Discovering Clearwater: Bright House Networks Field

The main attraction of Clearwater, Florida is Bright House Networks Field.  Since 2004, Bright House Networks Field and the surrounding facilities have been home to Phillies Spring Training.  BHN Field is a state of the art facility with something to offer everyone.  The stadium itself has a ton of great features including the outfield berm, the tiki bar, the full circle walk around, and the close proximity seating.

The tiki bar is a great feature of BHN Field.  Formally known as Frenchy's Tiki Pavilion, it offers fans a great place to hang out and grab a drink before and after the game.  Most of the time, there is live entertainment after games.  Perhaps the coolest aspect of the tiki bar is that after games, some of the players come up to have a drink and talk with fans.  I once got to meet Ryan Madson and Placido Polanco who happened to be hanging around the tiki bar after the game.  If you really want autographs or just the opportunity to meet some of your favorite players, the tiki bar is a great place to do just that.

Another great aspect of BHN Field is the full circle walk around.  Sometimes spring training games can get hot and boring.  BHN Field offers a full circle walk around that allows fans to walk around the entire perimeter of the stadium similar to how Citizens Bank Park is structured.  The full walk around allows fans to get up and go for a walk before, during, and after games.

Probably one of the coolest features of BHN Field is the outfield berm.  Located in left center and right field, the outfield berm is basically just a grassy hill where fans can stretch out and watch the game. The berms are a great place to catch batting practice before the game, and also hang around after the game as well.  On weekend games, the berms fill up pretty quickly.  But during the week, you should have no problem getting enough room.

The best part of BHN Field is the close proximity seating.  BHN Field is home to the Single A Clearwater Threshers during the summer, and the minor league stadium offers seats that get you extremely close to the action.  Being such a small stadium, there really aren't any bad seats.  Personally my favorite place to sit is in the upper section along the first base line.  The advantages to sitting in the upper section include shade from the sun, less crowded concourse, and a better view of the game.  Don't get me wrong, I like sitting close to the action as much as anyone else.  But games at BHN Field can get really hot, and relaxing in the shade beats burning in the sun for me personally.

Overall Bright House Networks Field truly is a gem.  As I stated in a previous article, I've been to other team's spring training stadiums, and none of them even compare to BHN Field.  BHN Field is truly an awesome place to watch Phillies Spring Training.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading this mini series that I have put together over the past month.  It is my hope that you use these articles to help in your enjoyment of Phillies Spring Training trip either this year or in the future.  And now that spring training is all but over, let the countdown to opening day officially begin!

Discovering Clearwater: Where To Eat

Part of the experience of a Phillies spring training trip to Clearwater is enjoying the fantastic food.  I've broken my breakdown of great Clearwater restaurants into breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For breakfast there is no better place than Lenny's.  Located right near the stadium, Lenny's has everything that a Phillies fan needs.  Not only do they have great food, but the entire restaurant is literally covered in Phillies posters and memorabilia.  The atmosphere may be great, but I think the food is even better.  They bring you tons of food and bring you little tarts and pastries before your meal.  The menu also offers Philly favorites like scrapple.  Lenny's is famous in Clearwater and a place that all Phillies fans should go to.  The only problem is just that; literally every Phillies fan tries to eat at Lenny's. If you do decide to go, expect long lines.  Lines are even longer on game days, so try going on a non game day to avoid a long wait.

For lunch, it's probably easiest and cheapest to eat in the stadium.  Maybe grab a hot dog, or a bag of peanuts and a pretzel.  Bright House Networks Field has some pretty good places to eat, and it's a quick and easy thing to do for lunch.

For dinner, you have tons of options.  Not only does Clearwater offer tons of commercial places, but it also offers tons of local restaurants as well.  Two of my favorite would have to be Pete & Shorty's and Shephard's.  Pete & Shorty's is kind of like a sports bar, but you can also grab a great meal as well.  It's relatively close to the stadium, and a great place to enjoy a meal before or after the game.  I also remember going to a place called Shephard's.  Shephard's is a hotel located on Clearwater Beach but it also offers a buffet and outside eating area.  The buffet is jam packed with all kinds of food from seafood and burgers, to soft serve ice cream.  You also have the option of eating outside and enjoying a nice burger while over looking the Gulf of Mexico.

Knowing where to eat can really add to the enjoyment of your spring training trip.  Clearwater literally has tons of places to eat, but the places mentioned above definitely won't disappoint.  

Discovering Clearwater: Where To Eat

Part of the experience of a Phillies spring training trip to Clearwater is enjoying the fantastic food.  I've broken my breakdown of great Clearwater restaurants into breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For breakfast there is no better place than Lenny's.  Located right near the stadium, Lenny's has everything that a Phillies fan needs.  Not only do they have great food, but the entire restaurant is literally covered in Phillies posters and memorabilia.  The atmosphere may be great, but I think the food is even better.  They bring you tons of food and bring you little tarts and pastries before your meal.  The menu also offers Philly favorites like scrapple.  Lenny's is famous in Clearwater and a place that all Phillies fans should go to.  The only problem is just that; literally every Phillies fan tries to eat at Lenny's. If you do decide to go, expect long lines.  Lines are even longer on game days, so try going on a non game day to avoid a long wait.

For lunch, it's probably easiest and cheapest to eat in the stadium.  Maybe grab a hot dog, or a bag of peanuts and a pretzel.  Bright House Networks Field has some pretty good places to eat, and it's a quick and easy thing to do for lunch.

For dinner, you have tons of options.  Not only does Clearwater offer tons of commercial places, but it also offers tons of local restaurants as well.  Two of my favorite would have to be Pete & Shorty's and Shephard's.  Pete & Shorty's is kind of like a sports bar, but you can also grab a great meal as well.  It's relatively close to the stadium, and a great place to enjoy a meal before or after the game.  I also remember going to a place called Shephard's.  Shephard's is a hotel located on Clearwater Beach but it also offers a buffet and outside eating area.  The buffet is jam packed with all kinds of food from seafood and burgers, to soft serve ice cream.  You also have the option of eating outside and enjoying a nice burger while over looking the Gulf of Mexico.

Knowing where to eat can really add to the enjoyment of your spring training trip.  Clearwater literally has tons of places to eat, but the places mentioned above definitely won't disappoint.  

Discovering Clearwater: Where To Stay

In Clearwater, you have four basic options of where to stay: Clearwater Beach, Clearwater city, right by the stadium, and Tampa.  You will want to stay in certain parts depending on who you're going with and what your interests are.

If you are taking your family with you, Clearwater Beach is your best option.  Although it's a bit of a ride from Bright House Networks Field, Clearwater Beach offers tons of stuff to do outside of baseball.  There is the beach itself, mini golf, and even a pirate ship ride that offers tours of the beach.  The only downsides to staying in Clearwater Beach is that it's more expensive, and the ride back and forth from the stadium can get a little annoying.  But overall the beach is your best bet if you have the money to spend and a family to entertain.

Although during my years in Clearwater I never stayed in the actual city, I'm sure it would be a great place to stay.  After all you would be sort of in between the stadium in the beach, and you wouldn't have to worry about long rides back and forth.

During my trips to Clearwater, I remember staying on the beach one year, and right next to the stadium another year.  In my opinion, if you're headed to Clearwater strictly for baseball, staying the near the stadium is your best option.  It's cheaper, more convenient, and there are some quality hotels within walking distance of Bright House Networks field.  I guess the downside would be you are so far away from the beach that it can kind of take away from the Florida atmosphere of your trip.  Also if you want to go to the beach, it's a 15-20 minute car ride depending on traffic.  But for the pure baseball fan, staying within walking distance of the stadium is a great experience.

The fourth and final option of where to stay would be in Tampa.  I've never done this, but Tampa is such a great city, and there probably would be more things to do in Tampa.  Also you would be in a great position to go to other team's spring training stadiums like the Tigers and Yankees.  A huge downside would be the ride.  Depending on where you stay in Tampa, it could take you upwards of a half hour to get the stadium.

Ultimately you want to find a place that best suits both you and the people you're traveling with.  Staying in Clearwater Beach if you're there strictly for baseball wouldn't be smart.  Likewise, if you bring your family and stay right by the stadium, you could wind up shuffling back and forth between the hotel and the beach your entire trip.  The key thing for people to understand about Clearwater is that it's relatively big composed of three main parts: the beach, the city, and then the stadium is located kind of back by the bay.  Pick a place that best suits your needs to prevent yourself from being in the car for an extended period of time.  After all, you're supposed to be kicking back and watching baseball, not sitting in traffic.

Tim Tebow To Philly?

On Monday when Peyton Manning officially instructed his agent to begin negotiations with the Denver Broncos, a whole Tim Tebow circus erupted directly after.  And yesterday Manning  officially became a Denver Bronco agreeing to a five year deal worth 96 million dollars, and it is now very clear that the Broncos now want nothing to do with Tebow.

So where will Tebow be traded to? Should he come to Philadelphia?  A lot of the sports talk radio shows are kicking around the notion of Tebow in an Eagles uniform.  For me personally it makes sense because of Vick's injury history, Tebow's track record of not turning the ball over, and his overall versatility on offense.

To start, let's look at Mike Vick's games played since he came into the NFL in 2001.  Vick saw limited action in his first year, but in 2002 he started 15 games for the Falcons missing just one with a shoulder injury.  In 2003, Vick started in just 4 games missing most of the season with a hurt leg.  Over the course of the next 3 years Vick missed a total of just 2 games.  But in 2010 with the Eagles Vick missed 4 games, and last year he missed 3 games.  Overall Vick is injury prone and the Eagles need a reliable backup to go to when Vick goes down.  With Vick's style of play, it's not a matter of if he gets injured, it's when and for how long he will be out.  Having a backup like Tebow who could possibly spark your team could really help the Eagles when Vick gets injured.  Instead of hoping that Kafka is ready to be the backup, having Tebow assures the Eagles that they have a guy ready to come in and win games.  Basically Tebow is the ideal backup quarterback because he has proven that he can win.

The Eagles should also consider bringing in Tebow because he takes care of the football.  In two years as Eagles starter, Mike Vick has thrown a total of 20 interceptions including 14 last year.  And as a team, the Eagles had a total of 38 turnovers in 2011.  In 11 starts last year for the Broncos, Tebow had just 6 interceptions.  Tebow takes care of the ball, and turnovers were a big reason the Eagles failed to make the playoffs last year.  If you remember a lot of the Eagles' turnovers came in the redzone.  If Tebow were used in a redzone package for example, it would almost be a guarantee that the Eagles would get at least 3 points every time they get inside the 20.  Games are won and lost because of turnovers and Tebow would certainly help in the turnover department.

Lastly, Tebow is extremely versatile on the offensive side of the ball.  While he may not be able to play linebacker or safety, he can lineup as a wideout/tight end, or even a half back who can throw.  In addition to being used as a backup quarterback, Tebow could be used in short down situations with Shady McCoy alongside him in the backfield, and in the redzone as well where he wouldn't be forced to use his arm as much.

Overall the Eagles take great pride in grooming quarterbacks.  While they certainly weren't successful with Vince Young, they did greatly improve Mike Vick and I think they could do the same with Tim Tebow.  Eagles fans have to remember that Vick is not exactly young.  Vick will turn 32 in June, and with his eratic style of play there is no guarantee that he will be starter two or three years down the line.  The Eagles have to prepare for the future and Tim Tebow in an Eagles uniform is a great option.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on Tebow mania and whether or not you think he should come to Philadelphia.

Update 12:54 
The New York Jets have traded a 4th round pick to Denver for Tim Tebow.  So much for Tebow in Philly.

Eagles Trade For DeMeco Ryans

Today, according to Jay Glazer, the Eagles traded a mid round draft pick for Pro Bowl middle linebacker Demeco Ryans.

Just some quick stats on 27 year old Ryans, he was named the Rookie Of The Year in 2006, recording 156 tackles.  He made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and was also named to the All-Pro team.  In 2009 he again made the Pro Bowl recording 123 tackles.

This guy is good and this is a great move for the Eagles.  They have been pretty silent in terms of free agent signings so far, but this move assures them of a stopper in the middle.

Ryans arrival in Philly will allow Chaney to move to his natural position of outside linebacker.  Ryans will also bring an identity to a defense that lacks character.

A great move by the Eagles.  We will have more on the trade later.

Michael Martinez Breaks Right Foot

More woes for the Phillies' infield.

During the seventh inning of today's game against the Baltimore Orioles, Mini Mart took a ball off of his right foot, breaking the fourth metatarsal. Although stayed in the game, eventually scoring the go-ahead run, he appeared in the locker room afterwards sporting a boot on the right foot.

Without last year's top utility player, it looks as though Pete Orr will be playing the part this year, with Galvis filling in at second for an injured Utley. Orr hasn't played much shortstop in the past few years, but does have extensive playing time at both second and third.

There have been no reports of how long he'll be out, but it seems as though a broken metatarsal will keep you out for about 4-6 weeks.

Time To Panic About Phillies?

Ryan Howard is out until at least June, possibly even longer.  Chase Utley is now doubtful for Opening Day.  Polanco will be in and out of the lineup with his injuries, and left field is a big question mark as well.  Am I the only one worried about this team?

In years past the main theme has been that the Phillies starting pitching is good enough to carry them even if the offense isn't producing.  But going into this season, the Phillies will be without their three and four hole hitters, and will mainly be relying on Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino to lead the offense.

I know just how amazing this starting rotation is: Roy Halladay is an absolute ace, Cliff Lee is a horse and innings eater, Cole Hamels is coming into the prime of his career, and having Vance Worley and Joe Blanton as your four and five makes this Phillies starting rotation easily one of the best in baseball once again.  But to win games, you have to produce runs, it's that simple.  Halladay, Lee, and Hamels aren't going to throw complete game shutouts every night and the Phillies offense has to step up when needed.

Although the current injuries to Howard and Utley are enough to make any Phillies fan sick, the Phillies prepared during the off season for just this scenario.  All through out the off season, Ruben Amaro Jr. added bench players for two main reasons: to have depth come October, and to have guys ready to fill in for this aging team.

Overall I think that Phillies fans should be somewhat worried going into Opening Day because the NL East got a whole lot better this past off season.  While the Phillies added minor pieces here and there, the Marlins completely revamped their team signing Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, and Mark Buehrle.  The Nationals as well added pitchers, and the Braves are always a competitive team.  A sixth straight NL East title is not a guarantee this year especially if the Phillies struggle in the early going.

Right now I'm not too worried about Ryan Howard.  While he did suffer a minor "setback", I think the Phillies are just being extremely cautious with him and aren't going to try to play him until he is fully 100%.  But I'm extremely worried about Chase Utley.  This whole spring the Phillies have been very mysterious with Utley's status and today they announced that he will most likely miss Opening Day.  I fully expect Ryan Howard to come back and be a productive hitter, but I'm not so sure about Utley.

The good news for the Phillies is that the starting rotation is fully healthy and ready to go heading into the season.  The pitching will definitely have to carry the Phils in the early going until the major bats come back to the lineup.      

Eagles Resign Evan Mathis

         On Saturday, the Eagles answered a big offseason question by agreeing with gaurd Evan Mathis to a five-year $25 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. Last year Mathis,signed a one-year deal last summer to provide depth on the Eagles bench. He would become a starter all year at left guard. He played his best football of his career as a full time starter for the first time since the 2006 season when he was with the Carolina Panthers. Through a bleak and dissapointing season Mathis was one of the brightest and most surpising stories for the Eagles last season. Mathis played at a very high level both on the run and pass block. The Eagles last season was his fourth team he played for in the last five years.
        Mathis hit the free agency market last week and the Ravens jumped up on him and gave him an offer he visted the Ravens on thursday and returned to his Arizona home to think about his offer. Through the last week Mathis has been tweeting messages that caused experts and fans on where he would be going.
        With the resigning of Mathis the Eagles have their entire offensive line, which could turn out to be the best in franchise history. Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins were both rookies last year are signed through 2014, all-pro veteran Jason Peters is also signed through 2014. Todd Herremans signed an extension last week that goes through the 2016 season, and Mathis's deal goes 2016 too.
       

Flyers Hold On Against Islanders

Tonight, Ilya Bryzgalov's impressive shutout streak finally came to an end.  Although Bryz wasn't able to get the shutout, he did set the Flyers franchise record for shutout streak.  But toward the end of the third period, things started to fall apart in a hurry.

Zac Rinaldo got the scoring started in the first period when he wristed one from the corner right in between the five hole of Evgeni Nabokov.  It was really a freak goal and one that Nabokov probably would have liked to have back.  Also in the first, Giroux lifted one over the shoulder of Nabokov to give the Flyers a 2-0 advantage.

In the second period, the defense continued to play well.  The offense also kept up the pressure by adding another goal thanks to Scott Hartnell.  Hartnell skated ahead and got a clear break away and was able to find the back of the net with a wrist shot.  But it wasn't all smooth sailing in the second as the Islanders were awarded back to back power plays toward the end of the period.  Luckily the Flyers killed off the first power play, but toward the end of the kill, Nicklas Grossman was called for a penalty and the Islanders went right back to the man advantage. Luckily the Flyers were able to again keep the puck out of the net and preserve Bryzgalov's shutout streak.

In the third everything was going just fine until around 6 minutes left when Michael Gabner scored snapping the shutout streak and making it a 3-1 game.  Shortly after, John Tavares scored for the Islanders cutting the lead to 1 and putting some pressure on the Flyers.  Luckily the Flyers were able to successfully defend in the final few minutes and hold on to the victory.

In Bryzgalov's defense, after the first goal he allowed the defense got a little sloppy.  But let's not let the two goals that Bryz allowed take away from his record setting streak.  Give credit to Bryzgalov for coming out of his struggles and putting together a very impressive streak of games.

Offensively Giroux continued to play well as he added another goal.  Also Scott Hartnell looked great as he added yet another goal to his already impressive season.  And although the Flyers are a still a long shot to catch the Rangers, the Flyers did get two points tonight while the Rangers lost to Sidney Crosby and the Penguins 5-2.  The Flyers are currently 6 points behind the Rangers with 12 games left to play.  The Flyers could definitely catch the Rangers especially considering the two teams play each other in early April.  

And the quote of the night comes from Ilya Bryzgalov: a reporter asked him how he felt when he gave up those two goals and Bryz quickly responded with,

"If you think teams were never going to score against me again, you were mistaken."

Overall congrats to Bryz for a very impressive streak.

Sixers Acquire Sam Young

With Evan Turner now in the starting lineup, the Sixers bench became a lot smaller with Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks.  This caused some concern matching up height wise.  So the Sixers made a minor move acquiring guard/forward Sam Young from the Memphis Grizzles for the rights to 2005 second-round pick Ricky Sanchez who is currently playing in Argentina.

Young is a three year veteran, who has an expiring contract and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.  Sixers president Rod Thorn stated "We feels Sam's overall skill set can be be valuable asset to our team and he adds to our depth at two positions."

Young, 26, is 6-foot-6 defensive minded wing man.  After being a major part of the Grizzles success last season, Young managed only 21 games this season.  The former Pittsburgh Panther was not only known for his defensive ability in college, but he was also a prolific scorer as well.  The Sixers have a lot of scorers that come off the bench for them, and now they will also be able to have a defensive guy come off the bench as well.

Flyers Blank Devils

Last night was a great all around victory for the Flyers.  Not only did they get the win as a team, but individuals had some standout performances as well.  Ilya Bryzgalov posted yet another shutout, Danny Briere snapped his scoreless streak, and Jakub Voracek scored in his first game back.

I was acutally at the game with one of my buddies who is a Devils fan and I got to celebrate while his team failed to even score.  It was a great game to to watch in person but it didn't look too promising to start out as the Devils got a lot of early chances.  The Devils had two power plays in the first but failed to cash in on either as the Flyers provided Bryz with some excellent defense in front.  The first period ended scoreless, and both teams were pretty much equal in their shot attempts.

The Flyers came out with a ton of energy in the second period.  The added energy and intensity eventually paid off as Sean Couturier scored on a play in front to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead mid way through the period.  Early in the third the Flyers struck again, this time thanks to Voracek who scored on a backhand.  And with a somewhat questionable decision to pull the goalie with 5 minutes remaining in the game, Danny Briere scored an empty netter to seal the 3-0 victory for the Flyers.  In Devils' coach Peter DeBoer's defense, it was 2-0 at the time and the Devils really hadn't been able to solve Bryz all night.  At the time Brodeur was pulled it was 4 on 4 with players from each team in the box.  DeBoer was trying to spark his team and just trying to get something going.  In the end it didn't pay off and the Flyers were able to cruise to an easy victory.

Although Bryzgalov only faced 17 shots, the story of the game for me is still the hot play of Bryzgalov.  Last night was Bryz's third straight shutout and his 5th in his last 7 games.  And this stat is astounding: Bryzgalov has allowed just 5 goals since February 28th.  5 goals over 7 games is good for an incredible 0.71 GAA.  I think that Bryz learned early on in the season that when you play bad in this city, we the fans will let you know it.  But now Bryzgalov is beginning to understand that on the other end of that mentality is that when you play awesome, we absolutely love you.  I think Bryz is beginning to settle in nicely as the goalie of this team, and just in time for the playoffs.

There are rumors going around that apparently Holmgren was mulling around the notion of trading for a goalie.  But those days of Bryzgalov's frustrating struggles seem so long ago, and he is looking more and more like the goalie everyone had hoped for.

A big reason Bryz had such an easy time last night was the defense in front of him.  Timmonen returned from injury and played well, Grossman played physical and blocked shots, and everyone on the defense did their part to not give the Devils any quality chances.  The Flyers also did an exceptional job on the penalty kill.  And give credit to the Flyers offense as well.  They had to be pretty frustrated after that scoreless first period, but they stuck with it and eventually solved Marty on three occasions.

The Flyers next game will be on Thursday when they travel to New York to take on the Islanders.  Hopefully they can continue to ride the hot play of Bryzgavlov and continue to rise in the standings.  

Flyers Devils Preview

On Sunday night the Devils beat up on Sergei Bobrovsky and the Flyers winning by a final of 4-1.  But tonight the Flyers will get their chance at revenge as they get set to host the Devils in the final game of the season series.

In just the second game of the season, the Flyers beat the Devils by a final of 3-0.  It was just Bryzgalov's second game as a Flyer, and his first shutout with his new team.  Following that game, the Flyers then lost to the Devils at home in a shootout by a final of 4-3.  In mid January the Flyers beat the Devils 4-1 in New Jersey, and in February the Devils embarrassed the Flyers at home winning by a final of 6-4.  Add in Sunday night's defeat and the Devils hold a slight 3 games to 2 advantage over the Flyers in the season series.

Tonight will be the final game of the season series between the two teams.  Currently the Devils and Flyers are tied in the standings with 85 points each.  The key for the Flyers tonight will be the play of Ilya Bryzgalov.  After getting the night off on Sunday, Bryzgalov will make his return tonight with 3 full days of rest under his belt.  Hopefully Bryzgalov can continue to play well similar to Saturday night's game in which he literally stole the game from the Maple Leafs.

And although goal scoring hasn't been a major problem for the Flyers this year, during the past two games the offense has been basically non existent.  The Flyers got just one shootout goal from Claude Giroux on Saturday, and on Sunday got one goal again from Giroux.  The Flyers need to get the offense clicking again.  The defense is starting to play solid, and now is not the time for the offense to go on vacation.  

Eagles Sign Herremans to Three-Year Extension

Right before free agency is about to start the Eagles have decided to handle some internal issuers with their team.  They addressed one person today by giving Todd Herremans a three-year contract extension through 2016.

Andy Reid made a statement after the signing saying "We are excited to be able to sign Todd to a new contract.  Todd's intelligence, toughness, durability, and leadership are second to none.  Very few players in the NFL can play at an extremely high level at both the guard and tackle positions and Todd has done that for us.  He has been a big part of the success of our offense for the last several years."

The details of the contract extension have not been released yet, but a league source said that the contract gives Herremans a significant pay increase that reflect a tackle being paid a lot more than a guard.  Herremans is due $2.2 million this year and $2.6 million next year as well as $100,000 workout bonus each year.  The source has said those numbers will stay the same, but the new deal will add $20 million in new money to his existing deal.

Herremans has pretty much played exclusively at guard for the first 6 years of his career until last year.  Just before opening day Howard Mudd shifted his offensive line moving Herremans out to left tackle from guard to protect Michael Vicks blind side.  Protecting Vick's blindside, Herremans established himself as a dominant tackle.

The Eagles needed to show Herremans the love and today they did.  This is a nice start to a crucial offseason for them.  They still have a few other players they need to take care of as well as free agency starting at 4 PM today.  Stay tuned for more news as the NFL offseason picks up tremendously this afternoon.

Discovering Clearwater: What To Do

You have just arrived in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.  You've unpacked your bags, put on your sun shades, and are ready for a relaxing vacation.  After hanging around for a few hours, quickly you begin to wonder: what is there to do in Clearwater?

The first and most obvious choice is to go to a Phillies exhibition game at Bright House Networks Field.  Kick back on the berm, or sit right next to the players, and take in a relaxing game.  Bright House Networks Field is a great place to enjoy a game and I will go more in depth about the stadium in a later article.

If the Phillies are on the road or have the day off, you are definitely going to want to find something to occupy your time.  My first suggestion would be to go to the Carpenter Complex to either watch practice or minor league games.

Bright House Networks Field is located in the Carpenter Complex which is basically a collection of various fields.  The Phillies use the Carpenter Complex for their big league team and their minor league teams as well.  When the Phillies hit the road, many of the household names stay back and do light conditioning or practicing at the Carpenter Complex.  Going to a practice is a great way to interact with some of your favorite players.  Probably even more entertaining are the minor league games.  My dad and I went one year to a minor league exhibition and got to see guys like Kyle Kendrick and Carlos Corrasco. The cool thing about the Carpenter Complex is you can park for free and literally walk around for hours taking in Phillies stars of today, and future stars of tomorrow.  Not too many people take advantage of the Phillies' practice facilities, and it's a great way to snag some autographs and meet some of your favorite players.

Clearwater is in a good central location, located in close proximity to other Grapefruit League teams.  To the south, you can go to Pirates Phillies games in Bradenton, and Phillies Orioles games in Sarasota.  To the north, one can travel to Tampa for Phillies Yankees games, and Lakeland to see the Phils take on the Tigers.  Spring training road trips are tons of fun, and allow to see the Phillies in different spring training settings, and also enable you to see different parts of Florida.

If you're not interested in making a road trip, there are still plenty of things to do in Clearwater.  There is Clearwater Beach, where you can relax and swim in the Gulf of Mexico.  There are tons of water activities offered up and along the beach.  Tampa is a relatively short drive away as well.  And if you are really willing to take a drive, Orlando is roughly 2 hours away.

Overall you really can't get too bored in Florida.  With the Carpenter Complex, other Grapefruit League stadiums, and many cities located in close proximity to Florida, you should have an action packed trip.  And when in doubt, you can always just kick back and enjoy the sunshine.

Big 5 Goes Down Hard

Friday was a very disappointing day for Big 5 basketball.  Temple, St. Joes, and La Salle all lost yesterday in the Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament in Atlantic City.

Temple started off the disappointing day falling to UMass by a final of 77-71.  Although Temple led late in the game, UMass kept scratching and clawing their way back into the game and eventually came out victorious.  Temple was the top seed in the tournament and will still receive an at large bid to the NCAA tourney.  But this defeat is definitely hard to swallow, and a bit shocking to say the least.  Temple senior Ramon Moore had this to say on the devastating defeat:

“It’s very difficult.  My five years being here, we've always done a great job down here. This is our first time going home the first day. It hurts a lot, you know, and this is our last go-round, I wanted it as bad as anybody.”

Moore and Khalif Wyatt led the way for Temple in scoring with 14 and 15 points respectively.  Temple will have a few days off before they begin preparing for their first round matchup in the big dance.

St. Joe's followed Temple with a loss of their own falling to St. Bonaventure 71-68.  The Hawks hung around for much of the game but they forced some tough shots late in the second half that simply didn't fall.  Basically it seemed like when the Hawks needed a bucket to go ahead they simply couldn't get it.  St. Joe's guard Carl Jones was a big reason the Hawks were able to stick around.  He led the way with 24 points and was a dazzling 4-8 from beyond the arc.  But in the end it was a sour defeat for Phil Martelli and the Hawks.

“It had nothing to do with any of our preparation. We wanted to play tomorrow. That’s all,” Martelli said. “We just wanted to play tomorrow and see how things would play out.  These players have never heard ‘NCAA’, they’ve never heard 'bubble.' They’ve just heard about what we’ve talked about since August and that’s win.”

St. Joe's is 20-13 overall and 9-7 in the Atlantic 10.  With this defeat it's safe to say that they are now a long shot to make the dance.

La Salle took to the court in the night cap and they had the same fate as their fellow Philadelphia teams.  The Exploreres started out the game absolutely horrendously and they were never able to fully recover from the slow start.  La Salle was able to battle back and make it an interesting game but overall it was their defense, or lack there of that was their eventual down fall.  La Salle played awful team defense and St. Louis was able to get fairly easy high percentage baskets.  Although La Salle will not make it to the NCAA tourney, head coach John Giannini was optimistic about the prospects of playing in the NIT.


"We're 0-4 to St. Louis and Temple – two good teams. But we're 4-0 against UMass, St. Bonaventure and Xavier. (All teams still alive in the A-10 tourney) We would love to be in the NIT. I think when that bracket is announced, you see some of the best programs in the country. Obviously everyone would prefer to be in the NCAA tournament, but you're judged by the company you keep and you're going to see household names in that tournament.We would love to be among those household names."

Overall I was hoping to watch St. Joe's, Temple, or La Salle battle for the A-10 crown this weekend.  But all three teams were ousted yesterday making this a very disappointing weekend for Big 5 basketball.

Kubina And Grossman Stabilizing Defense

After the Flyers embarassing 6-4 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Febuary 18th, Paul Holmgren went out and traded for defenseman Pavel Kubina.  Kubina alongside fellow newcomer Nicklas Grossman have definitely helped to stabilize the Flyers erratic defense.

Since Grossman and Kubina have joined, the Flyers are 6-2.  What's even more impressive is that the Flyers have given up a total of just 13 goals during those 8 games good for an approximate 1.62 GAA.  During that same span Bryzgalov also posted a shutout against the San Jose Sharks and last night against the Florida Panthers.

While some people may find the Flyers improved play coupled alongside the defensive acquisitions to be merely coincidental, I think that both Kubina and Grossman are having a significant impact on this team.  Both players are great at blocking shots, and both bring a much needed physical presence to this defense.

And it's not like the Flyers have played bad teams during their past 8 games.  Winnipeg is a playoff team, Florida is a playoff team, and the Red Wings are one of the best teams in the entire NHL.  I think that the two new defenders have definitely added to Bryzgalov's confidence.  He is playing fearlessly and he looks like he really is at the top of his game right now.  He is playing very aggressive and stopping just about anything.

Whether it's the addition of the new defenders or just the fact that Bryzgalov has hopefully finally found his game, the Flyers are definitely playing well right now.  Hopefully they can ride this momentum into a late playoff surge and propel their way deep into the playoffs.

Desean Jackson's Future With The Eagles

During the 2011 season, I was pretty fed up with Desean Jackson and his antics.  He wouldn't go over the middle, he was somewhat of a problem in the locker room, and overall I wanted the Eagles to cut ties with Desean as soon as the off season hit.

But last week the Eagles applied the franchise tag to Jackson, and this season he will make somewhere around 9 million dollars.  The applying of the tag assures that Jackson will be an Eagle for at least another year and it has caused me to reconsider my opinion of Jackson's future with this team.

Before Desean was franchised, a lot of fans including myself were fine with letting him walk and bringing in a free agent wide receiver.  After all there will be a ton of big names on the market this year and replacing Desean would be pretty easy.

The only problem with bringing in a free agent like Vincent Jackson or Plaxico Burress is that they are completely different receivers than Desean.  Desean uses his speed to stretch defenses which open things up for receivers under neath and also the running game.  Jackson's deep threat causes opposing defenses to bring a safety out of the box and send him 20-30 yards back to prevent a big touchdown.  Simply put, bringing in another receiver would completely change the dynamic of this offense.

At this point, I think 2012 is going to be a make or break year for Jackson.  By franchising him, the Eagles are basically saying, "Here is one year, show us what you can do."  But it really won't be about stats and receiving yards that in the end determine Jackson's future with the Birds.  I think a big long term contract hinges on how well the Eagles offense does as a result of Jackson's very presence on the field.

In the end I hope that the Eagles sign Jackson to a long term deal.  He definitely is not a guy who is going to go over the middle or lay out his body to make a big catch.  He's not that type of receiver and Eagles fans need to realize that.  But he is a deep threat with a lot of speed and who at the end of the day is the very cornerstone of  this offense.

Kubina And Grossman Stabilizing Defense

After the Flyers embarassing 6-4 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Febuary 18th, Paul Holmgren went out and traded for defenseman Pavel Kubina.  Kubina alongside fellow newcomer Nicklas Grossman have definitely helped to stabilize the Flyers erratic defense.

Since Grossman and Kubina have joined, the Flyers are 6-2.  What's even more impressive is that the Flyers have given up a total of just 13 goals during those 8 games good for an approximate 1.62 GAA.  During that same span Bryzgalov also posted a shutout against the San Jose Sharks and last night against the Florida Panthers.

While some people may find the Flyers improved play coupled alongside the defensive acquisitions to be merely coincidental, I think that both Kubina and Grossman are having a significant impact on this team.  Both players are great at blocking shots, and both bring a much needed physical presence to this defense.

And it's not like the Flyers have played bad teams during their past 8 games.  Winnipeg is a playoff team, Florida is a playoff team, and the Red Wings are one of the best teams in the entire NHL.  I think that the two new defenders have definitely added to Bryzgalov's confidence.  He is playing fearlessly and he looks like he really is at the top of his game right now.  He is playing very aggressive and stopping just about anything.

Whether it's the addition of the new defenders or just the fact that Bryzgalov has hopefully finally found his game, the Flyers are definitely playing well right now.  Hopefully they can ride this momentum into a late playoff surge and propel their way deep into the playoffs.

Who Will Play First Base?

One of the big question marks surrounding the Phillies this spring is who will play first base.  According to reports, Ryan Howard has suffered a set back that could push his possible May return to much later in the season.  To start out the season the Phillies are going to have to find a suitable replacement at first base.  The Phillies need someone who can fill in both offensively and defensively.

A lot of people are under the impression that Jim Thome is going to be the Phillies starting first baseman to start the season.  But people have to remember that Thome is 41 years old and hasn't been an every day first baseman since 2005, his last year with the Phillies.  After Philadelphia, Thome then saw a lot of time as DH with the White Sox, Dodgers, Twins, and Indians.  While it certainly wouldn't be out of the question for Thome to return to an everyday role, he is more than likely going to be used as a much more reserved bench player.

I think the Phillies would be better off with John Mayberry Jr. at first base to start out the season.  Mayberry proved his value at the plate last year hitting .273 with 15 HR and 49 RBI's.  Mayberry had a lot of pop off the bench last year and he would be great right in the middle of the Phillies lineup.  Defensively Mayberry subbed for Howard at times last year, and with his overall athletic ability, he will have no problem handling first base.

Overall the Phillies infield could look drastically different to start the season.  Howard is out with his achillies injury, Utley is being limited in his spring participation, and Polanco seems to be healthy but he could be in and out of the starting lineup all year as well.

Thankfully, the Phillies added a lot of bench players during the off season to help with these kinds of situations.  The starting pitching and the offensive contributions of guys like Mayberry, Pence, and Victorino will hopefully propel the Phillies to early season success.  

Desean Jackson's Future With The Eagles

During the 2011 season, I was pretty fed up with Desean Jackson and his antics.  He wouldn't go over the middle, he was somewhat of a problem in the locker room, and overall I wanted the Eagles to cut ties with Desean as soon as the off season hit.

But last week the Eagles applied the franchise tag to Jackson, and this season he will make somewhere around 9 million dollars.  The applying of the tag assures that Jackson will be an Eagle for at least another year and it has caused me to reconsider my opinion of Jackson's future with this team.

Before Desean was franchised, a lot of fans including myself were fine with letting him walk and bringing in a free agent wide receiver.  After all there will be a ton of big names on the market this year and replacing Desean would be pretty easy.

The only problem with bringing in a free agent like Vincent Jackson or Plaxico Burress is that they are completely different receivers than Desean.  Desean uses his speed to stretch defenses which open things up for receivers under neath and also the running game.  Jackson's deep threat causes opposing defenses to bring a safety out of the box and send him 20-30 yards back to prevent a big touchdown.  Simply put, bringing in another receiver would completely change the dynamic of this offense.

At this point, I think 2012 is going to be a make or break year for Jackson.  By franchising him, the Eagles are basically saying, "Here is one year, show us what you can do."  But it really won't be about stats and receiving yards that in the end determine Jackson's future with the Birds.  I think a big long term contract hinges on how well the Eagles offense does as a result of Jackson's very presence on the field.

In the end I hope that the Eagles sign Jackson to a long term deal.  He definitely is not a guy who is going to go over the middle or lay out his body to make a big catch.  He's not that type of receiver and Eagles fans need to realize that.  But he is a deep threat with a lot of speed and who at the end of the day is the very cornerstone of  this offense.

Do The Sixers Need A Closer?

It's really hard to get mad at the Sixers.  They are such a young and fun team to watch that sometimes I find it difficult to voice my frustrations.  But the Sixers have lost three out of their last four, and it's starting to become somewhat easy to get mad at this team.

Last Wednesday, the Sixers hung tight with the NBA leading Oklahoma City Thunder.  They defended Durant, did a good job of scoring, and overall kept themselves in the game.  But down the stretch the Sixers stumbled greatly.  They were a different team in the final minutes and ultimately the Thunder were able to cruise to victory.

On Sunday against the Bulls it was the exact same story.  The Sixers again played well enough to win but couldn't get that bucket in the final few minutes to put them over the hump.  Most recently the Sixers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday in the same fashion.  They fought hard and tied it up at the end, but when they needed that big basket nobody came through.

All season long the main theme surrounding the Sixers is that they need a closer.  Experts and fans alike continue to talk about how the Sixers need a guy who they can go to down the stretch and who they can depend on to get a bucket in the clutch.

In last Wednesday's loss to the Thunder, Lou Williams was the guy who took the final shot.  In Sunday's loss to the Bulls, it was Andre Iguodala heaving a three at the buzzer.  And in Monday's loss to the Bucks it was again Lou Will who had the final say.

Personally, I want Lou Will to always take the final shot.  Out of all the players on the Sixers, Lou is definitely the purest scorer.  He can create his own shot and he has proven in the past that he can both take and make pressure shots.  But Williams also tends to force the issue a little too much so in that regard he isn't an ideal closer.  The last person I want to have the ball in the final minutes is Iguodala.  I'm not an Iguodala hater by any stretch, but time after time he simply fails to get it done in the clutch.

But this discussion of who the closer should be raises two main questions: First, why do the Sixers struggle in the final minutes of the fourth?  And second, do the Sixers really need a closer?

I think one of the main reasons the Sixers struggle down the stretch is that close games force them to rely solely on one guy to score.  When the Sixers are at their best the defense is creating turnovers, the Sixers get out in transition, and they get balanced scoring from everyone.  But close games force the Sixers to change their game and rely on just one guy.  The Sixers are not the Miami Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers.  They don't rely on one player to have success.  They are a balanced team that gets contributions from just about everyone.

Key For Flyers And Bryzgalov Is To Just Win

I know the title may sound kind of simple and silly, but it really is true when you think about it.  The Flyers have won their last three games over the Islanders, Capitals, and last night they beat the Red Wings by a final of 3-2.  It's safe to say that goalie Ilya Bryzgalov played a large part in all three of those victories.

And as the Flyers win not only do they gain points in the standings, but perhaps more importantly the attention slowly begins to shift away from Bryzgalov.  It's really simple: when the Flyers are losing, naturally people blame Bryzgalov.  The added attention toward Bryz unfortunately doesn't serve as motivation.  It actually has a reverse effect and seems to make Bryz tense up and play worse.  His every move is under a microscope, and experts and fans begin to bash the guy saying he isn't good enough.

But when the Flyers win, nobody really talks about Bryz at all.  He seemingly flies under the radar and is able to just play his game.  He doesn't have to worry about being critiqued by fans or experts, and he can just go out there and play hockey.

Under the radar and away from the center of attention is the perfect place for Bryzgalov.  We are officially in the final month of the regular season, and if Bryzgalov and the Flyers can get hot and go on a big winning streak, they can ride that momentum right into the playoffs.  Hopefully a shutout over the Caps and a big win over Detroit will help to spark that run and keep this winning streak going.  And I really think that the Flyers can catch the Rangers if everyone begins to click at the same time.

The Flyers next game will be Thursday when they host the Florida Panthers.

Discovering Clearwater

It pains me to say it, but this year I will not be attending Phillies spring training in beautiful Clearwater, Florida.  I won't be able to enjoy days where your only care is what you're going to eat, how you're going to get the game, and where you're going to watch March Madness games at night.

It truly is a baseball fan's paradise.  I was fortunate enough to go for three consecutive years and they were all truly memorable experiences.  You get to experience your favorite team in a friendly, laid back atmosphere.  Because your closer to the field, you get to interact with the players and coaches in ways that you can't during the course of the regular season.

And of course there is that added element of basking in the sunshine and watching baseball, while your friends and family shiver back home in the blistering Philadelphia cold.  Call it cruel, but it really does add to your enjoyment of the trip.

Overall Clearwater is a place that all Phillies fans should experience at least once in their lives.  The food, the baseball, and the overall atmosphere make it a truly exceptional place to watch the Phillies gear up for the regular season.

As I stated earlier in the article, unfortunately I will not be able to make it this year to Clearwater.  So to hold me over until April, I have decided to write a little mini series entitled Discovering Clearwater.  During the month of March, I will try to post at least one article a week designated entirely to the food, attractions, and overall atmosphere that make up Clearwater, Florida.

If you are getting ready to head down to Clearwater, you will definitely want to read my articles as I clue you in on all of the best restaurants and places of interest.  Clearwater truly is a wonderful place, and I hope that the fans heading down will use my insight to add to their spring training trips.  And for those of you stuck in Philadelphia, all I can say is at least it hasn't been a terribly cold winter, and opening day will be here before you know it.  And at least you have my exciting articles to look forward to.