nesbitt. I'm not here to discuss the relative Heisman merits of either. Frankly I think the two players are the best quarterbacks backs in the ACC. Ponder and Nesbitt along with RB Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech are the only offensive players in the ACC that are capable of taking over a game single handedly.

Both Florida State and Georgia Tech have put together Heisman websites for their quarterbacks. The real question is who has the better site?

Christian Ponder's Heisman Site

Joshua Nesbitts's Heisman Site

Best First Impression: Ponder's Site

I like how Christian Ponder's site starts rattling off calls of Ponder highlights when you first go to the page. His stats pop out on the screen right away.

Best Video: Nesbitt's Site

A parody of the "Most Interesting Man" Dos Equis commercials. Having the NFL Yellow Jackets talk was a nice touch. "He once fumbled to see how it felt, decided he didn't like it and took the ball back" I loved that.

Best Depiction of the Player's Personality: EVEN

FSU's site does a good job by displaying Christian's impressive academic background and showing a playlist of what I think are some of Christian Ponder's favorite songs.

GT doesn't go so much in Joshua's bio outside of football, but having Joshua do a little bit of acting did show his "playful" side. That kind of humorous because Nesbitt is such an intense competitor.

Fan Fun: Even

Florida State let's you create a Christian Ponder for Heisman wallpaper. That's Kool.

Georgia Tech let's you submit comments about Joshua Nesbitt in the vein of the Dos Equis interesting man theme.

My favorite:

Kyle
from Atlanta, GA

He was once called for a roughing the linebacker penalty.

Good stuff from both schools. The bottom line is for either player to have a real shot at the Heisman, Florida State and Georgia Tech have to win and keep winning. A 10+ win season is an absolute must. You need those gaudy stats as well.

Quick Reaction From Eagles-Jets Preseason Game

Mike Kafka had a pretty noticeable regression. He was very erratic all night and was not making good reads. He’s likely going to be the No. 2 quarterback next season, but for this year it’s probably in his best interest that he’s going to be doing nothing but carrying the clipboard. – Is there any [...]

College Football Preview: Pac 10

The Pac-10 was the conference that spearheaded the expansion talks this past off season, so this year will be the end of the Pac-10 as we have known it for years. But while things are changing, I think the football pecking order will not change. USC is spending time in detention, after being caught red handed by the NCAA, but don't let that stop you from thinking they are a heavy favorite to win the Pac-10 again, because they are still a good team. With that being said, here are my picks for the final order this season.

USC
Oregon
Washington
Stanford
Arizona
Arizona State
California
UCLA
Oregon State
Washington St.

Since USC can't go to a bowl game this year, Oregon will get the Rose Bowl nod in wake of being the 1st eligible team in conference. But I think USC returns to it's dominance over the Pac-10 this year even in the face of it's troubles and post season ban.

Quick Reactions From Eagles-Jets Preseason Game

Did a strong performance earn Fokou a roster spot?

-- Mike Kafka had a pretty noticeable regression. He was very erratic all night and was not making good reads. He's likely going to be the No. 2 quarterback next season, but for this year it's probably in his best interest that he's going to be doing nothing but carrying the clipboard.

-- Is there any way Kurt Coleman doesn't make the team now? Two fumble recoveries for two touchdowns tells me he's a playmaker the Birds would be fools to let loose.

-- Macho Harris, on the other hand, continues to look awful. He doesn't belong on this team and should most certainly get cut on Saturday. He's too slow to play corner but not tough enough to play free safety.

-- Mike Vick did a great job of moving around and keeping his eyes down field. He made a few very good throws and mixed in a couple runs for a very effective quarter of play. Andy Reid had said he might play the entire half, but Vick showed enough early and was able to take the bench and give Kafka some extra work.

-- Quintin Demps doesn't belong on the team either. He's made that obvious.

-- The rookie corner the Birds recently traded for, Jorrick Calvin, might have a play on the roster if Demps and Harris are both cut. He made a good play on defense when he stripped Santonio Holmes and had a couple good returns as well. He looks explosive and likely brings more to the table than Demps or Harris.

-- Unfortunately, Chad Hall wasn't able to do enough in his final showcase. He is most definitely gone by Saturday, but could find himself on the practice squad if the team decides they like him more than Jordan Norwood.

-- Pannel Egboh with a strip-sack was a pleasant surprise. He's another guy who could wind up on the practice squad.

-- Kelley Washington and Eldra Buckley are guys the Eagles cannot release. They're key special teams guys who will contribute more in the big picture than Hank Baskett or Martell Mallett.

-- Speaking of Buckley, showing the versatility to play fullback in a pinch could be something else that helps him stick around.

-- A personal favorite of mine, Tracy White, probably hasn't done enough during the preseason to make the team. I'm hoping, however, that what he did last season combined with the few plays he has made is enough to convince the team he belongs. They've ignored special teams for far too long.

-- Cornelius Ingram will likely find himself on the chopping block as well. It's a damn shame because he's got a lot of talent and could make an impact if he could stay healthy, but a series of bad luck injuries seem have ended his Eagles career.

-- Fourth-round pick Clay Harbor will be a guy to watch. He could be another Brent Celek in the making.

-- Moise Fokou played like a guy who understood his job was on the line. But after that performance, I think he's safe. He played well at linebacker and with his hand on the ground at defensive end, and that versatility is something Reid looks for.

-- Coleman gets two touchdowns, so he gets two mentions. He could turn into an incredible steal out of the seventh round.

-- No one is talking about it, but Sav Rocca is quietly having a fantastic preseason. He hasn't seemed to have any of those occasional shanks we've grown accustomed to seeing, and might finally be hitting his stride. If he can stay this consistent during the regular season, he could be a real weapon.

-- David Akers missed his first field goal attempt of the preseason. Oh well.

The unwritten and really stupid rules of baseball

I grew up in Washington DC, during the 70’s without baseball for the most part. I annoy my family/friends from other baseball cities with some really dumb questions but this one even they cannot explain. The Washington Nationals Center fielder, Nyger Morgan is not going to win any baseball sportsmanship contests in the foreseeable future but stealing two bases when you are down by double digits should not be looked upon as showing your opponent up. Last time I checked if you are down in any type of sporting event you do whatever you can to get yourself back in the game right? If that means stealing bases then stealing bases is now on the menu. We've seen NFL attempt multiple onside kicks and other gimmicks to get themselves back in games so why is baseball allowed to be different? If I purchased a ticket then I want my team to do everything they can conventionally and unconventionally if need be to win. As Herman Edwards put it so eloquently…"You play to win the game".

Baseball has a lot of traditions and rules of etiquette I will never understand, but any rule written or unwritten that prevents a team from being competitive is a stupid rule in my book. Morgan has issues so please do not assume I am taking his side during his lapse into crazy behavior but he should not be thrown at for what would be considered hustle in any other major sport. The MLB talking heads are in lock-step defending this moronic tradition even though the Florida Marlins had a double digit lead. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around how anyone can feel shown up with a double digit lead. Maybe Morgan should ask the Marlins permission before attempting to bring his team back next time?

This is strike two for baseball traditionalists. First they defend officials with strike zones that vary by the pitch and now they defend the practice of looking down on pure hustle. The traditionalists want to keep the game behind the evolutionary curve. Now these same people are protecting one of the dumbest unwritten rules in the history of any team sport. Perhaps Baseball should provide more grief counselors at the games because these guys clearly are walking an emotional tight rope.

Five Eagles Who Must Impress Thursday vs. Jets

Could a poor performance mean the end for Stacy?

This is it. The preseason is just about over and we're only about a week from the first game that means something. But before then, every team, including the Eagles, must cut their roster from 75 to 53 players.

In case you're mathematically challenged, that's 22 guys who must be let go by 6PM on Saturday, September 4th. You could field an entire team -- offense and defense -- with 22 guys, so it goes without saying just how difficult cutting loose that number of guys can be.

These are guys who have been a part of the locker room since March, April, or for some guys even earlier than that. Some of the guys who will be cut have been with the team for years. And if you're lucky enough to have seen any of the episodes of Hard Knocks, regardless of the team, you understand what these teams go through when they let these guys go.

The players must show everything they can every time they touch the field, and Thursday night will be the very last time some guys wear an Eagles uniform. Let's take a look at five guys who absolutely must make the most of their final opportunity.

Jorrick Calvin, CB

Calvin just came over from the Arizona Cardinals, so he probably has the most difficult job of any guy who will hit the field tonight. They've obviously seen what he can do on film, but there is no substitute for seeing what a guy can do with your own two eyes.

The rookie corner will play, obviously, corner against the Jets and will likely get an opportunity to return kicks and perhaps some punts as well. Chad Hall has been handling the punt return duties during the preseason, but his time might already be up.

There is a Mt. Everest sized mountain between Calvin and a spot on the final roster, so he's going to have to show something that makes Andy Reid and company believe he's got the potential to be a star in the near future.

Macho Harris, FS

Now that he's back to safety, I think there's a good chance Harris' time with Philadelphia is already up, but that doesn't have to necessarily be the case. I can't think of a time Reid has ever had a rookie starter he released the next season. In fact, I'm sure that's an incredibly rarity anywhere in the NFL.

Harris, however, has shown absolutely nothing in camp or the preseason. He'd been playing corner, which is his natural position, and couldn't get anything going there, either. He proved last year he doesn't have the hitting ability to play free safety and must have a huge game against the Jets if he wants any shot of sticking around.

Stacy Andrews, RG

For all the talk, Andrews really has not been that bad. He hasn't been great, but he's done well enough that the talk of cutting him is simply ridiculous. Even if he had been playing as poorly as what most are saying, he's making $5 million off the Eagles in 2010 whether he's playing in Philadelphia or elsewhere, so cutting him makes zero sense.

However, there is concern that Andrews could be outplayed by Nick Cole if Cole was actually healthy and on the field. I'm not a huge fan of Cole outside of his versatility and value as a backup on the interior of the line, and still believe Andrews will show up with the same sort of talent he displayed in Cincinnati.

Hank Baskett, WR

Surprisingly, most people believe Baskett will be the choice over Kelley Washington to be the fifth receiver. I'm not exactly sure what they're basing that on, but I just don't see it.

No matter which when makes the roster, neither will be asked to play receiver all that often unless an injury takes place. Baskett likely is the better athlete and receiver, but the fifth guy must be able to play special teams and Washington is the clear-cut better play in that aspect.

For me, Washington's ability to play special teams makes him indispensable to a team that will clearly struggle in the third phase of the game all season long.

King Dunlap, T

The Eagles look poised to keep undrafted rookie Austin Howard and appear ready to move on without Dunlap. So if King wants to stay in this castle, he's going to need a monster preseason finale and really turn some heads.

Dunlap is actually underweight and seems a bit soft, so he must find a bit of a nasty streak if he's going to convince the team he's worth keeping and a guy they could trust were something to happen to either Jason Peters or Winston Justice.

Guys who could still earn a job include...

Tracy White, Moise Fokou, Kurt Coleman, Jeff Owens, Cornelius Ingram, Martell Mallett

Guys inevitably getting the boot include...

Eric Moncour, Boo Robinson, Jordan Norwood, Dobson Collins, J.J. Arrington, Dallas Reynolds

Top 5 can't miss games for the weeknd & The Back Porch podcast!

UNC still in hot water, BYU moves out, and Leinart moving on? Take a listen to The Back Porch Podcast for the week in review and a little preview of the weekend!

I know the weekend can get a little crazy and I would hate for you to accidentally miss a great because you forgot it was on and watched Mean Girls instead, so here is 5 can't miss games from The Back Porch:

Thursday - Pittsburgh @ Utah 8:30 PM Verses

The Panthers are favored by many to win the Big East this season and in Utah will face one of the up and coming non-BCS conference schools looking to plead the case for the little guys in the national spot light. Utah has three straight opening season contests against schools from BCS conferences, while the Panthers will look to avenge their last meeting with the Utes, the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, in which the lost 35-7.

Saturday - UConn @ Michigan 3:30 PM ABC

Could this be the final season of the Rich Rodriguez era in Michigan? If not the Wolverines will need to step up starting with a Huskies team looking to make their forth straight bowl appearance after a season in which they beat Notre Dame and defeated South Carolina in the PapaJohns.com bowl.

Saturday - Oregon St. @ TCU (Dallas Cowboys Stadium) 7:45 PM ESPN

If one team can end much of the talk of a non-BCS conference title contender this season, it is Oregon St., who faces both TCU and Boise St. this year. The Beavers, lead by running back Jacquizz Rogers, will face a Horned Frog defense that only allowed 80 yards per game on the ground in 2009.

Saturday - UNC @ LSU (Atlanta) 8:00 PM ABC

North Carolina was an early favorite to earn a spot in the ACC title game this year in Charlotte, but how will the Tar Heels now respond to the suspension of stud DT Marvin Austin along with the other pending NCAA allegations? Does Les Miles's team have the ability to sneak into the SEC title game this season after finishing last year with a disappointing loss to Penn St. in the Capital One Bowl? There are plenty of questions surrounding both of these squads going into a game which could greatly impact the rest of their seasons.

Monday - Boise St. @ Virginia Tech (Washington DC) 8:00 PM ESPN

This maybe the most anticipated game of the weekend with Boise St. looking to solidify its spot as a national title contender and Virginia Tech hoping to kickoff a title run of their own. The Broncos have the edge when it comes to experience, returning ten starters to a defense which only allowed 120 yards per contest in 2009, along with Heisman candidate QB Kellen Moore. The Hokies will look to make that a non-factor though through the use of their three headed dragon of backfield in Ryan Williams, Darren Evans, and David Wilson, along with the ACC 09 leader in passing efficiency, QG Tyrod Taylor. You don't want to miss a game with such huge national title implications.

SPN Preseason NCAA Top 25

The College Football Season gets underway tonight. SportsPageNetwork.com polled some of their writers to come up with our Preseason NCAA Top 25 Ranking.

Rank	School	Points
1	Alabama (6)	174
2	Ohio State (1)	167
3	Boise State	150
4	Florida	149
5	Texas	146
6	Oklahoma	138
7	TCU	132
8	Virginia Tech	125
9	Nebraska	119
10	Iowa	114
11	Wisconsin	110
12	Oregon	107
13	Miami (FL)	96
14	Pittsburgh	73
15	USC	66
16	Georgia Tech	62
17	Arkansas	59
18	LSU	49
19	Florida State	47
20	Penn State	41
21	Oregon State	33
22	North Carolina	32
23	Georgia	23
24	Auburn	20
25	Utah	20

*First Place Votes in Parenthesis*

Also Receiving Votes (points in parenthesis): West Virginia (15), Connecticut (3), Houston (2), Stanford (2), Notre Dame (1)

Voters:

The Back Porch, Double G Sports, Talkin' College Football, Flushings Finest, All Sports Discussion, Sporting Cleveland, Fantasy4Caster

The SPN NCAA Rankings will be released every Tuesday throughout the college football season.

Will Omar Minaya Be The Mets General Manager in 2011?

At the end of the season the Mets ownership will have some hard decisions to make. I think it is a foregone conclusion that Jerry Manuel is done with the team after his contract expires this offseason. Now as for Omar Minaya, it could get a little more complicated.

I believe that there are two scenarios that could occur regarding the general manager position this offseason, both of which are effected by who is picked to be the next manager.

If the Mets were to hire an experienced manager, a la Bobby Valentine, who would be more hands on in who the Mets would bring in in terms of player personnel, I think Omar would stay. There is no doubt that Omar has been able to make trades happen, so keeping him gives the next manager a negotiator to go out and get the players he wants.

Besides that, I think Omar is more likely to stay because the Wilpon’s will not want to eat the last year of his contract and they may want him to mentor John Ricco, so he can take his job in 2011.

But I also think there is a scenario in which Omar could be gone. If the Mets were going to go with an inexperienced manager like Wally Backman, there might be the urge to clean house totally. Why try to start a new atmosphere in the Mets organization and still keep around pieces that will remind everyone of the disasters that have occurred the last four seasons.

Mets fans get ready for October. We might not be playing baseball, but there will be big news made this fall.

GameDay: Rutgers vs Norfolk State Preview

The college football season gets started tonight. Finally! It seems like we have waited forever for this season to begin. All the hype, all the talks around training camps. Now it's time to get down to business.

Reid Is Sticking To The Formula That Has Won For Him

Andy Reid is consistent. He has a formula for the Eagles football team and he’s sticking to it. Normally after the final preseason game, Reid gives the team some time off, he’s staying with that formula. This year after tonight’s final preseason game against the New York Jets, the Eagles will be off on Friday [...]

Paulman’s 2010 Eagles Final 53-Man Roster

It’s that time of the year when the “Turk” will be loose throughout the NFL. He’ll be ending the careers and dreams of hundreds of young football players. Here is Paulman’s 53 Man Roster for the 2010 Eagles Special Teams (3) – K – David Akers, P – Sav Rocca & LS – Jon Donebros [...]

49ers Continue To Make 'Break Out' Lists

Just a quick note here as I make some late-night preparations for my trip to the game later today. I was reading up on random NFL news and I came across yet another list of "teams to watch." The national media loves to do these kind of things. They'll give you players to watch, teams to watch, players to avoid watching, teams to bet on, teams that you shouldn't bet on, players to draft in your fantasy league and so on and so forth.

Last year, the 49ers were making a couple lists. Celebrity analysts tried to make a name for themselves by picking the 49ers on gameday and occasionally it would pay off, sometimes it didn't. The point is that it wasn't wide-spread acceptance. Now it appears to be.

ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports and many, many more continue to pick the 49ers as the team to watch. The team that's most improved, the team that's dead-set on making the playoffs or go up in flames trying. The bar is being set for them, and with any luck they'll charge down-field and hurdle right over it into the endzone for a playoff berth and potentially more.

For what it's worth, the article that inspired me to write this is from NFL.com and it lists the 49ers as a team that has been steadily building for the past couple years that are now ready to compete. I'm inclined to agree. There's a lot of hype, let's hope it's not unfounded.

The article can be found here.

Roster Spots Are On The Line Tonight When Eagles Battle The Jets

Rookie Jorrick Calvin visited the Eagles prior to the draft and thought he was going to be selected by them. It didn’t work out that way and the Arizona Cardinals grabbed him in the sixth round. The Birds had told him they liked the way he returned kicks and was physical with receivers. The other [...]

9 Bold Predictions for the 2010 College Football Season.

One of my favorite College Football writers Tony Barnhart just released his 10 Bold Predictions for College Football in 2010 at CBSportsline.com

Plenty of interesting predictions... Among them either TCU or Boise St. in the Rose Bowl, Lane Kiffen will be out as USC head coach in one year, and Nebraska will beat Texas twice. His article got me thinking with what bold predictions do I have? I guess you'll be reading 19 bold predictions for the 2010 season.

I had to differentiate the title somehow from Barnhart's piece so I went with 9 predictions.

You can never have enough college football discussion? Season starts Thursday!

1) Neither Boise St. or TCU will make a BCS game.
Boise St. won't make it out of the week one game against Virginia Tech, and TCU has too many landmines. The Horned Frogs still have to play Oregon St., a dangerous Baylor Team, BYU and Utah. They deserve their top 10 rankings but one loss and they don't get into the BCS.

2) North Carolina dream season will turn into a nightmare. Marvin Austin just got suspended and he may not be the last one. This is looking more and more like a 6-6 or 7-5 season for UNC. The early schedule is brutal. They'll finish 4th in the ACC Coastal.

3) Either Iowa or Wisconsin will win the Big 10. That means Ohio State will not. I like Terrelle Pryor, Jim Tressel, and the Buckeyes. They'll probably still be an at large BCS team, but Iowa gets the Buckeyes in Iowa City, and Wisconsin gets them in Madison. The Buckeyes won't survive both.

4) The Heisman Trophy winner will be Terrell Pryor. As long as Ohio State just has the one loss it's Pryor's to lose. Alabama's Mark Ingram is already hurt. Boise St. QB Kellen Moore can't lose any games, and FSU's Christian Ponder will amass huge stats but the 3 or 4 losses will be too much to over come.

5) Navy will win 10 games again. Since Paul Johnson left Navy, Ken Niumatalolo has just kept the train going. Navy won 10 games last year, and they'll favored in at least 9 of their games. If you don't know Navy QB Ricky Dobbs you will by the end of the year.

6) USC coach Lane Kiffen will commit a secondary NCAA violation by doing or saying something stupid. Ok that's not a bold prediction Sorry.

7) No non-BCS conference school will make a BCS game in 2010. We've already said TCU and Boise St. will lose a game and that will eliminate them. Utah is good, but they still have to play Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Navy will be favored in most of their games, and would make a great story, but I just don't think they have the depth to run the table.

8) South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier will name a starting quarterback and stick with it and it looks to be Steven Garcia. I said bold predictions not INSANE! Conner Shaw might be replacing Garcia be the end of the 1^st quarter in the Gamecocks game against Southern Miss Thursday.

9) One of these top 10 Upsets will happen. Florida State over Florida, Boston College over Virginia Tech, or Auburn over Alabama.