THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
This is supposed to be a place for inside Eagles information, thoughts and predictions, but today is the Phillies' day.
They are the team I spent 15 years of my life covering and my entire life watching. Harry Kalas introduced me and my wife at our wedding reception with a classic call of "Brookie, your bachelorhood is outta here!"
I made so many friends and learned so much about this business by hanging around the ballpark that no matter how long I cover football or anything else, baseball will always run through my blood.
So it was amazing Monday night and last night when I was able to sit in section 415 at Citizens Bank Park and soak in the sights and sounds of a World Series clinching performance by the team I covered for so long. Not many of the players remain from when I covered the team. Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins were still in the infancy of their respective careers when I left the beat in April 2003. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were climbing the minor-league ladder and I remember asking Howard about hitting a home run off Yankees lefty Andy Petitte in a minor-league spring-training game. I also remember interviewing Cole Hamels in his parent's home in San Diego after the Phillies made him their first-round draft pick in 2002.
All those thoughts raced through my mind as I watched Game 5, first in the freezing rain Monday and then in a ballpark that seemed so much warmer than the actual temperature last night.
But the real joy of attending Game 5 was being part of the championship-starved crowd, which is something you don't get to do too often when you work in this business. When my wife and I arrived Monday night, we bonded immediately with the strangers around us in Section 415. Leon from Drexel Hill was seated next to me and told me that first night that he was 28 years old and only an infant when the Phillies won the World Series in 1980. I was a senior in high school and, like Jamie Moyer, skipped school for the parade.
Joe, seated in the row behind me, started counting down the outs as soon as Cole Hamels retired Rays leadoff hitter Aki Iwamura Monday night. The count down continued through the driving rain until the game was suspended. None of us knew if the strangers around us would be back for the conclusion of Game 5. The end on Monday was too miserable and chaotic.
When my wife and I returned to section 415 about 20 minutes before the game's second first pitch last night, our new friends were there and started chanting my name as I made the climb to row 13.
Soon, the count down was on again. Nine, eight, seven ... six, five, four ... three, two, one ... blast off!
What a scene. We high-fived and hugged. My wife, as loyal as any Phillies fan on the planet, looked so beautiful and so happy. Tears of happiness streamed down Leon's face as he clicked photograph after photograph with his digital camera. Leon invited my wife and I to go spray champagne in the parking lot with him and his friends.
We declined, mostly because I wanted to text my son and my nephew, both away at college watching the first Philadelphia sports championships of their life. I had been texting both of them for weeks, telling them that this was the Phillies' time. Not sure that either one believed me.
I also wanted to talk to my mom and dad, loyal Phillies fans who bought the tickets for their children and grandchildren and watched the game at home. I hope they get to see more Phillies titles, but you never know.
As I left the ballpark, I thought about all those times that John Vukovich told me how special that 1980 parade down Broad Street was for him.
"I want to take another ride down Broad Street," he told me many times.
Tomorrow at noon, they'll be another parade and more strangers will bond in celebration.
Eagles coach Andy Reid predicted that the Phillies will win the World Series at home tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays during his news conference at the NovaCare Complex.
"You know what, they're going to win," Reid said. "I'll take the if out of that and the city will love every minute of it."
Reid said he was at Sunday night's game when the Phillies moved within a victory of their second World Series title with a 10-2 rout of the Rays.
"I'm going to be pulling hard for the Phillies and Charlie (Manuel)," Reid said. "I happened to be at that game and that place was electric over there. I'll have the red on the today."
Reid also said he could just open the curtains in his office if there is a parade down Broad Street celebrating Philadelphia's first major sports championship since 1983.
INJURY REPORT
Eagles coach Andy Reid said he thinks tight end L.J. Smith will be able to play Sunday when the Eagles play the Seahawks in Seattle.
Smith left the Eagles' 27-14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons yesterday after taking a violent hit from safety Lawyer Milloy in the fourth quarter.
"I'm speculating here," Reid said. "I think he'll be able to answer the bell. We have to see as the week goes on here and how much practice time he gets."
Reid said he expects wide receiver Reggie Brown to return Sunday from a groin injury that has kept him out of the Eagles' last two games, but an arm injury has made receiver Jason Avant questionable for the game against the Seahawks.
"He was having trouble lifting his arm over his head," Reid said.
FAREWELL TO HOLMGREN. Reid's mentor Mike Holmgren has said he will retire as the Seahawks' head coach after this season, so this could be the last time the two men coach against each other.
"I really hadn't thought about that, but I know he's had a great career," Reid said. "I said before when I worked for him that I have a hard time belieiving anybody does it any better than him. I don't think he's changed. I know it won't be easy walking away on his terms, but hopefully he gets back in. Hopefully he takes a little time off and gets back in."
Reid has beaten Holmgren's Seahawks twice in Seattle (2001 and 2002) and lost twice to his mentor at Lincoln Financial Field (2005 and 2007).
Eagles Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews will be out from six weeks to the remainder of the season after undergoing back surgery Tuesday in Marina Del Ray Hospital in Southern California to repair a herniated disc.
Trainer Rick Burkholder said Dr. Robert Watkins performed the surgery on Andrews' fourth and fifth lumbars.
"He had good success with the surgery," Burkholder said before today's practice. "He took the fragments out and Shawn's ... recovering now. Dr. Watkins gave us the six weeks to three months category (for recovery). Dr. Watkins believes he got the fragments of the herniated disc out and he didn't have any kind of the narrowing of the spine that can cause a longer term effect."
Watkins is the same surgeon who performed back surgery on offensive tackle Tra Thomas in 2005 and that procedure was obviously a success. Burkholder said Andrews' surgery was similar, but said it's impossible to compare how two different people will recover from a procedure.
Andrews was scheduled to remain at least five days in the hospital.
"He'll start rehabbing today," Burkholder said. "They'll work on two things with him out there: flexibility and core strength."
Burkholder said the herniated disc was first discovered during Andrews' high school career at Fairview Camden in Arkansas, but it was treated with an injection and the symptoms did not resurface until the end of the first half of the Eagles' Sept. 15 loss at Dallas.
Three days later, Andrews had another injection in his back, but it did not provide any relief. After a second injection Sept. 26, Andrews felt better for one day, then the symptoms resurfaced. Andrews first visited Dr. Watkins Oct. 13 and it was decided that the quickest recovery would be surgery.
Max Jean-Gilles will continue to play in place of Andrews at right guard.
Other than Andrews, the Eagles returned from the bye week today as a healthy team as they prepared for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Running back Brian Westbrook, after missing the team's Week 6 game against San Francisco with fractured ribs, said he is ready to play and has little remaining pain. Wide receiver Kevin Curtis is also expected to return after missing the first six games while recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Eagles coach Andy Reid said that rookie DeSean Jackson and Curtis will be the starters at wide receiver, while Dan Klecko will continue to start at fullback despite Tuesday's signing of Kyle Eckel.
The latest twist in the Eagles' fullback saga took place this afternoon as the Eagles signed Philadelphia native and former Naval Academy star Kyle Eckel.
In order to make room for Eckel, the Eagles released safety J.R. Reed.
Eckel, who attended Episcopal Academy, spent all of last season with the New England Patriots. He was signed from the Patriots' practice squad Oct. 1 and participated in the team's final 12 games and two of the team's three playoff games. Eckel scored two touchdowns and gained 90 yards on 33 carries.
The 5-foot-11, 237-pound fullback originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005, but was released at the end of training camp. He signed with the Miami Dolphins, but landed on the reserve/military list.
At Navy, Eckel became the school's third player to have two 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Tony Hunt had to see the writing on the depth chart.
In one week, he went from the Eagles' starting fullback to fourth-string tailback who couldn't get on the field Sunday at San Francisco even in the absence of Brian Westbrook.
And now he's the latest third-round pick to be released by the team.
The Eagles announced this afternoon that they had released the former Penn State star to make room on the roster for linebacker Tracy White, who had been released by the Green Bay Packers a week ago.
White, a six-year veteran originally signed by Seattle as an undrafted rookie out of Howard University, has been a reserve special teams player most of his career. He played in 21 games in his first two seasons with Seattle, 15 games with Jacksonville in 2005 and 32 games the last three seasons with Green Bay.
Hunt, drafted in 2007 as a tailback, carried the ball just 10 times for 16 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. The Eagles tried to move him to fullback two weeks before the start of this season, but the experiment was not working and the team decided last week to move Dan Klecko from defensive tackle to fullback. Since 2003, the Eagles have had seven third-round picks and four of them -- Billy McMullen, Matt Ware, Ryan Moats and Hunt -- are no longer with the team. None of the four ever made a significant contribution.
The three remaining third-round picks from that time period are linebackers Stewart Bradley and Chris Gocong and rookie defensive end Bryan Smith.
In other news from the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys traded for Detroit Lions star receiver Roy Williams on the same day they learned that cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones had been suspended by the NFL indefinitely for an altercation with his bodyguard.
Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez remained with the Chiefs after the team had contacted a number of teams, including the Eagles, about trading him.
Saw a Phillies banner hanging from the car of a tailgater this morning at Candlestick Park, which was odd because I had never seen one here in all the years I covered Phillies games. Something must be happening with the team I used to cover.
Also odd: The person sitting next to me in the press box works for the San Jose Sharks. When do the Eagles play the Sharks?
Anyway, it's the 2-3 Eagles who are playing the San Francisco 49ers today in this antiquated stadium.
They'll be no Brian Westbrook, no Reggie Brown, no Shawn Andrews and no Kevin Curtis playing for the Eagles.
So can they win without their Pro Bowl running back, their Pro Bowl guard and their top two receivers?
They better or Andy Reid will be seeing a different shade of red than the one that has captivated the city this October.
Defense, defense, defense is the answer for the Eagles. They should be able to pressure J.T. O'Sullivan and cause some turnovers.
The pick: Eagles 23, 49ers 17
Neither running back Brian Westbrook (fractured ribs) nor wide receiver Reggie Brown (strained groin) will be on the Eagles' charter flight to San Francisco for Sunday's game against the 49ers.
Westbrook will miss his second game in three weeks and Brown will miss his third game of the season after suffering his groin injury Wednesday during practice.
That leaves Correll Buckhalter starting again at tailback while Hank Baskett and DeSean Jackson figure to be the top two receivers. Wide receiver Kevin Curtis, who is recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia, has practiced this week and did make the West Coast trip, but even if he plays it figures to be in a limited role.
Defensive end Juqua Parker (sprained knee) did not practice again today, but said Thursday he expects to play. The Eagles will have Victor Abiamiri back for the first time this season against the 49ers.
Reserve safety J.R. Reed also will not make the trip because of hamstring and ankle injuries, while guard Shawn Andrews will miss his fourth straight game with a lower back injury.
A FINE CELEBRATION
Apparently the NFL really is the No Fun League.
That's what Eagles rookies DeSean Jackson and Quintin Demps discovered this week when they were each fined $10,000 for celebrating Jackson's 68-yard punt return for a touchdown Sunday against the Washington Redskins.
Bob Grotz from the Delaware County Times first reported the fines, which were confirmed by a league source today.
Jackson and Demps have a routine where they look at each other and fold their arms while bobbing their heads after a big play. The league source said the two were fined for "specifically participating in a prohibited celebration along with another player."
Linebacker Tank Daniels was fined $5,000 "for unneccesary roughness" when he was penalized on a punt return by the Redskins' Antwaan Randle El in the second half. "Specifically, striking his opponent late and out of bounds," the league source said.
As the Eagles continued to prepare for what amounts to a must-win game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, the list of walking wounded remained long.
Defensive end Juqua Parker, hampered by a knee injury, missed practice for the second straight day, but said afterward that he does expect to play. Darren Howard ran with the first-team defense in Parker's absence.
The status for wide receiver Reggie Brown, however, is not as certain. Brown, who missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, left practice Wednesday with a groin injury and did not practice today. Brown has caught a team-high 10 passes for 163 yards in the Eagles' last two games and had 106 receiving yards in a game at San Francisco two seasons ago.
"He is better than he was yesterday," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said before practice.
It appears unlikely that running back Brian Westbrook will play with fractured ribs. Westbrook, who also is recovering from a strained right ankle, sat out of practice for the second straight day. Unlike two weeks ago, Westbrook has not even been in attendance at practice this week.
Guard Shawn Andrews (back) will miss his fourth straight game.
The Eagles will practice tomorrow at the NovaCare Complex, then fly to San Francisco in the early afternoon. The team typically travels on Saturday for a Sunday game unless the game is on the West Coast.
Brian Westbrook played most of Sunday's loss against the Washington Redskins with two fractured ribs, Eagles coach Andy Reid revealed at his news conference this morning.
Reid did not guarantee that his star running back would be able to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
"We'll just have to see," the coach said. "We'll see how things go here the next few days. He's sore."
Westbrook said on his 950 ESPN radio show tonight that he had trouble sleeping and was in extreme pain Sunday night, but he did not rule out playing Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
"It's kind of similar to the ankle," Westbrook said. "It's kind of wait and see. You rehab it. You continue to try to do everything you can to get yourself ready. You go to practice. You watch the tape. You understand your plays. At the end of the day, you have to try to get a feel for what it's going to feel like.
"Can you stand that pain and be effective? Are you going to be out there at 45 percent and not being able to take a hit? No, I would rather have Correll Buckhalter ... take over and carry this team. I'm optimistic about it, but at the same time I'm realistic about it."
And the reality is that it's difficult to play with two fractured ribs.
"Everything you do, it affects you," Westbrook said. "You turn right, you turn left, you try to make a move and that's part of my game trying to make people miss. You get hit on the right, you feel it. You get hit on the left, you feel it. It definitely limits the things you are able to do."
Reid said the injury occurred on the Eagles' eighth offensive play of the game, but he was mistaken. The injury, in fact, occurred two plays before that when Westbrook ran through a hole on the left side for five yards. He was tackled low on the play by Redskins safety LaRon Landry, then hit from behind by safety Chris Horton as he went to the ground.
When Westbrook got up at the end of the play, he could be seen touching his rib area. The Eagles' star running back gritted his teeth as he returned to the huddle, then touched his rib area one more time.
The next play was a reverse to Reggie Brown and Westbrook did not have any contact on the play, but he left the field afterward and was replaced by Buckhalter for one play.
Westbrook did return for the remainder of the series and, in fact, made a great block on an 8-yard run by DeSean Jackson on the first play he was back on the field. Westbrook finished the first series with a 9-yard run for a touchdown. Immediately after the drive, however, Westbrook removed his jersey and pads and the teams doctors and training staff started working on his chest.
He missed some of the Eagles' second offensive series, going into the locker room for a pain-killer injection, then returned and played the remainder of the game. He carried the ball three times for 13 yards and caught one pass for 17 yards before the injury. After the injury, he ran nine times for 20 yards and caught five passes for 34 yards. That means he averaged 7.5 yards per touch before the injury and just 3.9 yards afterward.
"Everybody talks about how that pain shot numbs it ... but it doesn't," Westbrook said. "Every hit, you feel it. Every time you run and turn, you feel it."
This is not the first time that Westbrook has had fractured ribs. He also fractured his ribs in Week 7 of the 2004 season in a game against the Cleveland Browns, then missed the following week's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Westbrook returned from a strained right ankle in Sunday's loss to Washinigton after missing the previous game against the Chicago Bears.
"I think this time it's a little bit less pain," Westbrook said. "I'm on some medication to try to mask the pain. Hopefully, that pain is tolerable enough that I'll be able to play with it. Maybe the pain pills have gotten stronger over the last few years."
Reid also said two-time Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews, who has missed the Eagles' last three games because of a back injury, is getting better.
"We'll see how he does this week," Reid said.
POSSIBLE ROSTER MOVE. Given how the Eagles' offense has struggled near the opposing team's goal line, Reid was asked if he was considering a roster move that would give the team a true fullback. So far this season, they have mostly used defensive tackle Dan Klecko at fullback in goal-line situations.
"We'll just see how things go with that," Reid said.
Typically when the coach isn't planning to do something, he'll dismiss the idea immediately.
Now that the Up-Down Drill is back in the newspaper, you shouldn't have to wait to see it in print. Here's the ups and downs -- mostly downs for the Eagles -- from Washington's 23-17 win today at the Linc.
DOWN
ANDY REID
The head coach said this 2-3 start is his responsibility. It’s his fault, too.
UP
JIM ZORN
The Redskins’ rookie head coach has his team flying high with four straight wins since an opening-night loss to the New York Giants.
UP
JASON CAMPBELL
He might be the best quarterback in the NFC East.
DOWN
DONOVAN MCNABB
He might be the fourth best quarterback in the NFC East.
DOWN
BRIAN WESTBROOK
He returned from an ankle injury, but he was the second best running back on the field and suffered a rib contusion.
UP
The Redskins’ star running back dispelled the notion that you can’t run against the Eagles.
DOWN
DAVID AKERS
Another 50-yarder, another miss.
UP
SHAUN SUISHAM
Meanwhile, the Redskins’ kicker connected on three field goals from beyond 40 yards, including a 50-yarder just before halftime.
DOWN
CORRELL BUCKHALTER
Westbrook returned to the field and Buckhalter returned to the bench. He carried the football just twice the entire game.
UP
DESEAN
When was the last time the Eagles had a rookie this good? The answer may be never, but for some reason the ball was rarely thrown to him after his electrifying punt return put the Eagles up 14-0 in the first quarter.
UP
ANTWAAN RANDLE EL
His career passing stats are 19-for-23 for 264 yards and four touchdowns and that includes the 18-yard TD he threw to Chris Cooley today.
UP
CHRIS COOLEY
Another tight end has a big day against the Eagles. In fact, Cooley, with eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, did even more damage that
DOWN
L.J. SMITH
The Eagles went to him twice early in the game, then just once the rest of the game.
DOWN
STEWART BRADLEY
The Eagles’ linebacker lost coverage on Cooley more than once, including on the touchdown pass from Randle El that put the Redskins ahead in the third quarter.
DOWN
TRENT COLE
The Eagles’ defensive end said during the practice week that Redskins offensive tackle Chris Samuels is the best in the business. Cole did nothing to disprove his own theory.
DOWN
TANK DANIELS
The linebacker’s costly penalty at the end of a Randle El punt return gave the Redskins the ball at the Eagles’ 42 and
