Brian artist, halftime, Music, Prince, sports, Super Bowl

The best part about this year’s Super Bowl…

Well, the Indianapolis Colts may have won Super Bowl XLI, but as far as I am concerned, Prince stole the show.

I was at a party where everybody seemed to be mocking the fact that Prince was the halftime act. I kept on responding to these people that Prince is an incredible musician and songwriter who was going to put on one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever.

Well, I think he did just that…and the AP’s Douglas Rowe. and CNN’s Todd Leopold seem to agree.

(By the way, some of the comments to Todd Leopold’s post are ridiculous…Nickelback and Bon Jovi BETTER than Prince? C’mon…and all the wannabe metal guitarists who don’t understand you don’t need to constantly use your strumming hand on a guitar to get it to produce notes…PUH-leaze! These are people that make me want that persistent asteroid to hit the Earth at some point.)

Remember the days when the Super Bowl halftime show consisted of what seemed to be 35 pop stars on one stage at one time? I always thought that was the dumbest thing. It would have been so much better to get one huge act and let that act do its thing.

So maybe some good has come out of the Justin-Timberlake-induced-Janet-Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Ever since that happened, the Super Bowl has had singular acts during halftime…before Prince this year, there were Paul McCartney in 2005 and the Rolling Stones in 2006.

And on a rainy night in Miami, it just seemed appropriate that Prince’s show finished with “Purple Rain.”

(Watch this while you can…YouTube had to take down a bunch of Viacom videos recently and, of course, the Super Bowl was on Viacom’s CBS…2/7/07 UPDATE: Of course, the old video is gone, but I found this one at Daily Motion…let’s see how long this one lasts.)

(Photo credit: AP)

Brian Michael Vick, news, Ron Mexico, sports

Way to go, Ron Mexico (Michael Vick)!


UPDATE: 1/24/2007 @ 2:40 p.m. ET
A couple of days ago, the following story became a non-story when the substance found hidden in Michael Vick’s water bottle was determined to be nothing that was illegal. However, it is apparent that he tried to hide something in this water bottle and take it onto a commercial airliner. How is that not at least a minor criminal act? Shouldn’t he at least be fined or something? And then I saw this story, which just makes all of this really, really weird.

But here is my original post…

Well, it seems the most overrated quarterback in NFL history, Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons, reportedly tried to sneak a substance “closely associated with marijuana” onto an Atlanta-bound plane at Miami International Airport by storing it in a secret compartment in a water bottle that he reluctantly surrendered to security personnel.


USA Today: Michael Vick’s water bottle raises suspicion at Miami airport

…The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback entered a concourse Wednesday morning at the airport with the 20-ounce bottle. He eventually handed it over and boarded his flight to Atlanta. But his initial reluctance to turn over the bottle aroused suspicion among airport security screeners, a police report said.

The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained “a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana,” the report said. The compartment was hidden by the bottle’s label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright, police said.

No charges have been filed but police said the bottle would be sent to a lab for analysis…

You can read the incident report here (PDF).

The most shocking thing I found in the incident report? Vick was a passenger on an AirTran Airways flight. What the heck was Michael Vick doing flying on AirTran?! AirTran only has business class and coach. The guy signed a 10-year, $130 million contract in December 2004…can’t he afford to fly on an airline with first class? I’m sure there were other carriers offering flights from Miami to Atlanta.

Then again, maybe he is trying to save his money. After all, when you a) allegedly spread herpes while using the alias of Ron Mexico, b) tell your team’s own fans “they are No. 1” with both hands, and c) are barely a mediocre quarterback, maybe Vick thinks the Falcons–and new head coach Bobby Petrino–will realize he is getting overpaid by, well, $130 million, and the team will try to void that big contract for conduct reasons?

Honestly, Vick is a tremendous athlete…I do not dispute that. He might be, as many claim, the most “electric” (whatever that means) player in NFL history…although those people should really watch some NFL Films footage of Fran Tarkenton (Vikings, Giants), who was ridiculously elusive and could actually make big-time passes (by the way, you should really get to know about the remarkable life Tarkenton has lived). I also think Randall Cunningham was a far better quarterback than Vick, but that might be the Eagles fan in me (even though Cunningham had his best days as a passer with the Vikings).

When it comes to being a quarterback, though, Vick just isn’t any good. His passing game is weak and he is not a good decision-maker…especially when it comes to deciding on an alias, apparently.

And he is definitely not worth $130 million.

(Photo credit: Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Brian 76ers, Eagles, Flyers, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, sports

Well…pitchers and catchers report in less than a month

So…now that the Eagles’ season is over and the Flyers and Sixers are bringing new meaning to the word “horrid,” it’s time to start shifting my attention back to my greatest passion, the Philadelphia Phillies…led by 2006 National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Howard (pictured, courtesy of Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images).

Brian Eagles, football, NFL, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles, sports

Keeping the streak alive

I have been busy working on the latest Technology and the Arts podcast, so I haven’t posted here in a few days.

However, I have to keep something going. Since a few days before the Eagles’ 23-7 win at Dallas on Christmas, I have posted something related to the Eagles containing the E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES! cheer.

Well, my last post was a week ago today, which was before the Eagles’ last-second 23-20 victory over the Giants in the opening round of the playoffs. Hence, I haven’t done a pre-game post with the E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!” cheer for tonight’s tough matchup between the Eagles and Saints in New Orleans.

So consider this my superstitious, hopefully-win-inspiring post for tonight’s game.

Now, once more…with feeling…

E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!”

Brian Eagles, football, Philadelphia, sports

Happy New Year/NFC East Championship!


Well, thanks to the totally over-hyped Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys losing to the lowly Detroit Lions at home early Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia Eagles celebrated New Year’s Eve as NFC East champions for the fifth time in six years.

Because the Cowboys’ loss gave the title to Philadelphia, the Eagles were able to rest their starters for the playoff opener at home against the New York Giants next Sunday at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Oh yeah…the Eagles’ second and third teams still managed to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-17, to finish atop the NFC East at 10-6.

Fly Eagles Fly
On the road to victory
Fight Eagles Fight
Score a touchdown, 1-2-3
Hit ’em low, hit ’em high
And watch our Eagles fly
Fly Eagles Fly
On the road to victory

E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!

UPDATED 11:22 a.m. ET, 1/2/2007

I wrote the above post after watching one of the craziest college football games ever, No. 9 Boise State’s amazing 43-42 overtime win over No. 7 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Here is a YouTube video showing key highlights from the last couple of minutes of regulation and overtime…

(Photo of Center City Philadelphia taken from near main entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dec. 29, 2006.)

Brian football, NCAA, Rutgers, sports

Congrats, Rutgers football on the Texas Bowl victory!


Sophomore running back Ray Rice (No. 27 above) rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown to help lead the No. 16 Rutgers to a dominating 37-10 win over Kansas State in the inaugural Texas Bowl held at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Freshman wide receiver Tim Brown, who was making his first collegiate start, caught a pair of touchdown passes, including a 49-yard scoring strike, for the Scarlet Knights (11-2), who won a bowl game for the first time in the program’s 137-season history. Rutgers also reached the 11-victory mark for the second time in team annals.

Tight end Clark Harris reeled in seven catches for 122 yards while Brown finished with 101 yards on four receptions in the victory. Mike Teel completed 16-of-28 passes for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns without an interception.

Brian Leonard (No. 23 above) capped off a brilliant career at Rutgers with 44 yards on 11 carries and a pair of catches for six yards. The three-time First Team All American fullback, who is Rutgers’ all-time leader in receptions with 207, made at least one catch in all 47 career games with the Knights.

On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Rutgers linebacker Quintero Frierson intercepted a pass thrown by Wildcats quarterback Josh Freeman and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.

Frierson’s play was the featured highlight for a Rutgers defense that held Kansas State (7-6) to a mere 162 yards of total offense–just 31 rushing yards–while registering three sacks and a pair of interceptions.

Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights racked up 479 yards of total offense, including 211 on the ground.

Rice, who ran for at least 100 yards for the 10th time during the season and the 15th time in 25 career games, was named Texas Bowl Most Valuable Player for his efforts.

Read the full story from ScarletKnights.com.

(Photo courtesy of ScarletKnights.com.)

Brian Eagles, football, Philadelphia, sports

Fly Eagles Fly…on the road to victory! (The Christmas edition!)

E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!

Well, once again the jolly, fat man delivered on Christmas.

No, not Santa. I’m talking about Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, who delivered to me and all Eagles fans a HUGE and impressive 23-7 win over the despised Dallas Cowboys today that clinched a playoff spot for the Birds.

The victory gave the Eagles a 9-6 record and pulled them into a tie with Dallas for the lead in the NFC East. However, since the Eagles swept the Cowboys this season, Philadelphia owns the tie-breaker and the No. 1 spot in the division.

The Eagles only need to beat the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve to wrap up their fifth NFC East title in six years.

(Photo: Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys in the Eagles’ 23-7 Christmas day victory. Courtesy D. Hallowell/PhiladelphiaEagles.com.)

Brian Eagles, Giants, NFL, sports

Eagles fan beaten by son of late Giants owner…on NYSE trading floor

Wow!

It appears Stephen Mara, son of the late Wellington Mara, has more fight in him than the team his father owned until his death in October 2005.

On Tuesday, just two days after the Philadelphia Eagles went into the Meadowlands and beat the New York Giants, 36-22, in an important NFC East showdown, Mara assaulted Eagles fan and fellow stock broker Bob Tomasulo on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

From CNNMoney.com (citing a New York Post report)…

The paper quotes Bob Tomasulo, 57, as saying that he had been joking back and forth with Mara about the Eagles and the Giants for years, and he was surprised when his comments Tuesday provoked an angry reaction.

Another, unnamed broker told the Post that Mara started screaming, “I’m gonna f- – -ing kill you! Don’t f- – – around with my family! Don’t insult my family!”

That broker told the newspaper that Tomasulo responded, “Hey, what is your problem? It’s just a game!” But the broker said Mara yelled back, “No, it’s not just a game, it’s my f- – -ing family!” and then charged at Tomasulo.

Tomasulo told the paper that Mara just seemed to snap.

“He charged me like an animal,” Tomasulo told the newspaper. “He charged me like he wanted to sack me. At first, he got me in a bear hug and bent me over a trading post. At first, I thought it was a joke. Then he proceeded to choke me. I passed out for a minute.”

Now, I just want to say Wellington Mara was one of the NFL’s founding fathers, as far as I’m concerned. Much like Lamar Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs owner who recently passed away, Mara helped make the league as strong as it is today.

That said, Stephen Mara illustrates an irrefutable fact of life…the Giants suck!

Actually, the only thing that sucks more than the Giants…that’s right…the Eagles’ next victim: the Dallas Cowboys…and that stinkin’, spittin’ loser weasel T.O.

E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!

Brian baseball, Philadelphia, Phillies, Ryan Howard, sports

Ryan Howard wins NL MVP!


Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has won the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player Award, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced Monday.

Howard, who turned 27 on Sunday, earned the MVP award in the season after capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2005. Of the 32 ballots submitted by two baseball writers in each league city, Howard was listed first on 20 and second on the other 12 for a total of 388 points, based on the tabulation system that gives 14 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote, eight for a third-place vote and on down to one for a 10th-place vote.

The Phillies’ slugger led Major League Baseball in home runs with 58, runs batted in with 149 and total bases with 393 while batting .313 for the Phillies, who were knocked out of playoff contention on the second-to-last day of the season.

Howard’s 58 homers set the Phils’ franchise record for home runs in a season, topping Mike Schmidt’s 1980 record of 48. Howard also equaled Jimmie Foxx’s Philadelphia baseball record for most homers in a season. Foxx hit 58 for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1932.

(Photo credit: Rusty Kennedy/AP)