Thursday, February 28, 2008

My Rx For the Iggles

With the NFL Free Agency period about to kick off I figured it was about time to get off my duff and write about the Eagles again.

First things first,

Where do I rank the Eagles "needs"
1. DL
2. OL
3. CB/S
4. WR

I believe their needs start in the trenches. Going in 2007, OL and DL figured to be a position of strength, but they really weren't as great as I think many of us gave them credit for being. Donovan took a beating last year as did A.J., and for all the guff I've been hearing about our lack of a big-play WR, it really doesn't matter who is running routes if the QB is on his back. However, I do NOT think the Eagles will address the OL in free agency. I see the Birds takes another OL in the first few rounds of the draft.

As for the Defense. Kearse, Howard, Von Oelhoffen, Reagor, Scott, were all but useless last year. Mike Patterson got busted for weed, so he'll probably miss a game or two from a team punishment aspect. Overall, the Eagles can depend on 4 guys: Juqua Thomas, Trent Cole, Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley. That's it. Will a guy like LaJuan Ramsey stick or can JJ find a role for the over-paid, underachieving Darren Howard? Perhaps, but to expect either to emerge as anything but occasional contributors is folly. What about Victor Abiamiri? Last year's 2nd round pick from Notre Dame? Well he certainly figures to be in the mix at DE. He barely played last year, but when he did, I did take notice (if only for the rarity).

Where does that leave the Birds? Well not is really good position. There is some talk about the Eagles being interested in some Titan DE's (Antwan Odom or Travis Laboy) or perhaps even Cincy's Justin Smith, who has never lived up to his first-round pick billing when the Bengals made him a top-5 guy a few years back. Still, as the best DE, in a mediocre pack, and with teams awash in cash, Smith is going to get paid. Believe you me. Since the Eagles don't seem to ever draft a D-Lineman and play them from the get-go (a few exceptions), Free Agency or a trade (it appears Kris Jenkins is being dangled by the Panthers) is probably their only route to improvement for 2008.

Who would I sign? wow, tough question. The best potential free agents were tagged. If I had to take a stab at it...I would think the Eagles would be most interested in Odom....personally I would go for Justin Smith IF his demands weren't astronomical. He's a solid end coming off a down year....so long as he is getting paid to be Richard Seymour or Julius Peppers he'd be a solid pick-up.

That brings us to the Secondary.
What would I do? Simple: sign Giants S Gibril Wilson....for two reasons, he's got the all-round skills to be Dawkins replacement AND it would substantially weaken a division rival. Would I go after Asante Samuel? Only if I were already trading Lito Sheppard for a WR....then it would make sense. However, If I'm strengthening safety in FA, then breaking the bank for Samuel is not an attractive option, and make no mistake, its going to take a shit-load of money to sign Samuel. Who else is out there to strengthen the secondary? The Broncos are shopping Foxworth...but he's a 3rd or 4th CB...and if we want one, we already have Joselio Hanson...who is a dime corner, but not much else.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Clean Jokes

A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the house. She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, 'Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!' The husband said, 'Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?' 'Doesn't matter,' she said. 'Just get out.'
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Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband.
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A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver's license. First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test The optician showed him a card with the letters

'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.' 'Can you read this?' the optician asked. 'Read it?' the Polish guy replied, 'I know the guy.'
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A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'
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Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army. On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb. That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair. On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush. That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth. On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap. The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years.
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Monday, February 11, 2008

I Don't Care

I got this "I don't care" email from a friend and well, I liked it. Most of it is not mine, but I did add a couple of things.

'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by radical Islamists who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the ruthless leaders of these terror organizations stop using the poor, women and the mentally retarded as (sometimes) unwitting bombers.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about the government roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled, ' you can
absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care !!

If you don't agree, then by all means, go somewhere else.

A few final thoughts:

'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan

One last thought for the day:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember the words of Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair: When asked by a member of Parliament why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.'

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.