Vince Young Leads Eagles Past Giants

They did it!!! The Eagles finally were able to close out a game this year! They beat the rival New York Giants 17-10 with players that most people hardly even knew existed. The charge was led by backup Quarterback Vince Young, Riley Cooper, and Chad Hall.

Of course there were the 'usual suspects' that contributed like Desean Jackson, and Lesean Mccoy, but one player played with a 'chip on his shoulder' in this game. Steve Smith was another prized free agent that the Eagles acquired in the offseason. Smith spent his first couple seasons with the Giants before signing with the Eagles. During his time in New York, he set team records in receptions (107), was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl, and won a Super Bowl title. He scored his first touchdown of the season in the second quarter against his former team.

The win brings the Eagles to a record of 4-6, still needing to 'run the table' for the rest of the season if they want any chance at making the postseason. And the schedule doesn't get any easier with the New England Patriots coming into town. This will be a rematch of Super Bowl 39, in which the Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself and the Eagles pull out a 'W'!

EAGLES: 31

PATRIOTS: 28

Vick and Maclin Ruled Out For Sunday's Game Against Giants

Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin have been ruled out for this Sunday's contest against the rival New York Giants (PhiladelphiaEagles.com Article). Vick broke two of his ribs after a big hit in last Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Maclin was also injured in the game; injuring his shoulder on one play and his hamstring on another.

While two of the teams' top play-makers have been ruled out, it also gives the backups a chance to prove themselves. Starting in the place of Michael Vick is former Pro-bowler Vince Young, the free agent acquisition who infamously coined this years' Eagles the "Dream Team" (dumbass...). However VY holds a 2-0 record against the Giants in his two career starts against them, and an overall record of 30-17 as a starter. Those are pretty impressive numbers. It'll be interesting to see how he holds up against the Giants with a different supporting cast.

Another set of Eagles who will be making appearances on Sunday are Riley Cooper and newly activated Chad Hall. Cooper is starting in place of Maclin and Hall will be subbing throughout the game. Hands down, Cooper is a 'stud' that has been waiting in the wings. I expect surprising numbers from him this Sunday. I'm not exactly sure what to expect from Chad Hall this week, but I do know that he has reliable hands and is great from out of the backfield. Hall could end up being what Danny Woodhead became to the Patriots last year. Let's just hope so!

Either way, keep your 'phingers' crossed Philly Phaithful!!!

Michael Vick Breaks Ribs In Disheartening Loss to Cardinals

Guess what? The Eagles gave up another fourth-quarter lead and lost this past Sunday's game to the Arizona Cardinals. That is, five, count em', five games in which the Eagles took a lead into the fourth quarter, and then subsequently lost the game in the final 15 minutes. Really? Is this like karma for Michael Vick's dog-fighting? I remember a bunch of people saying 'karma would catch up to him,' but I really hope that isn't the case.

On top of the loss, Vick was absolutely horrendous. HOR-REN-DOUS! He barely threw over 100 yards, rushed for another 75 more, and took a hit at some point in the game that left him with two lower broken ribs ( LA Times article). This might explain his major lack of passing accuracy. You can also point to the fact that his top-two main targets in Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson were not a part of the game. Maclin injured his hamstring and his shoulder on two separate plays, and Jackson was deactivated/suspended (Fox News article on Jackson benching) for the game because of his tardiness at a Special Teams meeting on the previous day.

Regardless, I'm sick of losing and sick of the media roller coaster. One minute, the Eagles aren't living up to their 'Dream Team' expectations, the next minute the Eagles are on their way to the playoffs (after they won two games). Give me a break! From now on I'm not making any predictions until we (the Eagles) win a stinkin' game!

Philadelphia Eagles: Heart 2011

This video will bring a tear to any Philly Phanatic's eye! haha Enjoy!!!

NFL Week 8 @ The Hurricane Bar & Lounge, Delray Beach (Eagles vs Cowboys)

I have to be honest, I've been slacking on visiting different bars because of my love affair with The Parrot Lounge in Fort Lauderdale. But this week, I decided that I would force myself to visit another potential 'Phan' Bar (sorry Parrot).

This time, I took the treacherous journey of about a mile north (from my house in Delray Beach) to Atlantic Avenue, and landed myself at a bar stool at The Hurricane Lounge. I told my wife that we should leave a little early so that we could guarantee ourselves a seat for the game. When we arrived, I basically could have started doing cartwheels in the place if I wanted to, because there was literally like three people there. I was a little bummed at first, because I was used to the crowd at the Parrot, but I wasn't read to give up on The Hurricane yet!

One thing that did catch my attention was the complimentary grill that they had cooking for all customers from 6pm-8pm. At their outdoor covered patio area, they offered hot dogs, burgers, and veggie burgers for free (with a tip jar, of course.) That was definitely a positive, but that is all that was offered at The Hurricane Lounge because they don't regularly serve food and don't have an actual kitchen in the bar.

Beers were decently priced, but the selection was your typical domestic bottles; not a great amount of choices. Apparently, they have a Happy Hour on all well drink every Monday-Friday. Of course I was there on a Sunday. lol. But more than anything, I came to enjoy the game with fellow 'Phans', and by the time the game starts (or after tossing a few back), all the beers taste the same anyway, and the place actually started to fill up with people!

To make a long story short, the Eagles ended up totally dominating the Dallas Cowboys in a 34 -7 rout. They looked unstoppable not only on offense, but equally impressive on defense. They actually started to resemble the 'Dream Team' that Vince Young infamously termed this group before the season started.


The Hurricane Lounge was a relaxed and chill environment to catch all your Philly sports, hang with fellow Phans, and grab a brew. One thing to be noted is the fact that you have to 'look' for the lounge, as it's not a 'storefront' on Atlantic Avenue, but more of a side street bar. If your looking for food beyond a burger/hot dog (if they have the outside grille going) and are a casual phan at best, I wouldn't recommend the Hurricane Lounge to you. If you don't really care where you go, as long as there's beer and Philadelphia sports, then I would definitely recommend giving them a visit!

GRADE: B - 

The Hurricane Lounge and Bar <<< (Click for for website)
640-7 E. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach, Fl 33483
561-278-0282

Yelp Review HERE

Eagles Trade Ronnie Brown to Lions For The Day

I know I'm a little late on posting about this, but I still feel that it's not only newsworthy, it's also an overall 'feelgood' story.

So in the 24-23 week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Ronnie Brown (#34) took a Wildcat snap at the 49ers 1-yard line. On the play (which was a run-pass option), Brown was swarmed by defenders and instead of simply taking the tackle for a loss, he chose to try and throw the ball on his way down to the turf. Needless to say, the errant pass was intercepted, leaving the Eagles without the points needed to seal the win against the 49ers.

Since then, Brown had basically been benched and scarcely used, so it came as no surprise that the Eagles dealt him to the Detroit Lions in exchange for RB Jerome Harrison and a seventh round pick, before the trade deadline. Harrison was previously with the Eagles last year, but was released at the end of the season.

The trade needed only the two players to pass their physicals to become official. Ronnie Brown headed up to Detroit and met his new teammates, and Jerome Harrison did the same in Philadelphia. Brown was cleared to start practice when Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz called him into his office. He informed Brown that the trade that just sent him to Detroit had been null and void because Harrison failed his physical in Philadelphia. (Brown's reaction interview can be found HERE.) Although disappointing to both players involved (because of the chance at a fresh start on a new team), I'd say this is most definitely an example of 'a blessing in disguise' for Harrison. Philadelphia Eagles team doctors found a tumor in Harrison's brain during his physical examination.

What's even crazier is that they only performed an MRI because Harrison was complaining about headaches on the day of the testing. What would have happened to Harrison had he not been traded to the Eagles? What if he took a big hit on the field that ruptured the tumor? So many different scenarios that could have come out negatively from this situation were ultimately turned positive with the discovery. All I know is that Jerome Harrison has someone from above looking out for him!

Further reading on Harrison's tumor, the voided trade, and his successful surgery can be found below:

• NFL.com 

• The Washington Post 

• Los Angeles Times 

LET'S GET A WIN!!!

A Depressing Week In Philadelphia Sports

If you haven't already noticed/heard, it sucks to be a Philly sports 'phan' lately. The record setting Philadelphia  Phillies (102 regular season wins) ended their postseason with a loss to the Wild-card St. Louis Cardinals.Yes, the same team that barely made it into the playoffs on the last day of regular season play because of the collapse of the Atlanta Braves. Now, the collapse of this Phillies team that had a "World Series or bust" mentality, has left the City of Brother Love in a state of shock. Bob Nightengale, of USA Today, summarizes it best in this article.

Adding insult to injury, the Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) have now lost four consecutive games, with the most recent loss coming to the resurgent Buffalo Bills (4-1). I'm trying to decide which Philly team has had a tougher week, because both of these teams were expected to 'win it all' before the seasons even started! It's not that the Eagles are a 'bad' team, but they find boneheaded ways of beating themselves week after week! For example, they turn the ball over more than any other team in the league, yet their offense is ranked in the top three teams in terms of yards per game and production. Even worse is the fact that these Pro-Bowl corners that we signed can't even tackle! I guess they figure that their talent alone will be able to scare opposing players into just falling over... not. They cannot afford a loss to the division-rival Redskins in the upcoming Sunday. A loss will almost certainly guarantee them to miss this season's playoffs.

On a side note; HOW BOUT THEM FLYERS?!

 

We can always count on the Rocky theme song to inspire us 'phans' (or atleast make an attempt)!

Eagles 'Dream Team' Season Slowly Turning Into a Nightmare

For the third week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles went into the fourth quarter of a game with a lead over their opponent. That is, until they coughed up the lead in that same quarter, for three consecutive losses! For some unknown reason, the Eagles have completely collapsed in the fourth quarter this season, leaving many of the Philly phaithful with plenty of questions, and hardly any direct answers.

So what is it that has this talented group of players on a losing streak? Some argue that the coaches aren't properly using the talent, while others argue that the talent is underachieving. Another argument is that the team is full of 'Prima Donna's' and there is too much ego on one team. Whatever the reasoning, THEY  NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT, AND QUICK!

Who would have thought that backup-quarterback Vince Young's utterance of the words 'dream team' would come back to haunt the Eagles. Wasn't this the team that many of the experts picked as Superbowl favorites? The Eagles don't have to worry about the dream team label any longer, as many have already written them off as irrelevant.

Being the 'phaitful phan' that I am, I believe that if the Eagles are going to turn it around, then they need to start by defeating a surprising 3-1 Buffalo Bills team on this upcoming Sunday.

Winning is for the Birds!!!

EAGLES: 31
BILLS: 28

NFL.com Game Preview HERE 

ESPN.com Preview HERE 

 

NFL Week 4 @ Parrot Lounge (Eagles vs 49ers)

This past Sunday Phunday was spent at the 'world famous' Parrot Lounge in Ft. Lauderdale Beach. This was a sports bar that I had admittedly been looking forward to the visit for some time.


I had heard of sports bars aimed towards supporting a specific sports team and/or city before, but I had never been to a sports bar that solely supported Philadelphia sports teams outside of an actual bar in Philadelphia, especially since the bar is located right in the 'stomping grounds' of the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins. Welcome to the Parrot Lounge.


The Parrot Lounge is fully decorated in everything Philadelphia sports. At the entrance, a banner flew above the front that read "Eagles country." It was soon after that I felt at home. Out of the 200 people (estimate) inside and outside, there wasn't a single person who wasn't donning at least one form of Philadelphia sports memorabilia.

The place was pretty much packed to capacity with 'phans', but of course, being around fellow 'phans' made it easy to get along with the other patrons. We sat outside to enjoy the beautiful day and watch the birds on the big screen out front. For me, they had an awesome selection of craft brewed beers, specifically of the IPA type.They had bucket specials available, but they were mostly were for your generic domestic beers. To compliment my beer, of course I had to have try a Parrot Lounge Philly cheesesteak, and it didn't disappoint!


Overall, this was 'hands down' the best Philly sports bar that I have been to in South Florida. Great atmosphere, great people, great food, great beer, and an all around great time. This lounge is everything that you want and more out of a bar that supports your Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and 76ers.

 

GRADE: A+

The Parrot Lounge

911 Sunrise Lane
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

(954) 563-1493

 

Parrot Lounge Website HERE

Parrot Lounge Facebook Page HERE

Phillies Set Single-Season Record For Wins

I wont gush too much, but following the Phillies horrendous losing streak of eight consecutive games, they managed to finish off the season with an impressive five-game winning streak.

The Phillies ended the season with a complete sweep of the rival Atlanta Braves. In the process, they also ended any chances that Atlanta had at clinching the Wildcard spot for the National League, placing them as the only team (National League) to be eight games ahead in the Wildcard race at the beginning of September, and then subsequently lose it all on the final day of play.

But enough about Atlanta's misfortunes, Philadelphia is playoff-bound and they have done so in a record-setting fashion by winning a team record 102 games this season (not counting postseason play). They open the National League Division Series against a red-hot and hungry St. Louis Cardinals; the same team that overtook the lone NL Wildcard spot with Atlanta's loss. Game one starts on Friday, 5:07 pm at Citizens Bank Park.

Let's go Phillies!!!

ESPN.com Phillies/Braves Analysis HERE

MLB.com Postseason Schedule HERE

Michael Vick Breaks His Hand... Or Not

As I said in the last post, The Eagles lost badly to the rival New York Giants. In the process, Vick, who had returned early from a mild concussion (suffered in the previous weeks game), was under pressure constantly in this game as well.

Vick led the Eagles out of a 14-0 hole to bring the score to 16-14 after the Eagles lousy first quarter. On a 23-yard pass play to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, Vick took a late-hit from Giant's Chris Canty. On the play, Vick looked to grab his helmet as if he were in pain, but it was actually his hand (non-throwing) that was injured on the play. The hit drew no penalty flags.

After the game, Vick was highly critical of the refereeing, even to the point of stating that "the referees need to do their jobs," and "I don't know why I don't get the penalty flags that the other Quarterbacks do." 

Initially, Vick's hand was diagnosed with having been broken. But a CT scan on Monday showed that he only suffered a deep bone contusion. For the second week in a row, not only did Vick not finish the full four quarters, but his injuries have also been less than originally diagnosed, so for now Vick says that he will "100% start for the Eagles" in this weeks match-up against the San Francisco 49ers.

ESPN.com Analysis HERE

Reuters.com Article on Vick's Hand HERE

NFL Week 3 @ CJ's Draft House (Eagles vs Giants)

This week's Sunday Phunday excursion was spent at CJ's Draft House in Deerfield Beach. I had heard that the owners of this sports bar were themselves from Philadelphia, so they supposedly had a good local following of Philly Phans.

Upon arrival, the place was packed out and the hostess that was on staff told us that there would be at least a 20-minute wait. I expected that there would be some sort of a wait (being that we arrived after half-time), so I grabbed a beer at the bar and waited for a table to become available.

Being that this bar has a reputation of housing many "phans", the place was filled with Eagles gear and patrons donning Eagles Jerseys. While I was waiting, a group of phans told me that my friends and I could sit at their table and order food. I let the hostess know of the change, and we ended up eating with complete strangers, but it didn't feel like it!  It's funny how sports and commonality of a city can bring people together, even though I knew noone sitting beside me at the table.

The Eagles ended up losing the game; bad. But the camaraderie spent with strangers, food quality, service, and overall experience left this phan satisfied and already planing a future return to CJ's Draft House.

Overall Grade: A

CJ's Draft House
1825 West Hillsboro Boulevard
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
(954) 428-9129

CJ's Website HERE

 

Mike Vick Practices For First Time Since Concussion

So, my prediction wasn't as exactly accurate per se. The Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Atlanta Falcons this past Sunday, with a final score of 35 - 31. For the time that he was in, Vick threw over 200 yards and two touchdowns. That is, until he slammed helmets with fellow teammate Todd Herremans and subsequently left the game with a mild concussion and a bitten tongue.

It's been four days since, and the question that is in everyone's mind is whether or not Vick will be able to play this Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants. According to Head Coach Andy Reid and Head Athletic trainer Rick Burkholder, Vick was immediately aware of his surroundings and barely failed cautionary concussion testing on the sidelines.

Today, Vick was cleared to practice with the team for the first time since Sunday's accident. It's unclear whether or not he has been medically cleared by an independent neurologist (now part of the NFL's mandatory concussion testing) or fully gone through 'impact testing'. As of right now, Vick is not officially listed on the team's injury report.

Although backup QB Mike Kafka performed well while Vick was on the sidelines; Philly phans better hope that Vick is able to get back on the field for Sunday's matchup with a hungry Giants team. He undoubtedly gives them the best chance to succeed.

NFL.com Analysis HERE

ESPN Analysis HERE

Phillies Lose Phive in a Row

The Washington Nationals have continuously been ranked at the gutter of the National League East, year after year. Not this time. The Nationals are a game away from sweeping their current series with the NL Leading Phillies.

The Phillies clinched their fifth consecutive division crown this past Saturday. They have since lost five straight, and potentially six if the Nationals have anything to say about it. At first I was a little concerned because this is the longest losing streak that the Phillies have had all season. But then I thought rationally and came up with these four concepts:

1. This Nationals team is not the "team of old". They're seriously only a few quality players out of being in contention in the next couple of years. 
2. The Phillies are resting a majority of their core players for the playoffs. Now granted, yes, we shouldn't see such a plunge in the offensive production, but the "back-up carousel" could be throwing team chemistry off. Just a guess.
3. Being that the Phillies were the first in MLB to clinch a postseason berth has to be part of the reason that they're production has gone down. What else do they have to play for besides records?
4. I bet you they "turn it back on" for the playoffs!

Aside from my theories, the Phillies have until early October to get it together. Here's to a long and prosperous playoff run for the Phil's!

ESPN Analysis HERE

NFL Week 2 @ Grand Tavern Delray Beach

This week's Sunday Phunday destination was at the newly opened Grand Tavern Restaurant in Delray Beach. This place is so new that they don't even have a company website and they also didn't have any obvious forms of advertising besides a 'Grand Opening' sign on the front door.

Anyway, stopped in to check it out and to see if there was any business/people and also to check out the 1 pm games and there was a hand-full of people sat at the bar and some high-top tables. By hand-full, I mean about eight people.

The manager greeted us at the door and looked excited to have new guests in the restaurant. He sat us down at a table that had a view of pretty much every TV that they had with the games on. We waited for a server, and waited, and waited. The first time that any of the servers payed us any attention was when I
started waving my hand around in desperation.

I drank a beer while we were waiting for the food. When it finally arrived, I have to say, it was worth it. I had a reuben and my wife had some  nachos. Typical bar food; but tasty nonetheless. So, to grab something to eat, this is a good place, but to watch a game, absolutely horrible for the time being. The game sound was low and the TV's weren't big enough to be able to watch every game from far away. No specific specials were listed, but they did give us 25% off for coming in during their opening month. I'll probably give them another try in a couple of months once they've got all their operations together.




Grade: C- 

Grand Tavern
710 Linton Blvd.
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561-279-2779 


Facebook Page HERE

Phillies Clinch a Postseason Berth?!? What A Surprise...

With a 1-0 win over the lowly Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies have secured their spot for the the 2011 post-season.

According to stats.com, this is the fastest in Phillies history that the team has clinched a playoff berth (146 games). The 1912 Phillies did it in 147 games. The next part of the process for the Phillies is to turn their focus towards claiming their fifth consecutive National League East title. FIFTH! That is... Back to back, to back, to back, to back. I think?

There are 16 games left to be played on the schedule, and all our to be played within a 14-day span. Not only do the Phillies have the chance to remain at the top of MLB in wins, but they also have a chance to return to the biggest stage of professional baseball, the World Series.

ESPN Analysis HERE

MLB.com Analysis HERE

Philadelphia Phillies Official Website HERE

 

Eagles @ Falcons: Michael Vick's Return to Atlanta 9/18/11

On this upcoming Sunday Phunday, the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Atlanta Falcons in a potential playoff-preview. The Eagles are coming off of an impressive 38 -13 win over the St. Louis Rams, and the Falcons are coming off of a complete dismantling courtesy of the Chicago Bears at 30-12.

This match-up also marks the first time that Michael Vick returns to Atlanta as a starting quarterback for the opposing team. Unless you have been "under a rock" for the past couple of years, then we all know how Vick went form being the face of the Falcons organization, to the face of a Virginia State Penitentiary. Since his incarceration, Vick has risen to the top of the NFL, encompassing a $100 million contract along the way, and surpassing numerous statistical records that he set in his days with Atlanta.

With all that being said, this will be one of the marquee games of the week, with two aspiring playoff teams facing off in the prime time Sunday night slot. It might sound like this article is biased, and that's because it is. :) Between this "battle of the birds", I predict:

Eagles: 38
Falcons: 24 


"FLY EAGLES FLY"


ESPN Analysis HERE


NFL.com analysis HERE

NFL Kickoff at Carolina Ale House

September 11, 2011 - I went to check out the Philadelphia Eagles game at the Carolina Ale House in Boynton Beach this past Sunday. It was not only the kickoff of the NFL season, but also the ten-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country.

I had never been to the Carolina Ale House before, but found it to be a cozy/comfortable environment when going to watch a game and/or grab a bite to eat. I sat at the outside patio with a couple of friends, and of course posted up right in front of the Eagles' game. It was pretty hot outside, but the Carolina Ale House had plenty of fans with misters' to help with the temperature.

Our waitress didn't tell us about any specific 'deals' that they had going on (although she was very busy), but a quick glance at the company website reveals a couple of incentives to visit the Carolina Ale House, no matter the day of the week:  

• HOME OF THE $1.50 PBR DRAFTS & $1.99 ICE HOUSE !!!
All day, every day!

• $1.50 Mondays
$1.50 Pints and Bottles of Miller Lite, Coors Light, Icehouse, Yuengling & PBR, 7pm until close!

• Kid's Day
Kid's eat free on Tuesdays! Limit one free meal per adult entrée.

• Ladies' Night
Ladies drink free! 10pm to until close, every Thursday.

• 5 for $10.00 Buckets & $7.99 Pitchers
Miller Lite, Coors Light, Icehouse, & MGD 64

• 5 for $15 or $3.00 Pints
Heineken, Heineken light, Amstel Light and Dos Equis Lager

• $3.00 Captains & Smirnoff OR $5 doubles All day, every day!

Overall, I would definitely recommend the Carolina Ale House to anyone who wants to catch the game (preferably Eagles and Phillies) and/or enjoy a basket of wings, fries, or a burger. They offer a wide selection of draft and bottled beers, and a decent sized menu to fit most anyone's appetite. Although it comes with the territory, my only complaint would be the lack of table space for their outdoor patio. If you have a party larger than four people, you will have an interesting afternoon experimenting with ways of how your going to eat your food with your neighbor's elbow in your ribs. Other than that, enjoy and go check them out!

GRADE: B+

Carolina Ale House Home Page - Boynton Beach
365 N. Congress Avenue
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(561) 735-7848