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