You may have noticed a gaping hole in your life, unrelated to the downward spiral of everything falling apart around you. It’s true; we’ve been sorely lacking in content these past few weeks. Lacking so sorely, in fact, that it was down next to nothing. Right next to nothing. So close to nothing it might as well have been nothing. Because it was.

But as the summer months have rolled from July to August with swift, terrible oppression, the weather has finally broken; the veil has been lifted. Yes, it is indeed true, folks: Brett Myers is back in Philadelphia.

And so are we. Maybe not physically, or at least permanently, in a 24/7/365 sense, but our consciousness is back on the vibrant Philly scene, just in time for the baseball stretch run, Kevin Kolb’s first season as starter and Flyers training camp. And Doug Collins. And Red Bull Flugtag.

Maybe all that was needed was a hair-pulling incident or a black eye from having a catch with a kid. Maybe none of that matters at all. The fact is, as Brett Myers takes the mound tonight at Citizens Bank Park, you can rest easy knowing Philly Fan Complex is back on the scene, Philadelphia business privilege taxes be damned. And that Sam Carchidi will not be there to pick a fight with Jacksonville’s second most famous native son (behind Fred Durst, of course):

“How do you spell ‘retard’?”

Fortunately, Carchidi has a foil on his current beat with the Flyers, one captain Mike Richards.

(PFC legal team note: Philly Fan Complex resides outside the limits of The City of Philadelphia, and therefore will not be ensnared in this vicious revenue scheme. You’ll just have to settle for the parking tickets.)

All of this is occurring during a barrage of injuries to the entire Phillies lineup.  The list is seemingly endless: Howard, Utley, Polanco, Victorino, Rollins (twice), Ruiz, Schneider, Happ, Moyer, and Madson just to name one or two off the top of my head.  Jayson Werth might as well have been on the DL, since for a stretch of the season he was swinging his twig so ghastly.  Still though, they persevered and have finally begun stringing consecutive wins together.

Last night, August 5, the Phillies found themselves in a bizarre but tense struggle against the Florida Marlins.  Again, they did battle without some of their most well known swingers (batters, people…were talking baseball).  Yet again though, we chalked up another tally in the “W” column, regardless of how controversial.

This win streak is due to two things: solid defense/pitching and the unknown players, the ones that are not on Sports Center daily, the ones that do not have pockets exploding with Benjamins, the ones that drive Toyota Camry’s to the park…ok maybe not Camry’s but you get the picture.  Our bench/position players have become an integral part of the Phillies’ success.  For years now, there has been one man consistently playing that role and consistently laying in the shadows, quietly doing his job and consistently doing it without the recognition he deserves.  That man is #51, Carlos Ruiz.

Last night’s display has inspired to me finally give him some of the credit he is due.  Have you ever heard a complaint come from Ruiz? How about a statement in general?  No! Whether this is because he always talks with a catcher’s mitt in front of his mouth, combined with a thick Hispanic accent that sounds like Antonio Banderas with a bad mumbling problem… or the fact that he just loves playing baseball. This guy is “captain clutch”, a fantastic catcher, and an ice cream eatin’ extraordinaire.  Thus, I proudly present to you, the top ten reasons Carlos Ruiz is the best player on the Philadelphia Phillies (right now).

10. The dude’s nickname is Chooch. How many people do you know nicknamed Chooch? Yeah, you don’t.  “Sounds like a big Choo-Choo Train” (thank you Adam Sandler).

9.  In 2007 he had one of the highest fielding percentages among catchers with a .997, with only 2 errors in 744 chances. Yeah it was 3 years ago but if you held those kinds of numbers you’d probably walk around with it tattooed on your forehead. I would at least.

8.  He’s #51 in the books, and #7 in the batting lineup, but #1 in our hearts.

7.  If you say his name backwards it is Solrac Ziur, which is without a doubt badass.

6.  When receiving a pie in the face, it brings him back to his childhood days filled with carnivals and piñatas…hence the heavy home run swing we see today.

5.  On May 29^th, Halladay threw a perfect game, which he attributes to the pitch calls of his catcher. Why do you think Halladay pitched a perfect game? Maybe because the sphere-like rocket that was propelling out of his hand was coming to a resting spot in a little place I like to call “The Glove”. And who does “The Glove” belong to? That’s right. Solrac Ziur himself. (See #7)

4. He has given myself and my compadres something to do for several hours during the work day, a la this article.

3.  Wait..didn’t Ruiz steal home that one time? OH YEAH. He did. Against the Reds back in ’07. Some of you may ask “How is this possible for a man of his stature?” Well, ladies and germs, if you’re name is Carlos and you have a set of legs attached to an ass bigger than J-Lo’s, you best be able to steal a lot more than home-No homo.

2.  Chooch is Spanish for Clutch. How else can one get dubbed Señor Octubre after the Phils second straight run to the World Series?  He draws walks, hits doubles, and really shines in the post season with a .409 OBP. ¿Reggie Jackson quién?

1. Let’s talk about a place I like to call Panama. Carlos Ruiz not only built the Panama Canal with nothing more than a Rawlings 34” Maple bat and a few pieces of Big League Chew, but he happens to hold the honorary title of being the only player of Panamanian descent to catch a perfect game. Yeah I said it. Panamanian. It’s that serious.

A special thanks to the aforementioned “compadres”, D-Roc and Justin, who greatly assisted me in the development of this list.

Overall, it is a great time to be a Philadelphia Sports Phanatic (Canada changed the spelling of center, so we definitely have the right to make changes as we see phit).

I don’t know about everyone else, but despite the baggage and poor reputation we receive (on what seems like a daily basis) from all across America, I’m honored to call myself a Philadelphia sports fan.  Could it get any better than this? It’s a very exciting time for our beautiful historic city, since things seem to be on the up and up on all fronts.  Please, take a moment to digest and let me explain.

Prior to 2008, we had the longest championship drought for a city with teams in all four major sports.  Consistently, year after year, the season would begin with the highest of expectations, proceed through the season with various levels of hope, just to be battered, beaten, bruised, kicked, punched, mollywhopped, and embarrassed come the post-season.

However, the optimist in me implores you to once again bestow your faith in the athletes we have come to love and hate simultaneously.  Let me break it down for you…

Phillies

I start with the Phillies because they are the obvious choice.  They snapped that grueling losing streak in 2008, made it back to the Fall Classic again in 2009 and are primed for another World Series run.  The recent acquisition of Roy Oswalt along with the team in general realizing, “Oh yeah! Winning is fun and we’re good at it” makes all sports fans in the city unite. This team is currently the cream of the crop. I dare you to find a neighbor without any Phillies “shwag” in their closet…ok so maybe ol’ Granny next door doesn’t count.

Flyers

After reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997, and winning a home game in that series which hasn’t happened since 1987, the Fly Guys are chomping at the bit for another chance to drink out of Lord Stanley’s over sized chalice.  GM Paul Holmgren is continually making moves to better his team and this off season is no different.  I have already secured my home opener ticket and am more excited than Crosby before a dance recital. Boom! Roasted.

Eagles

While the Eagles season may or may not experience the same success we’ve had in the past 7+ years, Kevin Kolb is looking to prove himself worthy.  A dynamic offense partnered with a grinding defense will make an entertaining team to watch.  It may not happen this year, but I am confident our birds will fly their way back to super bowl contention relatively soon.

Sixers

Well, this is the one dark spot.  However, the glass is half full.  With that being said, we can’t get much worse than last year.  Young star Evan Turner seems to be the type of player a team can be built around.  If we can get some players to step up alongside him (looking at you, Jrue Holiday), maybe we can kick the laughingstock tune which has recently developed into our reputation.

Special Shoutout

I am going to take this opportunity to give a warm welcome to the Philadelphia Union.  Soccer and the MLS is growing in the good ol’ US of A and Philly is doing its part to contribute.  As with any other expansion team, the Union struggled this season.  If nothing else though, the games are highly entertaining. The stadium illustrates an overwhelming caricature of blue and gold complete with a 90 minute soundtrack of chants and drums.  Even non-soccer fans will be able to enjoy themselves.

Final Thoughts

Convinced?  I thought so.  So come on kids…dust off your blue and red cap, pull up your orange and black socks, throw on your Kelly green jersey, (dribble a basketball?) and join me in celebrating the greatness, that is Philly sports.  Oh, and don’t forget to chant “Asshole!” accompanied by an arm wave at every Devils, Mets, Cowboy fan you see.

Willie Penn would be proud.

When you look at the Eagles’ roster, there are two players with 10-plus years of experience–David Akers and Juqua Parker. This team is young, energized and ready to prove themselves.

“It’ll be exciting, everybody, including ourselves, will get geared up for what’s to come,” Kolb said in an interview with the media.

Are you geared up for what’s to come? I know I am. But, I also know there are a lot of questions to be answered and concerns to be had.

First let us begin with the transition from McNabb to Kolb at QB. Eagles fans have enjoyed an inordinate amount of success since 1999. It is only logical to feel unsure about the future of our beloved Philadelphia Eagles after the departure of McNabb. However, logical doesn’t always mean right. For Reid to trade his pride and joy—McNabb—Kolb had to be ready to step in and lead the team. There is no better time than now to move things in a different direction—Kolb under center, the young, speedy WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, the dynamic running back LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek at TE to move the chains, can now all grow together and begin a new decade of winning.

Although there is a change at QB, the offense will stay the same—West Coast style. Reid played to McNabb’s ability, which was the long ball. McNabb, rhythm and short, accurate passes were never in the same sentence unless you were complaining. That will change with Kolb under center. Although Kolb has a strong arm, he is known as a rhythm passer, who relies on short, quick, accurate passing. Kolb’s quarterbacking style plays into the receiving corps’ abilities to create and produce yards after the catch.
“Kevin’s accuracy is going to be the biggest factor [in the offense's success],” tight end Brent Celek said. “If you get it there accurately, the guy can catch it and turn up field. If it’s not [accurate], you’ve got to turn your body and it slows you down and the defense can catch up quicker. Getting the ball out fast and getting it to you in a position where you can cut up the field quickly is what it’s all about.”

With an offense based on moving the chains and using the clock, the defense now has the potential to perform at a high level. The longer the drive, the more resting time the defense will have. This is important with such a young, unproven defense. The probability of winning games increases the longer our defense sits on the bench.

Don’t get me wrong; I, in no way, shape, or form, believe this team will go 16-0. But I do think the Eagles will be fighting for the Wild Card spot in the NFC. Call me optimistic, but all signs point in that direction. Yes, this team is young and inexperienced on both sides of the ball, but Andy Reid has proven time and again that he knows how to coach—pre-gameday—and prepare his team for Sunday. An inability to execute on gameday has been the down fall of previous Eagles teams—such as McNabb’s inability to execute a simple six-yard pass. If all reports are true, and I believe they are, Kolb’s ability to execute a simple six-yard pass so that the receiver can gain yards after the catch will make Reid look like a genius.

Quick side note on execution of game day: Greg Cosell, of NFL films, was on 97.5 the Fanatic the other day. While talking about the upcoming Eagles season he said something that really stood out to me. He was talking about the Eagles vs. Cowboys, in the final game of the regular season before the playoffs began. Cosell said, “When you watch the coach’s film of that game, you see wide receivers open—wide open—but an inability, on McNabb’s part to accurately throw the ball”. Cosell continues by saying, “the average football fan watching at home just saw a QB who had no time to release the ball. The game plan was there, and working. It wasn’t executed properly”.

I threw that side note in to make my point about Reid’s coaching ability and execution. For the past ten years, when the Eagles would have a poor game, fans would sometimes put the blame on the coach’s inability to change the game plan during game time—the key word is sometimes, since Reid has had some idiotic moments, such as calling timeouts in the first quarter. Maybe, just maybe, the team’s lack of success was due to an inability to run a true West Coast-style offense correctly. That is not the case anymore. Expect big things from this young team for years to come.

Gagne, speaking with French reporters, said what we all knew: That he had a no-trade clause. What we thought we know, though, was that he had indeed waived it late last week, when in fact it seems to be news to him.

The question is why it has taken this long for Gagne to issue a denial. One would think an apparent move of that magnitude would have reached Gagne’s ears sooner than this. The denial is issued in an RDS video, in French, so we’re taking the word of those who know French that Gagne is still a Flyer with a no-trade clause. The video is here.

Perhaps the more important question is: Where did these reports come from? The most reputable hockey people in this city all had this story, so it’s not an Eklund-type or message-board-variety rumor. How did they all get it wrong?

Coming off the Stanley Cup run, this is another twist in what has been a strange offseason for the Flyers. With talks of a contract with Nikolai Zherdev reportedly close, and all those stories mentioning Gagne’s contracts soon coming off the books, it could get even weirder.

Manuel will be managing the NL All-Stars for the second straight year for next week’s game in Anaheim, and he will have three of his players with him: Chase Utley, Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard. Utley was voted in and obviously will not be playing, but Halladay and Howard were picked by Cholly. Halladay will probably be used early in the game and Howard should play a few important innings toward the end as the National League attempts to win their first exhibition game that determines home field advantage since 1996.

The story is not that they are there, however; it is how they got there. The perks that come with being the National League manager for the second straight year, courtesy of two straight World Series appearances, go beyond assuring continuity in the NL dugout. Beyond the starters (voted in by YOU, THE FAN!), Manuel was allowed to assemble the team as he sees fit—remembering, of course, that he must represent each team. Yes, even you, Pittsburgh.

So it comes as no surprise that Cholly named Ryan Howard to the team. It’s even less of a surprise that Manuel, when asked why he chose Ryan Howard over Cincinnati’s Joey Votto for the NL All-Star team, said he picked Howard because he’s “my guy”.

If Cholly is nothing else, he is loyal. He believes in his guys, and rewards them whenever he can. We saw Manuel bring Jayson Werth with him to the All-Star game last season, and wouldn’t be surprised if he does it again this year, what with the injury to Jason Heyward.

As for next season, it’s not looking good at the moment for Charlie to be in any sort of position to bring his guys with him. It will all depend on whether those same guys start to play for him like he says they can.

K, so, look. We’re all pretty pissed about this whole “World Cup thing” at this point…. I mean, am I wrong or am I wrong? Not saying the lot of us wouldn’t do the whole thing over again if we could, mind you.

Matter of fact, we think we just might need to look up our local methadone clinic for the adrenaline withdrawals we’ve been having. Just right this moment, The Venuist is over in the corner slumped in his favorite office chair [better known around Venuing HQ as his "binkie"] and YT Crooks is high above New York Harbor threatening to jump from the tenth floor ledge into what he keeps calling the “Big Cool-Ade.” Come to think of it, we haven’t even seen Mags or Warning Track Power all this week…and 33 Problems keeps sending us 1-3 word texts chocked with non-sequiturs as if he’s been wandering aimlessly through some sort of lonely desert of the soul.

Whatevs. All you people care about are your weekly power rankings.

So fine, here: you can have ‘em. We don’t want ‘em anymore anyway!

TOP 5 Impact Performers, week 3ish:

1. Diego Maradona – Say what you will but dude understands the first — and by far, most important — rule of sportsman awesomeness: go BIG or go home. Argentina is killing all comers — with or without the aid of specious referee calls — and their coach has managed to deploy some 20 out of the 23 total men on his roster. No point in belaboring the point any further: Maradona is the biggest little man who ever walked God’s green soccer pitch. Wait, reports are coming in that Dustin Pedroia just challenged him to an arm-wrestling/Jenga/pissing contest. Sweet. One ring to rule them all…

BONUS: When it comes to sideline swagger Coach Maradona is unmatched. He’s a ray of sunshine in comparison to the rest of the national managers. He’s like a delightful marionette dreaming of sugarplums and champagne and he makes the likes of mean, cold brutes like Fabio Capello seem woefully mirthless. Viva el mano de dios!

For more World Cup power rankings, click here.

The Dustin Pedroias

Sean Rodriguez – Tampa Bay Rays
Rodriguez came into Spring Training and, simply put, tore it up. Then the season started. He wasn’t even a little bit good, and lost himself any playing time he earned in March. Now he’s back and, simply put, tearing it up again. In the past month he’s hit .302 with 4 homers and 15 RBI while stealing 5 bases. That puts his power numbers actually ahead of Pedroia, but the HR to SB ratio is similar with a high average (Dustin has 12 homers and 8 steals, while hitting .292). Unfortunately for Rodriguez, these numbers may not keep up. He’s got a staggering 86 point difference between his average and his BABIP and he’s walking only 1 time per every 10 K’s. Imagine Mark Reynolds striking out 200 times in a season but only walking 20. Ya, that bad. I’d ride out his hot streak for now, but be prepared to drop him when the tides turn.

Clint Barmes – Colorado Rockies
Barmes has been playing shortstop in Troy Tulowitzki’s absence, but he’s eligible at second so he counts. Clint has hit .300 with 2 homers, 16 RBI and 2 steals this month, and is going to force himself into the lineup once Tulo is back (in place of Jonathan Herrera, at second). The metrics tell us he’s even been a little unlucky this year, with a BABIP of .269 against a .283 career number. That should improve, as his BB/K rate is at an all-time high of 0.43, compared to his lifetime mark of 0.29. Barmes will continue to rake and should only get better once Troy Boy comes back. Get him now, you may even end up keeping him.

The Placido Polancos

To view the rest of this article, click here!

Change has come quickly to the Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks. Game 6 of the Finals was on June 10, three weeks ago. Since then, the Blackhawks traded one of their biggest playoff contributors, Dustin Byfuglien, to Atlanta along with Brent Sopel and Ben Eager in a cap-clearing move, and the Flyers acquired and traded away the rights to Dan Hamhuis (sending Ryan Parent to Nashville, receiving a third-round pick from Pittsburgh) and have received permission to speak with both Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco. The NHL Draft also came and went, with lots of trade talks but nothing major coming together.

With free agency less than 24 hours away, the Flyers have $49.4 million dollars tied up in 17 players (16, really, because Riley Cote doesn’t count). That leaves them with roughly $10.6 million in cap space, with the salary cap rising to $59.4 million.

The Flyers have three restricted free agents: Braydon Coburn, Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe. All three are expected to sign, Carcillo and Powe for marginal cap hits and Coburn for a decent sized chunk.

After those three sign, the Flyers will likely lose about $4.5-5 million of that cap space. Is that enough to add a Hamhuis-type defenseman or Nabokov-ilk goaltender? Not without moving a major salary.

Goaltender

Well, we haven’t seen the last of Michael Leighton in Philadelphia. Leighton signed a two-year deal with the Flyers Wednesday, but the team is expected to add another goalie to compete for the starting gig.

Bring up any one of the pending free agent goalies and the Flyers have been linked to them in some way. Paul Holmgren has had talks with Evgeni Nabokov, who is heading to the wide pastures of free agency, and Marty Turco, who may or may not have turned down a contract that may or may not have been offered by the Flyers.

Dan Ellis, a personal favorite to be signed, was traded from Nashville to Montreal on Tuesday. He has not signed with the Habs yet, however, and if he doesn’t will hit the market. Other candidates include Chris Mason, Jose Theodore and Flyer retreads Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki.

The hope is the Flyers add someone like Mason or Ellis who can legitimately push for the starting job. Best-case scenario for the Flyers involves having two quality goaltenders, one of whom will eventually take the reins and refuse to yield them back. In other words, someone besides Biron or Niittymaki.

Defenseman

The Dan Hamhuis episode was a curious and ultimately disappointing one, but Paul Holmgren did a great job getting a third-round pick for his rights from Pittsburgh. Hamhuis appears unlikely to sign with the Penguins, and all indications point to his signing out west with Vancouver.

It’s no secret the Flyers want to shore up their third defensive pairing—that’s why they traded for Hamhuis’ rights. Apart from him, there are several capable defenders out there who would markedly improve the defensive corps as a whole. Anton Volchenkov, Zbynek Michalek and Kurt Foster are three players the Flyers have apparently shown interest in, according to CSNPhilly’s Tim Panaccio.

Volchenkov would be a great fit for the Flyers, but his price tag might be too high. Same goes for Michalek, who will have many teams after him if he doesn’t re-sign in Phoenix. Foster may be the perfect candidate to fill the fifth defenseman spot, because he is a reliable veteran and likely will not cost nearly as much as the others.

Forwards

Really, there is only one forward position open on this team. Arron Asham is most likely gone, so the Flyers will need to find a winger for Claude Giroux’s line alongside James van Riemsdyk. That same winger may also be a candidate to move to the Mike Richards line alongside Simon Gagne.

Colby Armstrong and Matt Cullen are two interesting names. Armstrong brings a tough presence to any line he would play on, which could be perfect alongside Richards and/or Giroux. Cullen is a skilled center who also can play wing, and likewise would help fill out either the first or third line.

Of course, this all hinges on what the team plans to do with its glut of centers. Of Richards, Giroux, Jeff Carter and Danny Briere, the one who seems most capable of sliding to the wing without losing too much effectiveness is Giroux. Both Briere and Carter are players who need the puck on their sticks as much as possible, and sliding either to the wing lessens their impact—as we saw during the regular season and postseason.

With the start of free agency mere hours away, expect a flurry of activity, rumors and speculation. For the Flyers, however, it will likely be about one thing and one things only: Will Michael Leighton be given a competitor?

So: What says ye, Paul Holmgren?

Everyone seems to think that the biggest story of this season’s NBA free agent drama will be where LeBron James ends up. But I think the bigger story is where Kobe Bryant is heading.

In a bid to solidify his claim as the best basketball player of his era, Bryant has asked for a transfer to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His goal: to do what James couldn’t and win a championship with the same supporting cast. Word is Bryant has even asked the team to re-hire coach Mike Brown as part of the trade.

“I think this is better than any sort of rap battle or ‘yo mama’ contest,” Bryant said. “We’ll settle it on the court. If I can lead this team to a championship, I’m clearly the better player. If not, then I’m certainly no worse.”

“I don’t know who he thinks he is,” James said, when reporters asked him for a comment. “He’s not LeBron James. I’m LeBron James. He’s just a sucka who wishes he was LeBron James.”

In related news, James is said to be fighting for a clause in the contract with whichever team acquires him that will allow him to put his full name on his jersey.

Leighton, the waiver-wire wonder who personally mimicked the roller-coaster season the Flyers, signed a two-year deal with the Flyers today. The contract is worth $3.1 million total—$1.5 million this season, $1.6 million next.

This deal can’t be fully judged on its own merit right now. It remains to be seen whether Leighton will be joined by a veteran goaltender (such as Evgeni Nabokov or Marty Turco), a goalie of similar ability and career path (Martin Biron or Dan Ellis) or whether—Lord help us—Leighton and Brian Boucher will be the Flyers’ goalies for the second consecutive season.

Until then, I’ll hold off judgment. Leighton was nothing short of solid for the Flyers, and that can’t be taken away from him. As for him being a savior…well, it’s a stretch.

Leighton is a decent goalie with the chance to be good. I’m not a big fan of his style, as at times he is too slow to react and doesn’t so much attack the puck as allow it to hit him. There’s no denying where he got the Flyers, though.

Now if he could close the five-hole quicker? We wouldn’t be having this discussion, and Leighton would likely be wearing a ring…

Maybe you also haven’t been paying attention to the Sixers for the past two seasons. If so, congratulations.

Things are looking up for your 76ers, with the drafting of Evan Turner last week, the hiring of Doug Collins and the addition through subtraction of trading Samuel “Don’t blame me” Dalembert, all of which has occurred in the last six weeks.

Unfortunately, Andre Iguodala ($12.3 mil for 2010-11), Elton Brand ($15.96 mil for 2010-11) and Ed Stefanski (the man who gave out those ludicrous contracts) are still here. For a team attempting to transition from underachieving and overpaid players to young and up-and-coming talent, these contracts are killers—especially when one’s mind starts to wonder towards what could have been for the Sixers in 2010 free agency.

The Top 11 free agents the Sixers will watch sign somewhere else

1A. LeBron James

1B. Dwyane Wade

2. Chris Bosh

3. Dirk Nowitzki

4. Amar’e Stoudemire

5. Joe Johnson

6. Paul Pierce

7. Carlos Boozer

8. David Lee

9. Ray Allen

10. John Salmons

If the Sixers’ brass had demonstrated any patience in the 2008 offseason, instead of signing Brand (which I’ll admit favoring at the time) and overpaying for Iguodala, a restricted free agent at the time, they could have been in a position to be right in the middle of negotiations with at least one of these players come tomorrow.

Instead, they’ll be sitting and watching with the rest of the world (as ESPN is characterizing the audience for King James’ decision) at midnight tonight when the free agent negotiation period officially kicks off. Or, more likely, they’ll be sleeping, knowing full well they have nothing better to do on perhaps the biggest day for the NBA in 2010.

Brind’Amour, who began his career with St. Louis before being traded to the Flyers in 1991, was one of the most popular players in the city before being traded to Carolina for Keith Primeau during the 1999-2000 season. Brind’Amour holds the franchise record for consecutive games played (484) and developed into one of the best faceoff men and shutdown centers in the NHL.

After being traded to Carolina, he went on to win the Selke Trophy twice (2006, 2007) and captained the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006.

For his career, Brind’Amour played 1,484 games in the NHL, tallying 1,184 points (452 goals, 732 assists), good for 48th on the all-time list.

And, of course, there was his tireless work ethic:

Still wonder why they call him Rod the Bod?

Unfortunately, luck ran out for the United States Men’s National Team this past Saturday, as it dropped to Ghana for the second straight time in World Cup play, 2-1. Once again, USA conceded an early goal and looked flat during the first half. Once again, Bob Bradley made questionable decisions in the starting lineup. And once again, we Americans came back down to earth and realized that we still years away from being considered a soccer superpower.

The reason why we didn’t see the USMNT make a run in this tournament was due to a number of factors – some preventable, while others were simply unavoidable. The following is a list of why there was no storybook ending for Disney to turn into its next successful, inspirational sports movie:

1. Poor Personnel Decisions:

Head Coach Bob Bradley continued to make poor personnel decisions in the starting lineup. As we saw, Ricardo Clark should never have been starting over Maurice Edu. Even worse, Clark was substituted in the 31^st minute! With a limit of three substitutions per game, it is crucial to make these decisions wisely. Most of the time substitutions are made in well into the second half in order to get fresh legs on the pitch for the last 15-20 minutes of the game.

Replacing Clark early in the first half essentially wasted one of the three strategic substitutions, killed the confidence of Clark (even though Bob Bradley claims it had to do with Clark’s yellow card), and stripped the U.S. of a pair of fresh legs in the second half. The USMNT certainly could have used a boost during extra time against a much faster and well-conditioned Ghana team.

2. Lack of Talent/Depth:

Top-level teams have top-level talent. The U.S. did not have any considerable talent upfront. Although Jozy Altidore’s talent ceiling is still very high, he did not produce a goal during the tournament. It is absolutely crucial to get production out of your strikers. Herculez Gomez, Robbie Findley, and Edson Buddle? Are you kidding me? Buddle was a late addition to the roster because he was “hot” in terms of scoring, while Gomez was also a late addition due to his resurgence in Mexico and his speed. These attributes are overrated. Talent supersedes hot streaks, speeds, athleticism, etc.

America needs to produce forwards that can match up with the Didier Drogbas, David Villas, Lionel Messis, and Luis Fabianos of the world. Plus, we saw how the Charlie Davies injury affected the team. Despite having a solid campaign at the Confederations Cup last year, Davies is a modest option at best. However, his unfortunate injury from a car accident last year not only ended his World Cup dreams, but exposed a porous American front line.

In addition, there needs to be an improvement on the defensive line. Although they were solid (for the most part) as a unit, the defensive pairings lacked athleticism and skill. Carlos Bonanegra was outmuscled on the second goal of the Ghana match, while Steve Cherundolo had an awful match. The best defender for the United States over the four games was Jay DeMerit. He was successful not because of his talent, but because of his grit and tenacity.

3. Early Goals:

One would think that after giving up two early goals during Group Play, the USMNT would focus their training sessions on starting the games with a sense of urgency. For whatever reason, Ghana was able to score another early goal within the first five minutes of Saturday’s match. This raises a bunch of questions – why is the team not focused/motivated at the beginning of games, why does this lack of communication continue to happen, and why does the USMNT consistently fail to set the tempo of the game?  It simply comes down to the leadership of the head coach and the team. It’s unfortunate that this team couldn’t focus and play hard out of the gate every time.

Looking Forward:

I am pleased by the effort shown by the USMNT, however very disappointed that we didn’t take advantage of our opportunity. Simply put, we blew it. The USA had arguably its best opportunity in history to easily advance (relatively-speaking) far in the tournament. U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati was very correct when he stated that the American team did not meet his expectations at the World Cup. In my mind, Bob Bradley is a solid coach – but not the one that should lead them forward.

Personally, I want to see former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann take over for Bradley. Klinsmann is a world-class coach who led Germany to a third place finish in the 2006 World Cup (In fact, Klinsmann nearly got the job over Bradley a few years ago). During a recent ESPN broadcast, Klinsmann hit in on the head when he stated that Americans “need to improve on the first touch.” You don’t see anybody on this team who can compete with the footwork of a Lionel Messi. In addition, interest needs to be generated in the inner cities (as Klinsmann also pointed out). He clearly has the vision to take this team to the next level for 2014 and beyond.

In terms of the team, I have my concerns. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey will be past their prime in 2014. Mid 30s in soccer is the equivalent of 40s in other sports. Tim Howard is a lock to remain the keeper; age isn’t really a factor at the goalie position in soccer. Michael Bradley sparkled during this tournament, which should draw interest from top clubs (speaking of top clubs, there is no doubt in my mind that Donovan will be playing in the EPL by the end of the year).

Maurice Edu is another promising young player that will hopefully blossom into another solid player. Everyone should cross their fingers that Jozy Altidore can finally put it together and gain a world-class scoring touch. Given the fact that he’s only 20, I believe there’s endless potential for him to do that. Other than those players, we better hope that a new crop of talent can step up and fill some roles in the future.

Overall, there was nothing better than seeing people across America ride the wave of enthusiasm over the past three weeks. That’s right, I said it – I like the bandwagoners, the casual fans who don’t know the difference between a goal kick and a corner kick. If soccer is going to grow in this country filled with every piece of entertainment and sport imaginable, there needs to be attention drawn to it. The question remains – can this short-term spurt of publicity transform itself into a loving passion among Americans? My guess is yes AND no.

I feel that soccer is growing in this country; the MLS is expanding in popularity domestically, while there is more coverage of foreign leagues such as the English Premier League than ever within the U.S. borders. However, soccer was not created in America and children are more likely to have LeBron James Fatheads hanging up on their walls, not Landon Donovan. Has the NHL seen any increase in popularity from the spectacular competition we all witnessed during the Winter Olympics?

Nevertheless, I think the sport of soccer will continue to take baby steps forward over the next few years. It will take an American born and bred superstar equivalent to LeBron James to change those baby steps into giant leaps. Although this is certainly a daunting feat, I believe that the United States will be a major contender in the World Cup within the next 25 years.

"For trading Cliff Lee, they are condemned!"

By now you’ve probably heard the apocalyptic news that both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco have been placed on the 15-day DL. You also are probably dealing with the physical aftermath of the emotional decision you made to jump off the Phillies 2010 World Series Champions bridge specially constructed for this season.

You can’t totally be blamed. Entering last night’s game, the news on Polanco was cautiously optimistic. He’d received a second cortisone shot on his ailing elbow, and hoped to play in Tuesday’s game in Cincinnati. There was nothing to report on Utley because, well, nothing had happened to Utley—yet.

In the fourth inning of last night’s series-opening loss to the NL Central-leading (!) Reds, Utley tried to stretch a single into a double, sliding head first into second base. He was tagged out on the play, but ultimately did worse damage by snagging his right thumb on the bag. Utley soldiered through the rest of the game without any apparent signs that the opposable digit was ailing, but with the Phils facing a six-run deficit in the ninth inning, Charlie Manuel pulled Utley for a pinch hitter. That’s when we learned of The Thumb.

Now, a day after, both Utley and Polanco are on the DL. Utley had an MRI on his thumb earlier today, and while it is not believed to be serious in the season-altering vein, it certainly is not something to take lightly. The Phillies are in trouble from now up until the All-Star break, at the very least, and possibly longer if The Thumb and The Elbow do not heal enough for both players to be effective.

If they don’t? You won’t want to be around to see it.