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They started off the free agent period very slowly and didn’t make and splashes in the first few days. They watched stars like Tomlinson, Thomas Jones, Anquan Boldin and Julius Peppers switch teams but were waiting to make their moves. Well that time has come because, even though it’s only Wednesday, the Eagles have had a very busy week.

It started Tuesday by signing Saints RB Mike Bell to an offer sheet. The Saints have seven days to match it but it doesn’t seem like they will. This is a huge addition that will bolster their running game if Bell stays healthy. He is a stud RB who has slipped under the radar for the past few seasons. Last year he was part of the 3 back system in New Orleans along side bigger names like Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas but still led the team in rushing attempts. He is a big powerful back who can also read holes very well.

Their next move was to trade for reliable DE Darryl Tapp. They sent Chris Clemons and a 4th round draft pick to the Seahawks for their starting end. Tapp may be little known coming from a poor Seattle team but he played in all 16 games for the past 4 years and is very skilled. He was drafted 4 years ago and has 18 career sacks. He is young and should be a good presence on this D-Line.

The latest news today is the release of former Pro-Bowler but often injured Shawn Andrews. Andrews had EXTREME ups and downs as an Eagle. The downs started in his rookie season when he missed the year after breaking his leg. After that things were looking up and it looked like the 12th overall pick it took to get him was paying off. He was one of the top lineman in the NFL and made back to back pro bowls in ‘06 and ‘07. Since then his passion for the game has been question. It seemed like he didn’t want to play anymore and his actions are backing that up. On top of that he missed all but 2 games over the past two years due to injury.

As much as I wanted to see him return to his level from 2006 and 2007, this move had to be made because he hasn’t helped the team in 2 years. He says he wants to continue playing so that will tell us if this was a good or bad move.

Mike Bell is only 26 years old but has a lot of experience, including a Super Bowl ring.  He is 6 feet and 225 pounds.  He isn’t shy when running the ball and is quick enough to make guys miss.  Outside of Weaver the Eagles have no back that can really get the tough yards at an effective rate.  McCoy is barely 200 pounds and Buckley only weighs 207 pounds.  Mike Bell last year averaged 3.8 yards a carry with a total of 654 yards.  All of those yards were well earned between the tackles and he found the end zone 5 times.  It is hard to say that he wasn’t one of the most productive backs on the team even with Reggie Bush and Thomas.

I would love to see Mike Bell on the Eagles and it would be a very productive addition to the team.  Him along with McCoy and Weaver could open up the running game for the Birds.

First I would like to congratulate Villanova for getting placed as a 2 seed. That’s a very lucky break. They’re heading into the tournament having lost 5 of their last 7 games. They played very well for most of the year but seem to have lost something over the past month.

As for Temple, they had a great season too. They won the A-10 regular season title and tournament, are currently ranked 13th in the country and had great games against Villanova, Xavier, Georgetown and other solid teams. I guess the selection committee missed all that because instead of getting a 3 or 4 seed like almost every analyst predicted, they are a 5 seed which makes their road to Indianapolis that much tougher.

It all starts with the first round and here’s how it breaks down for Temple and Villanova:

Villanova vs Robert Morris (Thursday 12:30 pm)

Even though they have been playing poorly as of late, Villanova should with this one easily. It’s very rare to see a 15 beat a 2 in the NCAA tournament and from every angle this one seems like a lock.

Robert Morris finished their season 23-11 but are in a very weak conference and only made the tournament by winning their conference championship. They have a fairly stingy defense but Nova averages over 82 points per game and it will be too much for them to handle. We all know about the players to watch on Villanova but one person to keep an eye on for Robert Morris is Karon Abraham. He has been their leading scorer all season at guard.

The road will get more dificult for Nova quickly though. If Richmond advances to the next round, that could be an interesting matchup to watch. Richmond is a very good, underrated team that beat Temple once this season by double digits.

Temple vs Cornell ( Friday 12:30 pm)

Cornell is one of the tougher matchups Temple could have landed with in round 1. They are a very solid team and some college basketball experts have already predicted Cornell would take this one. However, the smart experts know that Temple will win this one and will be very dangerous down the road.

Temple has the 4th rated defense in points allowed and they defend the three very well. They also have the scorers and big men to control flow of the game on the offensive side of the ball. Cornell is the best team in the country at shooting threes at 43.4% but Temple only allows opponents to shoot 28.1% from downtown. This means Cornell will have to find another way to score.

Overall, Temple will get out of the first round and play either Wisconsin or Wofford. Analyst Greg Anthony said on Yahoo sports that if Temple plays Wisconsin in round 2, they can win that game too and he wouldn’t consider it an upset. Keep an eye on this team to make the Sweet 16.

AP Photo

The Eagles failed on us this year. We had high hopes for them going into the last week of the regular season and the playoffs but they completely fell apart and let us down. Now they’re sitting low in free agency and they don’t get another shot at the playoffs for about 10 months.

The Sixers seem to fail on us every year. They haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs in 7 years and have had 6 different head coaches since 2003. This year they’re among the leagues worst and will definitely end up with yet another new head coach going into next year. It will take at least 5 years for the Sixers to get Philly near the championship and if this management continues to make bad decisions, it will could take even longer.

The Flyers are almost there but you can never tell with this team. They have had extreme ups and downs all season and injuries- especially to Ray Emery- have hurt. They are a team with a lot of young players and are in a very tight playoff race. They have done a good job at turning their season around though. They started off bad and even had a mid-season coaching change but improved overall. Now it looks like they will make the playoffs but they definitely aren’t the best team in the conference so they will need a few upsets to make it all the way.

That’s why the Phillies are the only hope for this city and that’ may be for a year or two. We know this team has the best shot to represent the NL in the World Series for a third straight season which is so rare in sports. They somehow find a way to improve every year and go into the season as the favorites. We stick through the ups and downs of our teams because that’s what true fans do. But at least for the next few years, we can always count on the Phillies.

Here are the moves they have made and the impact I feel they will have:

1. Weaver signed to a 3 year contract:  This may be the most significant move of all.  Weaver proved to be a vital part of the offense last season especially when Westbrook was missing.  This year he should continue to contribute.  He had a career year last season and can be considered one of the most versatile fullbacks in the league.  He can run and catch very well which is so important in the Eagles offensive scheme.
2. Avant signed to a 5 year contract:  Avant is one of my favorite receivers on the team because he goes across the middle and catches the tough passes.  He isn’t scared to take a hit and is clutch on third downs.  Last season he averaged over 14 yards per reception.  As a slot receiver he is very productive and I love that he is signed long term now.
3. Marlin Jackson signed 2 year contract:  Marlin Jackson has had knee surgery on both knees.  I am unsure about this move by the Eagles.  However, he was one of the best safeties in the draft a couple years ago and was taken in the first round out of Michigan.  He is tremendously versatile and can play every position in the secondary.  If he comes back and is fully healthy, he will be one of the best acquisitions this off season… but only time will tell.

What’s next for the team though?  Will they wait until the draft to make any more moves?

Note: Reggie Brown was traded for a sixth round draft pick in 2011 to Tampa Bay.  I liked Reggie Brown and I feel that his injury really prevented him from ever shining on the Eagles.  He had a lot of potential and I really hope he does well in Tampa.

Roy Halladay started his second spring training game as a Phillie last night against the Braves and picked up right where he left off last week. He pitched three shut out innings and struck out five batters. It was just like his first time out against the Yankees where he pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. It’s already clear that he is in top form.

As the regular season approaches (26 days away), we will continue to see Halladay more and more. It will be interesting to see when he gives up his first run of Spring training. It’s good to see this out of the Phillies ace this early in the year. The rest of the starters look pretty good too but not this good. He really stands out which is a great sign of things to come.

You can’t really take much from early spring training but one good thing you can take from this outing was that it was against the Braves. It was Halladay’s first shot at a division rival and he handled guys like Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. He will be facing these guys A LOT as a Phillie and it’s good to see he can handle them with ease. The NL East doesn’t know what’s about to hit them.

In other baseball news, Cliff Lee will make his spring training debut with the Mariners today. Most Phillies fans are still Cliff Lee fans because of what he did for this team last year so it will be interesting to see how his season goes out in Seattle.

Weekly Prediction: 2-2

The Sixers have a busy week with 4 games between Tuesday and Sunday. Of those 4 games only one of them is against a team with a record worse than their own. The Cavs have all but locked up the top spot in the East and the Heat and Bobcats are in a close battle for the 7th and 8th playoff spots.

The Pacers (20-43) are the worst of the 4 and happen to be the first game of the week. The Sixers are riding off a big double-digit win against the Raptors and should be able to lock this one up. The teams have been pretty evenly matched this year though. That was evident back in January when they played back to back games and each team won 1 by at least 10 points.

The next game against the Bobcats (30-31) could go either way but I’m predicting another Sixers win in front of their home crowd. These teams are as even as it gets this season. In their 2 games so far, they are separated by only 3 points- Sixers won one by 2 and lost one by 1. It even surprises me that I’m predicting the Sixers to go on a 3 game winning streak but I think this is a game they will take.

The streak ends on Friday with the Cavs though. The Cavs have the NBA’s best record and they simply don’t lose to teams like the Sixers. They are facing some injury issues with Shaq out for the season and Lebron missing some action lately but the addition of Jamison makes them lethal. I don’t see the Sixers taking this one.

To wrap up the week they travel to Miami for Sunday’s game with the Heat. The Heat (32-31) are playing good basketball right now and are 6-4 in their last ten games. They are in a very tight, 3 team playoff race and are currently holding onto the 7th seed. Every game is big for them now and they will come to play.

Don’t worry though. This mini 2 game losing streak I’m predicting shouldn’t last long. The Sixers first 2 games next week are against the Nets and Knicks.

I saw three things from last nights game that I was impressed with:

3) Leighton has what it takes to be the goalie that can push the Flyers through the post season.  He made all the easy saves and 99.9% of the tough ones.  He stopped 27 of the 28 shots on goal.  Leighton’s record is 15-7-2 and in his last 9 games he is 6-3.  In those nine games he only let up more than 2 goals once and that was in overtime.

2) The Flyer’s goal scorers are focused.  I can not tell you how many times I’ve watched a Flyers game and I’ve seen them fail to convert opportunities in all situations.  It didn’t matter if they were up five goals or down one, I’ve seen the Flyers miss the net when they should have scored.  Last night 3 out of the 4 goal scorers on the team found the net.  I consider Carter, Richards, Gagne, and Briere to be the Flyers goal scorers.  Against Toronto Gagne, Carter, and Briere pushed the Flyers past the Maple Leafs.

1) Dan Carcillo is a vital part to the Flyer’s team.  Dan Carcillo was a high draft pick (73rd overall) in the 2003 NHL draft by the Penguins.  He came to the Flyers in 2009 in a trade with the Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and a 2nd round pick.  Throughout his career he was labeled as a league tough guy and a fighter who never reached his full ability.  This season he is proving he can be a huge part of an NHL organization.  While he only has 9 goals and 7 assists this season he is hustling and working hard.  Last night he fed Gagne on a nice pass which led to a goal.  I was most impressed with his ability to hold himself back from getting into a fight.  He had the opportunity and he knew that it wasn’t the right time or situation.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Selection Sunday is just over a week away so the brackets aren’t set yet but there’s no doubt that Temple and Villanova will be representing Philly in the NCAA tournament later this month. Philadelphia is one of the greatest college basketball cities with so many skilled, competitive teams and this year there’s hope that a Champion will come from this city.

It’s no surprise that Villanova is having such a great year. They were ranked 5th in the AP’s preseason rankings. The last rankings come out on Monday but they are 9th right now and will probably finish the year right around where they were projected. They were ranked as high as number 2 this year but couldn’t hold onto the spot for more than one week.

Villanova is one of the college basketball powerhouses who will be a tough matchup for any team in the Tournament. Last year they surprised a lot of people by making it to the Final Four but this season I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they make it even further.

Temple is a team with a different story. Coming into the season, they weren’t even on the scene. They weren’t even in the top 52 in the preseason rankings and nobody was really thinking about them. They lost 3 starters to graduation last year including Dionte Christmas.

But all along they knew what they were capable of and the public eventually caught on. From week one, they have been climbing up the rankings and are currently ranked 16th in the country. They have a very talented group of guys that will be around for the next few seasons since Ryan Brooks is the only key player graduating.

Some analysts say Temple can get a 3 seed in the tournament. It all depends on how they do in the A-10 tournament. If they win it, a 3 seed is very possible. If they lose it, look for them to get a 4 seed. It may seem like a small difference but really, the difference between a 3 and a 4 seed is very big.

Keep an eye on these teams when your filling out your brackets in a few weeks. It should be an exciting time for Philadelphia basketball.

They have a chance to pull out of this slump tonight though. They will be home against Boston who is currently the 4th seed in the East. But the Celtics have had their share of troubles as of late. Injuries and age have slowed down the big three and they even lost to the NETS last week. If the Nets can do it, the Sixers have a shot.

Even though they’re only 2 spots out of the final playoff seed, they’re pretty much out of it. They can’t consistently win and their last 4 games shows they can’t keep up with other playoff teams anyway.

A win tonight would be a good statement though. While it wouldn’t do much for their record or the standings, it could be a great morale booster for a team going through tough times. It should be a good game win or loss. The Celtics always seem to draw big crowds.