MORNING CALL: A college professor from Lower Macungie Township who wrote a book about the first 50 years of the NFL knew Philly fans had a reputation for mistreating visiting fans, but the Wisconsin native said he didn’t know how bad it could be until he went to the Eagles game Sunday. Craig Coenen and his father, Peter Coenen, left Lincoln Financial Field jubilant after watching their beloved Green Bay Packers defeat the Eagles in the NFC wild card playoff game. “We were just thinking about how nice a day it was and it was a good memory,” Peter Coenen […]
MICKEY ROURKE IS FOR PUSSIES: Meet Nick Gage
DAILY NEWS: WHEN THE KING of ultraviolent wrestling suffered severed arteries during a match, he wanted to keep fighting while blood shot from his armpit like a small geyser. “Just wrap it,” Nick “F’n” Gage told the people screaming “Call 9-1-1.” Gage [pictured, above right, smashing fluorescent light bulb over back of his opponent], a berserker whose brutal brand of wrestling has made him a legend in the Philadelphia-based Combat Zone Wrestling, has been set on fire, hit with chairs, tables and worse, and has seen his blood spilled all around the world. The only thing that could stop Gage […]
SPORTO: After The Fall
[Photo by pimpdisclosure] BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY You can’t say the Eagles deserved to win that game. You can certainly say they had chances to win. I thought the best chance was the short pass to DeSean Jackson on the opening play of the final drive. He’s magic, I really thought he might go all the way. And if Desmond Bishop hadn’t caught him by the shoestrings, he just might have taken it to the house instead of just 29 yards. Then four plays later it was all over. Did the Eagles shoot themselves in the foot? Would anyone […]
SPORTO: Miracle In The Meadowlands 2
[Photo by jvc_107] BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUYThat was the craziest game you’ve ever seen. The first contest in NFL history that ended on a game-winning punt return as time expired. The Eagles’ biggest comeback and the most points they’ve ever scored in the fourth quarter (28). That’s six straight wins against the Giants. But let’s not forget that had the Eagles lost that game, Andy Reid would have been barbequed for not throwing the challenge flag on DeSean Jackson’s fourth quarter fumble. The Eagles had momentum at that point and had just started moving the ball, down 24-10. With […]
SPORTO: About Last Night
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY Apparently it’s cool to obliterate Michael Vick as he’s going out of bounds. Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer got away with it in the 2nd quarter Sunday night. Never mind that every quarterback in the league gets that call. A tight end would get that call. Is it that referees see how quick Vick is and can’t help thinking of him as a running back (and thus less protected)? Or is it possible that there is a bias against Vick, subconscious or otherwise? Later there was the play where two Cowboys defenders delivered consecutive helmet-to-helmet hits […]
SPORTO: Donnybrook McNabb
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY I know you didn’t like the “Air Guitar”. Or the crunch-time vomiting. I know McNabb never figured out how to truly connect with the Eagles’ fan base. But how has he managed to generate such strong animosity from such a large and vocal segment of Eagles fans? What exactly is his crime? Is it failing to win the Super Bowl? Every other Eagles QB for the last 40 years shares that crime. Is it not living up to expectations? The man was booed from the instant the Eagles drafted him, expectations were very low! Donovan […]
SPORTO: Bring On The ‘Skins 2
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY It was the Running Into the Kicker penalty early in the 3rd quarter that was the last straw. Before that, a couple of borderline calls had gotten the referees on the crowd’s bad side, but when the zebras bought Colts punter Pat McAfee’s kick-and-flop, the crowd had had enough. A big early lead gone, still bitter about the Phillies, this was the Philadelphia Sports Collective’s first chance to vent after two weeks stewing about the Eagles collapse against the Titans and the Phillies flameout. Oh, and the Sixers poor start (just kidding!). Now the crowd […]
RIP: Paul The Octopus Dead At Two
[Illustration by CHRIS MOOLAY] YAHOO: Paul, the oracle octopus who shot to fame in the World Cup this summer for his uncanny ability to predict the results of Germany‘s soccer matches, has died at his home in Oberhausen at the age of two. English-born Paul made headlines across the globe after he correctly forecast how Germany would fare in seven matches, before his psychic powers were tested again for the final. After Germany’s semi-final defeat, Paul tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final, which prompted one news agency to report he had spurred a jump in demand for […]
SPORTO: It’s Not Easy Being Green
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY Sometimes you’ve got to envy the bandwagon fans, the ones that come along in the playoffs and manage to feel (or at least display) almost as much joy from success as the diehards. Their great advantage is that they really don’t care as much about the losses, since they aren’t that emotionally invested in the first place. These kinds of fans were able to look at the TV schedule this weekend, take a look at the weather outside and decide to enjoy one of the last quality weekends of the year. The diehards holed […]
STILL: It Was A Very Good Year
“‘TIS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST, THAN NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL.” –Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850 RELATED: Not to kick Phillies fans while they are down or anything, but shortly after last night’s season-ending loss to the Giants, Jon Heyman of SI.com tweeted that teammates don’t expect Jayson Werth to return next season. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Werth is poised to make big money in free agency, especially after hiring Scott Boras as his agent earlier this year. By the way, Boras has already likened his new client to Matt Holliday, another one […]
SPORTO: From The Great Pumpkin Patch
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY Despite two kids, I’ve been able to maintain a pretty aggressive sports watching schedule. But some things are just unavoidable. That’s why I found myself at a 3-year-old’s birthday party as the Eagles game kicked off Sunday. It was a solid gig – pizza, pretzels, pumpkin painting and hayrides. The farm we were at was packed. I was blown away by all the Eagles jerseys I saw (two Nick Cole’s?). If you are such a big fan that you have bought a jersey AND you are wearing it out on gameday, then what the hell […]
THE PERFECTIONIST: Halladay Pitches The Second Post-Season No-Hitter In The History Of Baseball
ESPN: Those are the only men who have thrown two no-hitters in one calendar year or thrown a postseason no-hitter. Roy Halladay just became the first pitcher to do both. Should we be surprised? Sure. Just look at that list. Talented fellows, but only one of them has a plaque in the Hall of Fame. MORE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Don Larsen is the only other pitcher to throw a postseason no-hitter. He tossed a perfect game for the New York Yankees in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 54th anniversary of Larsen’s gem is this Friday. Halladay took […]
SPORTO: Future Uncertain, End Is Always Near
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY Knowing Phillies fans as I do, 97% of you assume the Phils will just waltz past Cincinnati. You’d imagine the mighty Phillies have the better lineup, but do they? The Reds finished first in the National League in batting average, by a wide margin (the Phillies ranked 5th). The Redlegs led the NL in home runs too, with the Phillies 5th again. They’ve got six guys who hit 18 or more dongs. And the Reds scored more runs than the Phillies, so you can’t assume the Phils have the better offense. The edge comes, of […]