EAGLES MUST COMPLETE THE DEAL

The Philadelphia Eagles of the last decade are one of the best teams in sports history that have received so little love from their fans and most NFL fans in general. Now Eagles fans are quite crazy (they booed Santa Claus), but you would think Andy Reid was Matt Millen and Donovan McNabb was Ryan Leaf by the way they treat their team sometimes. Just seven weeks ago it appeared the Reid/McNabb era was coming to an end. The fans would have received their wish and Kevin Kolb and an unproven coordinator would have been called in to run the show next season.

However, when the Eagles square off against the Cardinals in the desert this upcoming Sunday it will be their fifth NFC Championship Game appearance since the 2001 season. They are also 7-0 (McNabb 6-0) in opening playoff games during their run. The tandem of Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid has been highly successful, and despite the rival Giants winning the Super Bowl last year, the Eagles have been the better NFC East team. Just ask Buffalo Bills fans how much success means if you don't complete the deal and cap off your run with a Super Bowl championship. On the flip side, you can ask Peyton Manning just how much different his life is now that he finally won a Super Bowl two years ago.

Now is the time for the Eagles finally to win their Super Bowl. The path has been somewhat paved for them now that they have cleared the Giants hurdle and seen three of the top four teams fall. The Arizona Cardinals took full advantage of six Carolina turnovers to advance, but if the Eagles can't beat the Cards here, they will never win a title. They've already beaten them by four touchdowns this year. The best team in the final four is the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Eagles beat their offensive line and Ben Roethlisberger like a drum in Week 3. As for the Baltimore Ravens, you don't think that McNabb would love to get back at them for causing him the most embarrassing moment of his career? And that game was only 10-7 Ravens when McNabb was pulled for Kevin Kolb.

If the Eagles can figure out a way to win two more games, this team's decade will be remembered forever in Philadelphia. This franchise is buried in a division where the other three teams have done nothing but win. The Cowboys have five titles and the Giants and Redskins have three. No other division has more combined titles, and that the fact they haven't contributed to that count has been a torn in the Eagles side forever. As for next year, don't think that a very deep Giants team and a very talented Cowboys team won't be back as extreme obstacles. A win here would greatly trump the Phillies championship and would cement Reid and McNabb as a heroic duo in Philly, but should they leave their fans at the alter yet again, the most they've done is bought themselves one more year of fans calling for their heads. I believe Reid is one of the best coaches in the game, and McNabb is much better than he is given credit for. However, it is all about the bling, and for their sake they better close the deal.

Pat Morgan

NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NFC WILDCARD
Arizona 27, Atlanta 20
Philadelphia 16, Minnesota 7

AFC WILDCARD
Indianapolis 35, San Diego 31
Baltimore 20, Miami 10

NFC DIVISIONAL
NY Giants 24, Philadelphia 20
Carolina 44, Arizona 10

AFC DIVISIONAL
Tennessee 13, Baltimore 3
Pittsburgh 24, Indianapolis 17

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
NY Giants 31, Carolina 24

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Pittsburgh 19, Tennessee 16

SUPER BOWL XLIII
NY Giants 20, Pittsburgh 14

A WASTED OPPORTUNITY

Just one month ago this Tuesday, the New York Jets went into Tennessee and knocked off the unbeaten Titans in what was their best team performance in many years. That night and the next day, WFAN was flooded by callers dreaming of an all-New York Super Bowl.

And you know what? That did not seem like such an outlandish idea, and I've seen the Jets lose several heart breakers since the early 90s. The Jets had just steamrolled the AFC's best team in their own building. They also seemed to have the inside track for the conference's second bye considering the closing schedule for the Steelers seemed much tougher.

Twenty-eight days after that win in Nashville, the Jets sit at 9-6 and needing a Week 17 miracle just to earn a playoff spot. Never would I have thought that this kind of meltdown was possible. They have lost three of four, and the best team in that group was the Denver Broncos, who just lost at home to the Bills! Even the Jets found a way to beat the team fading more than them in the AFC East.

As a fan, I still hope for that miracle, but if it does not happen it will be a very long off season for the Jets. I doubt that Eric Mangini will be fired, but heads will certainly roll. I definitely see Bob Sutton (defensive coordinator) being canned, and perhaps Brian Schottenheimer (offensive coordinator) as well. Mangini doesn't deserve a pass though. He has flushed down the toilet that "Mangenius" nickname he earned two years ago. Is it just me, or is anyone else sick of same perturbed look on Mangini's face every time the team screws up? Do something to change it! Don't look like a kindergarten teacher when they frown at a kid to try and make them feel bad! I hope still it works out for him here, but next year will probably be it if he doesn't do something special. Remember he will be going into the second to last year on his contract, and owners perfer not to have lame duck coaches.

I hope that Brett Favre decides to call it quits. It hasn't worked! His stats were inflated early due to that Arizona game, and he has not been good now that the weather has turned. I don't think it's a coincidence that Favre's really poor play began on that cold, rainy day vs. Denver. His poor play is inexplicable considering how good Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have been this season. I'm sure Favre will hang us out to dry for a couple months as he contemplates his future. When does he demand that the Jets hire Mike Holmgren or else?

The defense has been utterly atrocious. The pass defense has been about as bad as I've ever seen here. They have made stars out of Seneca Wallace, Shaun Hill, Tyler Thigpen, etc. Maybe I could go out there and hurl it around a little. The secondary has been unbelievably soft. It seems as if they have been defending against the home run all season long. They don't bump anyone at the line of scrimmage. Not every team has a Randy Moss! Kris Jenkins's influence gave the Jets a very solid run defense through Thanksgiving, but even that has fallen apart. The scoreboard says they only allowed 13 to Seattle, but don't be fooled by that. They have been abysmal!

This meltdown is about as bad as it gets. The AFC and perhaps the NFL was wide-open for the Jets to do something special. They were hardly a great team, but there aren't any great teams and whoever gets hot is going to win. Tom Brady's injury opened up the AFC East for them to win for the first time since 2002. He'll be back next year, so the door on that opportunity has probably closed for at least the next couple years. And like I said, the Jets had embarrassed the AFC's best team in their building, so it is downright shocking how this has come down. It is somewhat comparable to how the inept Giants turned their season around for the positive last year. No one saw that team in December winning the Super Bowl! No one saw this Jets team over Thanksgiving weekend missing the playoffs!

I will tell you one thing. If the Jets don't get the help they need from Buffalo or Jacksonville, I will be loudly rooting for Chad Pennington to embarrass us further next week. He has led the 1-15 Dolphins to within one win of the AFC East crown.

Pat Morgan

THE MADDOG TO HANG 'EM UP

On Monday, Greg Maddux will announce his retirement from baseball. While the Bulldog has fallen into oblivion over the last six, seven years, he has accomplished things that will never be reached again. He won 15 or more games over 17 straight years that enabled him to finish with 355 victories in his career. From 1992-98, Maddux put up some of the best numbers the game has ever seen. Those were validated with four straight Cy Young Awards during this time frame.

Despite those mind-boggling feats, I have never been a big Maddux fan. No one can dispute those great seasons, but he was never a big time playoff performer. He also had a tendency of taking himself out of games after only throwing 60-70 pitches, and some of those were games in which he was dominating. So while Maddux is definitely a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I never considered him to be on the level of Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez in their hey day. Those are the best two pitchers I've ever seen. I would be stupid not to take Maddux over the long haul of a season, but there are countless pitchers I'd take over him in a one game scenario.

Like I said though, I can't dispute Maddux's numbers, and he is clearly the one that got away. After coming up in the Cubs system, it was one of the most crushing moments of my sports life watching him sign with the hated Atlanta Braves. He returned to Chicago in 2004, but that's like Arod getting lucky the current day Madonna. It will be interesting to see if Tom Glavine and John Smoltz decide to hang it up as well. It would be fitting to see those three pitchers go in the Hall of Fame together.

Pat Morgan

2008-09 NBA PREDICTIONS

So I'm a tad late with the Celtics beginning the defense of their championship just moments ago. But here we go!

Eastern Conference:

Atlantic- #1 Boston (O 55.5), #6 Toronto (U 47.5), #7 Philadelphia (U 48.5), New York (O 32.5), New Jersey (O 27.5)

The Celtics should easily win the Atlantic once again. I think James Posey was a big loss, but that will affect them in April/May. The Sixers seem to be a very popular sleeper after their strong second half and playoff showing last year. I don't think they get above the 48.5 predicted for them. The Raptors and Sixers will battle it out for second and perhaps two of the bottom playoff spots. The Knicks uptempo play will keep them in games and will annoy their opponents. That should get them to 33-38 wins. The Nets are clearly rebuilding, but they should get to 28 wins.

Central- #3 Cleveland (O 47.5), #4 Detroit (U 50.5), #5 Chicago (O 40.5), #8 Milwaukee (O 30.5), Indiana (U 34.5)

It is hard to pick against the Pistons, who always win this division, but they have a new coach and they make take awhile to click before taking off. Lebron should get the Cavs over the top this year and be in line to take on the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. I expect the Bulls to bounce back after a dreadful year. The Bucks are a heavy sleeper of mine with an underrated starting five. If the rookie, Joe Alexander, brings some of his offense to the NBA, this team will easily clear 30.5 wins. Scott Skiles is a very good coach as well. The Pacers are the unfortunate cellar dweller in the East's deepest division.

Southeast- #2 Orlando (O 47.5), Washington (O 37.5), Atlanta (U 37.5), Miami (U 37.5), Charlotte (U 35.5)

After the Magic, this is a terrible division. I expect Orlando to have a high win total because of the division. If Gilbert Arenas stays healthy, they have a good shot at making it back to the playoffs. I think the Hawks have hit their ceiling for now. The Heat could be much better should Dwyane Wade stay healthy. I predict Michael Beasley will win the Rookie of the Year. However, I don't see this team under a new coach to go much north of 35 wins. The Bobcats are led by Larry Brown, but I would expect them to be one of the NBA's worst teams once again.

Western Conference:

Northwest- #3 Utah (O 51.5), #5 Portland (O 45.5), Denver (O 41.5), Minnesota (U 32.5), Oklahoma City (U 25.5)

The Jazz are one of the most underrated teams in the league AGAIN! Deron Williams is perhaps the most undervalued player in the game. Jerry Sloan is a tremendous coach, and I can see this team making a deep run in the West. The Trail Blazers will finally show off Greg Oden, and hope to build upon last year's success. I'm not sure if they are ready for a big time number of wins yet, but I expect them to contend for the postseason. The Nuggets have dropped in people's eyes. They will eclipse that 41.5 number though. The Timberwolves are much improved, but are still quite a bit away from being a playoff contender. The Sonics, I mean Thunder, should have a rough year one in Oklahoma City. By the way, do their colors remind you of the Hornets or what?

Southwest- #2 New Orleans (O 51.5), #4 Houston (U 53.5), #6 San Antonio (U 48.5), #7 Dallas (O 46.5), Memphis (O 23.5)

The Hornets are my team to beat. The had a remarkable season last year and I expect them to continue to get better. Chris Paul is my pick to win the MVP. They added a great intangible in James Posey who brings wins wherever he goes. The Rockets are a popular pick by many people. I can see them topping the 53.5 number, but 51-53 wins seems like the number they'll get to me. I'm looking to thread the needle with my Spurs and Mavericks picks. I think the Spurs, without Ginobili for awhile, will drop below 50 wins for the first time in awhile, and I think the Mavs will barely clear the 46.5 number. I'm going to put the Spurs ahead of the Mavs, but not by much. The Grizzlies once again are unfortunate for being in the Southwest division.

Pacific- #1 LA Lakers (O 55.5), #8 Phoenix (U 46.5), Golden State (U 37.5), LA Clippers (U 33.5), Sacramento (U 27.5)

If the Lakers don't coast to a Pacific division title, then there should be an investigation. They will be healthy which they weren't when they ran through the West last Spring. I expect them to contend with the Celtics for the best record in the NBA. The Suns have a new coach who wants to install a defensive game over the run and gun offense Mike D'Antoni left behind. I doubt that works with the likes of an aging Shaq and several players who aren't used to playing defense. The Warriors window was open briefly two years ago, but I see them falling back into an NBA doormat. The rest of this division is dreadful. The Clippers have a couple proven NBA players, but aren't deep at all, and the Kings are perhaps the toughest team to name in the NBA.

Eastern Conference Playoffs:
Quarters:
#1 Bos over #8 Mil (4-1)
#2 Orl over #7 Phi (4-3)
#3 Cle over #6 Tor (4-2)
#5 Chi over #4 Det (4-3)
Semis:
Bos over Chi (4-1)
Cle over Orl (4-2)
Final:
Cle over Bos (4-2)

Western Conference Playoffs:
Quarters:
#1 LA over #8 Pho (4-0)
#2 NO over #7 Dal (4-1)
#3 Utah over #6 SA (4-3)
#4 Hou over #5 Por (4-2)
Semis:
Hou over LA (4-2)
NO over Utah (4-3)
Final:
NO over Hou (4-2)

THE NBA FINALS: New Orleans over Cleveland (4-1)

Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett
Sixth Man: Kirk Hinrich
Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan
MVP: Chris Paul

Pat Morgan

SHAWN DROPS BALL

"Hey guys, I'm sorry I was busy doing a fantasy NBA draft and forgot to make my ALCS pick."

First the Mets, then the Cubs, now Shawn makes this October even more painful. Thanks buddy!

DODGERS/PHILLIES NLCS BREAKDOWN

Starting Lineup - Phillies; Philadelphia matches up against the Dodgers pitching much better than the Cubs did in the NLDS. Unlike the Cubs, the Phillies big boppers are lefties. I expect Ryan Howard to have a big series with Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley setting the table. I like the depth of the Phillies lineup better as well. Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were perhaps the two most influential hitters against Milwaukee. If Pat Burrell builds on the two homers he hit in the series clincher in the previous round, the Phillies offense will be very tough to handle. We all know Manny Ramirez is the single greatest threat in this series, but I think the most important hitter for the Dodgers is Rafael Furcal. If he can get on base regularly, it will mean that the Phillies will have to pitch to Manny more than they'd like. They will need Andre Either and Matt Kemp to pick it up otherwise the backend of the Dodgers lineup will be easy to tame. I give the Phillies the edge though based on their balanced and much deeper lineup.

Bench - Dodgers; Neither team has a particularly strong bench, but I'll give the slight edge to LA. They have Jeff Kent who is probably the best hitter off the bench for either team. Juan Pierre can come in and manufacture a run if they need it late in a game. The Phillies best bats off the bench are Matt Stairs and So Taguchi. Neither team will scare you with a hidden bat late in a game though.

Starting Pitching - Phillies; Cole Hamels is the best pitcher on either side, but this is a very close category. If Derek Lowe can continue his good run of pitching and somehow steal Game 1, the Dodgers might have the edge the rest of the way. Chad Billingsley is an exceptional pitcher and the Game 2 matchup with Brett Myers will be very compelling. I expect Hamels to deliver Game 1, so Billingsley would hold the future of the series in his hands. To me, Myers is a huge wildcard in this series. He is certainly capable of tossing eight, one-run innings, but on the flip side, he could be chased in the third inning. I expect he'll pitch well, but I don't say that with much confidence. Hiroki Kuroda gets the edge in my book over Jamie Moyer in Game 3, and Joe Blanton gets the edge at the moment over a probable Greg Maddux in Game 4.

Bullpen - Even; I want to give a very slight edge to Philadelphia because they have the perfect Brad Lidge, but after seeing him struggle mightily in Game 1 vs. Milwaukee, I don't share the same confidence in him as most probably do. However, this series sees two teams with very good bullpens. In what I thought was a smart move, the Dodgers left Takashi Saito off the roster and will rely on Jonathan Broxton to be the closer. Saito isn't 100%, so go with the guy who can throw 101. The Dodgers get lefty Hong-Chih Kuo back which is huge because I expect to see him against the heart of the Phillies order in several key, late-inning situations. As I said I'm slightly nervous about Lidge, but until he blows a save he is still someone you want out there. The Phillies have great setup men also, and if these games go to the bullpens, we should see some really good baseball.

Defense - Dodgers; Both teams are strong with the glove, but the Dodgers have some strong outfield arms and a good defensive catcher and first baseman. The Phillies do have the edge up the middle in Rollins and Utley. I give the edge to the Dodgers because I think they are closer at the positions they are behind Philly at than visa versa. If Furcal is truly healthy, he is a terrific shortstop. I don't see either team losing with the glove though unless the ball is hit to Manny or Howard.

Manager - Dodgers; There could not be more of a contrast here. Joe Torre will probably be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee when they vote, and Charlie Manuel, well is Charlie Manuel. The longer this series goes, Torre's leadership could prove to be a big difference over Manuel.

Pick - Philadelphia in 7; This was a very tough pick for me to make though, but the Phillies are a much different animal for LA to handle than the Cubs were. Their left-handed stars will be much tougher to deal with than the predominately right handed Cubs lineup. Hamels is a big advantage as well especially after his dominant performance against Milwaukee in the NLDS. However, I can definitely see this series turn the other way. The Dodgers have a lot of things going for them right now and it is sometimes hard to ignore good karma. A perfect example would be the Rockies from last year. This series is a true toss up, and if anything is a difference, the home team was 8-0 in their head-to-head matchups this year.

Pat Morgan