Philly Sports Day Running Diary

Living out in San Diego, it’s only on rare occasions that one of my favorite sports teams from Philadelphia are on TV. So you can imagine I’m feeling like Kumar today with THREE of my teams — Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers — all on TV in a row!

In honor of that, I will be blogging all day, despite a late start.

Early Philly Sports Day Thoughts

It wasn’t a great start to the morning

Behind a terrible 3rd inning (and mainly a poor diving attempt by left fielder Raul Ibanez), the Phillies got off to an early 3-0 hole which grew to 4-0 after Adrian Gonzalez’s solo bomb (imagine him playing more games away from Petco Park?).

At least Chase Utley got the Phils back into it. But you’ve got to agree that these Padres have put the disastrous ‘08 season behind them.

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!

Jeff Carter with a B-E-A-utiful goal.  Had to break that one down for my girlfriend (the Sports Nurse — man I am biting off Bill Simmons).

Just beautiful.  And now the crowd is into it!

H.E. Double Hockey Sticks

Now this is hockey.

My man-crush Mike Richards scores a goal, and immediately following that, Scottie Hartnell gets into it with one of the Penguins who took a run at Kimo Timmonen. And Sid Crosby’s already bitching.

My kinda day! I smell a fight soon. Damnit Flyers just took a penalty. BUT THERE IS SOME BRAWLING.

Just watched a Penguin hit the deck! LETS GO FLYERS! (I am such a Philly fan.)

Great penalty kill by the Flyers, btw. Crosby had a few nice plays, but the Flyers kept him from any real damage.

Tough End to the First Period

Never good to give up a goal in the last 1:00 of a period. Unless you’re winning by like three or four goals, and you give a goal to end the third; it’s a huge momentum changer.

Got to keep the pressure on in the second!

SEND ‘EM HOME RAUL!!!

What a great way to end the first third of the day! LONG DRIVE by Raul Ibanez — earlier the goat with his two-base error in the third — to send the first wave of fans home from South Philadelphia.

Great way to shut up those annoying Padres announcers that think the Padres have already won the World Series with a hot start.

Just ask the Mets about September, then call us when you’re in our neighborhood (ala Mercury Morris).

Up and Down in Wachovia

Love me some playoff hockey. Danny Briere’s great play has the Fly Guys back up midway through the second.

Just don’t think a one-goal lead will hold up against the Penguins. Malkin just got out of the box and forced the Flyers into a penalty just like that. Gonna need to ride out the coming storm during this penalty kill and look to add another biscuit in the Pittsburgh basket.

Oh those shorthanded Flyers…

Claude Giroux pays Danny Briere forward, as his superb stickwork led to Simon Gagne’s shorthanded goal to give the Broad Street Bullies a 4-2 advantage.

You KNOW it!

Stick a Fork in Pittsburgh

Simon Gagne’s empty netter just closed the second third of this wonderful Philly Sports Sunday. The Penguins are tough, but if the Flyers can play with this level of intensity and work to bully Sid the Kid and Malkin, then this could become a long series.

On to the Sixers now. It’s 11-8 Orlando right now, but Thaddeus Young just made the front end of a potential three-point play. Look for him to come alive in this playoff series.

Sixers Sloppy Seconds

In both the second quarter and second half, the 76ers look like the weak six seed that they are, down by ten, 62-52. Here’s how did we got here:

• Lax on defense, allowing easy penetrations (that’s what she said).
• Three consecutive turnovers in their own end — all of which seemed as though could’ve gone the other way.
• Willie Green on the court.
• Thaddeus Young off the court (in foul trouble).

But it’s the NBA, everyone goes on a run. Hopefully, the Sixers can make it a close one heading into the fourth.

Sixers Finally Make That Run

Just blogging real quick here. Here are some quick-hitters:

• Good job Sammy Dalembert, poking Dwight Howard in the eye!
• However, Andre Iguodala just got poked in the eye. Uh oh, get back in soon Iggy!
• Glad to see Donyell Marshall on the floor. He was a Sixer-killer back in the day from beyond the arc.
• Sweet Lou Williams coming alive down the stretch.

Worse case: Sixers made a game of it in the fourth. Better than I thought coming into the game.

Behind Iggy, Sixers Complete the Comeback!!

Now that’s what you call redemption.

With six turnovers and two missed free throws in the final minute, Andre Iguodala was looking like the goat behind a tough game one loss to the Magic. But thanks to huge performances off the bench by Sweet Lou Williams and Donyell “I used to kill the Sixers” Marshall, Iguodala was in position to make amends — and he did not disappoint!

100-98, game Sixers!

What an end to a great Philly Sports Sunday!