Archive for the ‘The Rest’ Category

Guest Blog: I’ve Got the Power

July 20th, 2009 BroadStreetHero

By: Travis (a Mets fan)

As the second half of the MLB season rolls around there is an oddity going around.  While power production by way of 60 hr seasons might be dead and gone, a different type of power surge has sparked my interest and the interest of other baseball fans as well.  Veterans not known for their power are putting up big home run numbers.  Take for instance Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers.  Inge may have had a weak performance at this year’s Home Run Derby, but Inge has stroked 21 long balls this season.   This is Inge’s ninth season in the league and in his first eight years of MLB service Inge hit 93 career home runs, with his most being 27 back in ’06.   Philadelphia Philles all star outfielder Jayson Werth has bombed 20 long balls this season as compared to his 57 total his first 6 years in the bigs.  Werth’s power may not be that much of a surprise because he has hit for power since recovering from a wrist injury that plagued his career when he played for the Dodgers (and he is playing in the launching pad also known as Citizen’s Bank Park).  Russell Branyan of the Seattle Mariners has been known as a decent power consistent strikeout machine throughout his career, but Branyan has cut down the K’s and put up 22 home runs at the break compared to his 132 dingers in a 10 year career with 20 being his highest single season total. The list goes on and on: Aaron Hill popping 20 homers, Ben Zobrist with 17, Adam Lind with 19.  All of these guys are considered veterans, and all of them are showing power that no one could have projected or seen. I wonder if the clock will hit twelve and the Cinderella seasons for these players will come back to reality, or if these guys are in for the long haul. We shall wait and see.

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Stewart Cink-s His Putt to Win the British Open

July 19th, 2009 BroadStreetHero

Tom Watson had the Claret Jug in his sights as he approached his 2nd shot on the 72nd hole of the 2009 British Open Championship, then everything fell apart.  Watson pulled out an 8 iron, which seemed like the right club, but a strong bounce carried his ball past the green, giving him a tough up and down for par, and the Championship.  Unfortunately for Tom he pushed his par putt past to the right, leaving him with bogey.  This set the stage for a 4 hole aggregate score playoff between Watson and Stewart Cink.

Stewart’s journey to the British Open victory was much different than Watson’s.  Watson, who shot an opening round 65, was in the spotlight all weekend with the pressure mounting as he stayed atop the leaderboard.  Cink waited patiently to make his move.  On the back 9 of his final round, Stewart Cink went -4, including a clutch birdie putt on the 72nd hole to put him into the clubhouse at -2.  When Watson bogeyed the 72nd hole to move into a tie with Cink, many people could see what was happening.

The emotions going through Tom Watson and Stewart Cink were very different heading into the playoff.  On one hand you have 59 year old, 8 time major champion Tom Watson who felt his Championship slip away on the 18th green.  On the other you have Stewart Cink, who had never won a major.  Cink was ready to go out and win, and he seized the opportunity that was given to him.  In the playoff it was obvious that Watson wasn’t able to get over the missed putt at 18, and fatigue got the best of him in the 4 hole playoff.  It isn’t often that a story like this happens, especially in a Major Tournament that didn’t include Tiger Woods for the weekend.

Like Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby, we will all remember what Tom Watson did in the 2009 British Open at Turnberry even though he didn’t win.

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Steve McNair, a True Football Player

July 8th, 2009 BroadStreetHero

At Broad Street Heroes I usually like to discuss the events surrounding Philadelphia sports, but today I want to honor one of the toughest men to ever play in the National Football League, Steve McNair.  Today, authorities confirmed that McNair was shot and killed by his girlfriend before she committed suicide.  There is a strong possibility that McNair was asleep while he was shot to death in his Nashville, TN condo.  As sad as this story is, I am surprised that they didn’t come to this assumption sooner.  The second I read that the girlfriend was shot once and fell on the gun while Steve McNair was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest I knew how it happened.  How could the investigators not think it was a homicide and suicide when they came across the crime scene?

What most people will remember Steve McNair for is his play in Super Bowl XXXIV.  In that game led took a Tennessee Titans team that fell 1 yard short of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  The guts that McNair showed in that game summed up his playing career.  McNair was drafted 3rd overall by the then Houston Oilers in 1995 out of the primarily black school Alcorn State.  He soon became one of the premier quarterbacks in the league and was always praised for his toughness, which eventually led to him winning Co-MVP honors in 2003.  He never backed down and never quit.  I can’t count how many Sundays I watched football and whoever was broadcasting the game would say something like, “Steve McNair is starting for Tennessee today, even though he had a fractured hand, sprained knee…”.  The list goes on.  He never complained and played through an ungodly amount of pain, which is near impossible in football, which is such a physical sport.  As an Eagles fan I respect heart from a player, and Steve McNair was the embodiment of heart, grit, and toughness.  On the field Steve would give it his all, and from what I have heard, he had a heart of gold off of the field as well.  I know he got in trouble with the law a couple of times because of DUI allegations, but he donated to many charities and tried to give back to his community.

I want to give my deepest condolensces to Steve McNair’s family as well as the Titans family.  This is a tough loss for you, especially under the circumstances.

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To My Readers

June 30th, 2009 BroadStreetHero

Sorry for the long break. I have been very busy the last few weeks with various things from work to vacations. Anyway, I have been working on optimizing a new website to host my blog. Broad Street Heroes will soon be hosted on http://www.broadstreetheroes.com/. I am working on the site to make it beneficial for myself and my followers. Please be patient with me, and I promise it will be up very shortly.

As for current events, I really need to address many things in the world of sports, as well as some things that are out of the sports realm. First things first, what the hell is going on with the Phillies? I take a hiatus from baseball and Madsen loses his stuff, Rollins has completely fallen apart, Ibanez and Bastardo are on the DL, and we lost an astonishing 9 of 10 games. Either we can’t hit or can’t pitch, or both. All I have to say is at least we are working out these problems during this part of the season and not in September when it matters most. I’m confident that the Phillies will find their groove again and run away with the NL East.

I really want to talk Flyers hockey even though it’s only the middle of summer. There is so much to look forward to next season. I am already looking for tickets for the Winter Classic at Fenway, considering it is the one park I have never had the pleasure of visiting. I am psyched about the signing of Chris Pronger, although losing Luca Sbisa was rough, he will grow into a great player I am sure. Paul Holmgren is showing us that they want a Cup NOW, and that is music to my ears! I can’t wait until July 15th when the schedule is released and the NHL officially announces the Winter Classic lineup. Until then, its time for free agency, we’ll see if the Flyers make another big signing.

When it comes to the 76ers, I am happy but also disappointed in their decision to pick Jrue Holiday in the NBA Draft. With Ty Lawson and Eric Maynor on the board I really thought they would go with one of those more experienced guards so that they would have someone to step right in and lead the offense if Andre Miller decides to leave Philly. Instead they took on a project, and the kid could be a star some day, but that day won’t be for a few years. At least they’re looking towards the future.

Now that it’s July we are that much closer to the start of the Eagles season. I was watching ESPN today and Cris Carter picked LeSean McCoy as his #1 rookie for this season due to his attributes when it comes to catching the ball. The Eagles love to utilize running backs in the passing game, and hopefully McCoy will fit very well into our system.

Anyway, that’s all I have for now on the sports front. Oh yea, I had the opportunity to watch all four professional league drafts this year. I would have to say that the NHL Draft was the coolest to see because it felt like a huge family get together. Each team had a table and they could all talk to each other while the draft was going on instead of being in “War Rooms”. The NFL Draft was predictable and had way too much media attention, as it always is. The NBA Draft was nice because they gave you an opportunity to meet the draft picks and learn a little bit about them. The MLB Draft was very much like the NHL in that you didn’t know many of the prospects due to the fact that it is mostly geared on potential for a few years from now, but I wanted to watch Strasburg get picked.

I also want to send out my deepest regrets to the families of Ed MacMahon, Farrah Faucett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays. It is quite astonishing to see so many familiar faces pass away in such close proximity to each other. Hopefully Farrah’s passing will educate more people about her disease, although it was overshadowed by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. As for Michael, he may have been insane, crazy, or whatever you want to call him in his personal life, and I admit he had more than any person’s fair share of issues, but you can’t deny that he is one of the best entertainers of all time.

That’s all folks. We’ll talk in a few days.

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Why Start Broad Street Heroes?

May 31st, 2009 BroadStreetHero

As a lifelong Philly sports fan I have always had strong opinions regarding my favorite teams. This blog is my outlet to other fans. My friends know me as the definition of a “Philly Fan”, saying that I embody the characteristics of the stereotypical fan from the City of Brotherly Love. In this blog you will see the hometown bias. When things go bad, I will show my frustration. When things go well I will display the gratitude that only fans of Philly teams know how to show. We are the best fans in any league, and I believe that 100%.

I named this blog “Broad Street Heroes” because I feel that each player from the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers has been near and dear to our hearts, except maybe Adam Eaton, and they are certainly my heroes. I treat the Wachovia Center, the Linc, and Citizen’s Bank Park as my home away from home, and that is how it should be.

Right now I am focusing on the Phillies because, let’s face it, IT’S BASEBALL SEASON! I will try to throw in some Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers stuff every once in a while, and by the time September rolls around it will be balanced towards all four teams.

My goals in this blog:

  1. To discuss the daily events surrounding Philly Sports with fans.
  2. To interact with other fans in a courteous manner (this means allowing everyone to have their say…I love a heated argument)
  3. To change the perception of the Philly Sports fan because everyone should know what a true fan is.
  4. To have FUN. There is nothing greater than talking about sports and discussing your favorite teams, players, plays, etc.
  5. With that said, enjoy and let me know what you think…
Posted in The Rest 1,449 Comments »
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