Your Philadelphia Seventy-Tricksters

By T. Williams

Horrendous, appalling, awful, dreadful, abominable, frightful, ghastly, horrible, and shocking. These are the adjectives that I use to describe the shameful way that the Philadelphia 76ers underwhelming season concluded in Game 6 of the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic. Listen, despite the fact that at the start of the season I had Philly winning 50-55 games, it’s not like I am upset with the Sixers because they didn’t advance to the second round. As a matter of a fact, quite the contrary, I was actually proud of the fact that they were taking it to the higher seeded Orlando Magic and were actually in a good position to advance to the second round or at the very least, push things to a game 7.

Then Orlando’s superstar and quite possibly the best big man playing in the NBA today, Dwight Howard, gets suspended for game 6 because of a blatant elbow to the head of Philadelphia straw man Sam Dalembert. Add to that, Howard and his wild style of play also knocks out his own starting SG Courtney Lee for the playoffs! At this point, the stage seems to be set for the Philadelphia 76ers to take game 6 and some momentum into Orlando for game 7, to decide who would make it out of the first round. Unfortunately for us, game 7 never happened, and judging by the effort shown by the Sixers neither did game 6.

It’s amazing to see how much people’s perceptions can change within a 48 hour period. Before game 6, the 76ers were a young team with upset potential written all over them in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. Sure they got off to a slow start at the beginning of the season, but that was all Mo Cheeks fault right? I’ve said it once and I will say it again. I believe that Mo Cheeks got absolutely hosed when he was fired as the Sixers head coach at the start of the season, and here is where I believe the problem begins.

At the time Mo Cheeks was fired, the Philadelphia 76ers were 5 games below .500 at 9-14. The Sixers were also struggling with several issues such as finding a way to force Andre Iguodala to become a shooting guard, when he is a natural small forward who has ZERO consistency in his mid range game; trying to find a proper place and time to fit emerging star Thaddeus Young into the lineup; a center who’s more concerned with playing soccer in some field off in Haiti or Canada than he is with playing professional basketball in the NBA, and most importantly how to mesh Elton Brand’s half court game into the fast break young, run and gun Sixers style of play.


Listen, I can understand the frustration by Ed Stefanski and the Sixers front office. Like I said, at the start of the season the Sixers were a team with extremely high hopes of making it deep into the playoffs, since acquiring the low post presence that was desperately lacking the previous year in Elton Brand. But, to fire your coach 23 games into the season, when he was only 5 games below .500, then to replace him with your Senior Vice President and Asst. GM Tony Dileo, whom by the way has zero NBA coaching experience, after you just gave Cheeks a contract extension the previous summer, absolutely reeks of a lack of vision, direction and management skills on the part of Ed Stefanksi.

Let's face it guys, Tony Dileo is NOT an NBA head coach. Hell, until Ed Stefanski decided to hand over the head position in Philadelphia to him, Dileo wasn’t even an assistant coach on the NBA level! So, should it have even been a surprise to any of us, when the favored 76ers at home in the Wachovia Center, in game 6 of the NBA Playoffs, lose to the Magic who are minus the most dominating inside force playing in the league today? Of course he couldn’t hold the team together and stop them from underestimating the wounded Magic. Tony Dileo is a personnel guy, not a coach, and it couldn’t have been anymore evident than it was in game 6. Add to that, it’s obvious that this team wasn’t on the same page before game 6, because the second the buzzer sounded in the fourth quarter, effectively bringing the Sixers season to a close, this is when you begin to hear all of the clubhouse dissension that had previously gone unnoticed.

Please, save me the time of hearing the argument that Dileo started off 18-10 after Cheeks was fired, ok? First of all, two of his first three wins came against the Washington Wizards, one of the worst teams in all of the NBA and the third was against the Milwaukee Bucks, another team that also didn’t make it to the post season. And if you take a look at the time that he actually had Brand on the roster and not on injured reserved, the Sixers went 4-6, suggesting that maybe it wasn’t Mo Cheeks fault for being 5 games under .500. Fortunately for Dileo, Elton Brand hangs it up for the remainder of the season, leaving the Sixers with the same team that made it to the playoffs last season, and now suddenly without the burden of attempting to work Brand into the offense, meanwhile allowing Iggy to go back to his natural position at small forward and giving Thaddeus Young the playing time he deserves.

If Tony Dileo was such a good coach, what exactly is it that he did different than Cheeks? Is anyone actually trying to suggest to me that the Sixers couldn’t have the same EXACT outcome at the end of their season if they kept Mo Cheeks, minus the game 6 implosion? When Theo Ratliff, a 13 year pro who by all accounts is a true professional and rarely rocks the boat, criticizes your lack of ability to manage substitutions and control the game in pressure situations, that should be the ultimate of red flags to the Sixers management.

In my opinion, Ed Stefanski is already skating on thin ice with 3 major strikes against him, one of which being the mismanagement of the coaching situation. The next couple of problems were the wasteful signings this past offseason of Andre Iguadala and Elton Brand which have now totally handcuffed the Sixers cap space for the foreseeable future. I’m sorry, but I like Iggy and Brand but not for the price tags that they were both signed for. Was there any reason that we had to resign Iggy to the largest restricted free agent contract of the year? And as far as Elton Brand is concerned, I like the guy just fine. I believe he was a superb player in his prime three years ago. But personally I believed the Sixers should have gone after the Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith. Yes, I understand that the Hawks had threatened to match any deal that any team threw out there but seriously, when was the last time you remember the Atlanta Hawks breaking the bank on any player, EVER? And I always hear the argument “well if we went after Josh Smith, we might have missed out on Elton Brand!” and to that I say, SO WHAT?!?!? Better off to miss out on a player that fits your offense and style of play, than to go “All In” on a player who isn’t nearly as athletic and apparently healthy enough to be able to help the Sixers win any games.

So we are now left with one fundamental question. Who are the Philadelphia 76ers? What direction is this team headed? Is this a young, up and coming team flooded with raw talent, that’s just waiting for the right time to peak? Or is this a mismatch team of athletes, and not basketball players, who at best will remain a .500 ball club? Well let me help you out a bit Mr. Stefanski since you seem to be having a little trouble with this. The first thing you need to do is to find a direction for the Sixers, any direction. Find a coach and commit to him. Make up your mind as to what kind of team you want to have and then hire a new coach accordingly. Do you want to have a half court offense or do you want to remain a run and gun style team? Do you want a coach who is a teacher and a nurturer or do you want a hard nose, take no excuses disciplinary type of a coach? Will your emphasis be on offense or defense? These are the questions you need to be asking yourself before you can begin to make any player personnel moves this off season.

Next thing you need to do is to get all of the garbage and dead weight, or soon to be dead weight off of the team. First person in my cross hairs is Samuel Dalembert. Let me just say this, the reason Sammy D has not improved at all is because he doesn’t care! Newsflash, he will never care because he doesn’t care about basketball. He is a soccer player!!!! And I’m not talking about someone like Steve Nash, who has a competitive edge regardless as to what sport he’s playing, Dalembert a soccer player that was told one day “You’re playing the wrong sport. If you want to make money, you should play basketball.” He is a joke and needs to be off this team one way or another. I don’t care if you trade him, cut him, or just pay him to stay away from the team like Stephon Marbury and the Knicks. His lackadaisical attitude is infectious and needs to be weeded out before the younger players are affected. Willie Green is not a starting shooting guard and Lou Williams is not a point guard. Andre Miller is a nice player but is getting old, do not resign him! And most of all, you absolutely must figure out what to do with Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young. You have 3 forwards on your team that all deserve starter minutes, therefore you cannot keep all three on the same team and expect it to work.

There is a lot of potential here, and I don’t believe that all hope is lost for this team, but at the end of the day, some crucial moves need to be made if this franchise wants to take another step forward instead of being a stagnant .500 club or worse. Find a way to get rid of both Dileo and Dalembert and either trade Thadd Young, Iggy or Brand for some other pieces that fit whatever direction you choose to take the franchise in. Good luck Ed, because you already know, Philly will be watching…

Maybe he did get it off in time

Tom Moore says the Sixers have given in and say the Devin Harris miracle shot counted.

For more on the shot, here's what Bernard Fernandez wrote.

Kate Fagan says the Sixers still feel the sting from the unbelievable loss.

The team is now trying to move on, Martin Frank says.

A visit from injured soldiers could be what gets them over the hump, Bernard Fernandez said.



Now it's understandable that most Sixers fans never want to see the shot again, but it was just such an amazing shot that it needs to be shown again. To lose the ball, regain it and then throw it up in less than two seconds and make it is unreal. You could probably practice that scenario 100 times a day, everyday, for the rest of your life and never make it. Extremely lucky no doubt about it, but it's also something to watch.

LLLLLET'S GET READY TO RAMBLE!

By Matt Mattare

Too much has gone on over the past few weeks to choose a single thing to write about, so let’s touch’em all from the Birds to Happy Valley to Sir Charles to Pat the Bat.

I don’t think you can call him the MVP (because that distinction belongs to the offensive line), but Brodrick Bunkley had himself a ballgame and showed up in two of the games defining moments. His penetration on both failed Giants fourth downs blew up New York’s offensive line and any hope of a first down. Has he lived up to the hype of being a first round draft pick? I’d say on the whole no and I think he’s probably too inconsistent to suddenly blossom—but times like this show you what he could be capable of.

The people that say Joe Paterno should retire are just wrong. That being said, the people that say he shouldn’t retire because he’s still got it (pointing to a few BCS games in the last four years) are delusional. At this juncture JoePa is simply a figure-head while Tom Bradley and Galen Hall run the real show, but Penn State owes Joe Paterno everything. He put their football team on the map, he’s raised and given back millions of dollars to the University, and he’s poured his entire life into his time in Happy Valley—PSU owes it him to let him retire on his own terms. Why? Because his presence obviously isn’t hurting the team (now you can point to the BCS appearances). He still fires people up at pep rallies, goes out for a few big recruiting visits, and deflects a lot of attention from the “real” coaches while essentially overseeing the operation as Head Coach Emeritus. If things weren’t going well then I think it’d be a different story and it’d be selfish for Joe to continue to coach at the expense of the school he loves—that just isn’t the case right now.

Fearless prediction #1: Steelers over the Ravens in a tight one…the difference will be Joe Flacco remembering he’s a rookie. While we’re mentioning his name, announcers need to just stop with the stupid nicknames for rookie QB’s. Matty Ice? Joe Cool? We get it, they’re mature and composed rookies and we know they’ve started enough games that they can’t really be considered rookies anymore. I’ll give a pass on Matt Ryan because that’s actually his nickname…but Joe Cool was Joe Montana’s nickname. Anyone who thinks Mr. Flacco deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the original Joe Cool probably thinks the WNBA should expand to 32 teams.

That whole thing where McNabb went and picked up the phone on the Giants sideline was just lame. I didn’t think he was a punk for doing it and I’m all about funny things even if they draw a flag…I just thought it was stupid. Leave it to Donovan to give the media some sort of negative fodder to discuss about him after one of the biggest wins of his career. The epitaph of his Philly career will probably read something like “a great player who did everything in his power to make sure he was underappreciated.”

I don’t think Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds will ever have a notable NBA career. I just don’t think he’s got the chops…but on the college level he’s one of the most dangerous people in the game. He’s a microwave guy who is totally willing to take over a game, something that is relatively rare today. Against Seton Hall he threw up 40pts and iced the St. Joe’s game for Nova last month. Villanova isn’t a great team but come tournament time they’re a really dangerous team who could make a Sweet 16-Elite 8 run on Reynolds’s shoulders (just like last year).

Brian Dawkins has to be inching up the list of most beloved sports figures in Philadelphia history. Has there ever been a player in this town who has worn his emotions on his sleeve and—without fail—shown up giving every ounce of himself for every game of his career? He might be slipping a little bit and losing a step, but the guy deserves a tip of the cap from even the most critical Birds fan.

Fearless prediction #2: Birds will win an ugly game in Arizona…this will lead to two of the most obnoxious fan bases in all of professional sports invading Tampa Bay. Over/Under on brawls started after “Pittsburgh’s going to the Super Bowl” is responded with an E-A-G-L-E-S chant: 23.5. Get two holding cells ready.

I think Charles Barkley is one of the funniest individuals in sports and a lot of times I love hearing his opinions. But what I’ve learned is the more you open your mouth the more likely you are to sound like an idiot. His initial condemnation of Auburn for not legitimately considering Turner Gill for head football coach because of his race may have had some merit, but as he explained himself more and more he lost more and more credibility. I think the race card is played FAAAAAR too much in sports today. Of course racism is still present, but I’d say 90% of the people in power these days just don’t care about the color of a person’s skin—they care about performance. Example: Michael Wilbon’s insinuation that Notre Dame was racist for firing Tyrone Willingham was indescribably ignorant. There are exceptions to the rule though and I think that most of them are found in the Bible Belt. I agree 100% with Barkley that Auburn never would’ve hired Gill because he was black, but to say that he MUST have been the guy they hired is simply ignorant. There are a few coaches that would have been very viable candidates on par with Gill…it’s just that none of them were chosen. Charles I know it’s hard/borderline impossible, but state your point and then get out of your own way.

Pat Burrell’s off-season was one of the most bizarre things I ever witnessed. Like him or not he was a huge part of the Phillies organization over the past decade and the Phillies made it painfully obvious that they had no desire whatsoever to even extend a contract offer. According to Burrell’s agent the Phils barely even talked with him…and the thing is fans were totally ok with moving on to Raul Ibanez and somewhat miffed when he signed with Tampa. The whole thing is just weird. And for the record, Ibanez will not be as productive as Burrell on the whole, but his valleys won’t be as brutal as the slumps Burrell was capable of.

Don’t think it’s possible that the Eagles can pull it off because it’d just be too good to be true? Well consider what’s happened over the past five years: the Red Sox have won two World Series, Phil Mickelson won three majors, Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl, Kansas basketball won a national championship, Tiger Woods won a US Open with a broken leg, Notre Dame football went 3-9, Roy Williams actually won a big game in the Final Four and won a national championship, Tom Coughlin out-coached Bill Belichick won a Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Rays won the pennant, and the Phillies ended a 100 season championship drought in Philadelphia. Tell me the sports world hasn’t been turned a little upside down right now…

Fearless Prediction #3: The Sixers will not make a run like their fellow Philly teams have in the past few months…I literally have no fear in saying this. Bet the house on it.

I just read that Jim Harbaugh interviewed with the Jets. I watched him coach at Stanford—he will never be a successful NFL coach. Stick to college Jim. Throwing hissy fits on the sidelines may be excused as passion in Pao Alto, but that kind of volatility won’t win the respect you need in the big leagues.

Fearless Big Five Prediction: Temple will be the best team in Philly within three years…Fran Dunphy is a great coach and if he sticks around—which I think he will—then Jay Wright’s Wildcats will have some serious competition for the Big Five title.

Has there ever been a more insignificant player that garnered so much attention than Pacman Jones? He’s a decent cornerback and an above average punt returner…if he didn’t nickname himself Pacman he’d be in a cell next to Rae Carruth right now.

Catching up with Royal Ivey

This summer, the Philadelphia 76ers made a big splash in the offseason by signing forward Elton Brand -- the top free agent on the open market -- to a long term contract.

They brought back a familiar face at center in Theo Ratliff, a much needed sharp shooter in Kareem Rush and Reading native Donyell Marshall.

In the 2008 NBA Draft, the Sixers continued to build the team when they selected forward Marreese Speights, out of Florida, with the 16^th overall pick.

During the free agent signing period when everyone was concerned about the re-signing of guards Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, the Sixers quietly signed guard Royal Ivey to a multi-year deal.

Who?

Roy-al Ivey!

Ivey, a 6-4 guard from New York City, is known for his defensive prowess and his steady floor play. The four-year starter from the University of Texas was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

After a three-year stint with the Hawks, Ivey signed with the Milwakee Bucks last season.

Well, there's a little background, but who is this Royal Ivey?

950 ESPN Sixers' beat reporter Devon Givens had a chance to sit down with Ivey in the locker room after the Sixers beat the Bucks on Wednesday, and got a chance to get up close and personal with the new Sixer.

DG: How do you like Philadelphia?

RI: Still getting used to it and getting acclimated to the city. It’s close to home, so that’s the good part about it. It’s different, a metropolitan city, a lot of traffic, but it’s home right now. So I’m gonna make the best of it.

DG: You come from a long list of New York City point guards, who’s your favorite? Do you have an idol?

RI: Man, my idol growing up was Kenny Anderson, it had to be. Great point guard. He started the line of point guard’s going to Georgia Tech -- Stephon ( Marbury ) went there, Kevin Morris, that was my idol growing up. I looked up to Rafer Alston. We went to the same high school, and the list goes on and on of great point guards from New York City.

DG: New Balance, what’s that about. You wore AND 1 the first few years and Adidas last year. How’d that come about?

RI: I guess I play at a different beat, whatever suits my feet, I’m gonna wear. I wear New Balance for one because one of my good friends ended up getting me a good deal, so I took it. They take care of me, they feel good too and they’ve got the greatest running shoes, so the basketball shoes are good. It’s a different look.

DG: Like you said, Philly is a metropolitan city -- fast pace. What do you like to do in your spare time?

RI: Just hanging for the most part. I haven’t really gone out a lot to see what’s really happening in Philly. There’s some spots, some lounges and good places to eat. I’ve been to Chickie’s and Pete’s. That’s about it.

DG: Have the people been good to you?

RI: Yeah, the people have been cool. I’m cordial, low key. If somebody recognizes me, I say "hello" and keep it moving. That’s about it.

DG: Since we’re sitting here with the young guy's (Speights) locker next to you, what kind of things does the team make him do?

RI: ( Laughs) He’s a good Rook, you know he’s learning. He’s a hard worker on the team, he’s young. He does the duties, getting donuts during shoot around. He does little stuff, nothing major. He listens, and that’s the big part.

DG: Thanks for a couple of minutes.

RI: Alright, I appreciate it.

Brand out a month

News just in that Elton Brand's MRI revealed a fracture of the humeral head (bone) and a tear of the labrum, which was expected along with his dislocated right shoulder. No surgery is expected, but the injury is likely to sideline Brand for a month.

Flip to the Sixers?

Here's a post that is creating a stir:

SI.com reporting that Flip Saunders is the Sixers' first choice to be the long-term coach of the club.

The current coach, Tony DiLeo, was on with Jody Mac and Harry Mayes today, talking about his new gig and how the Elton Brand injury will affect the team.

I'm not a Sixer, but I'm still in your headlines

Sixers' fans thought Mo was gone. Well not yet. We got more Mo for ya.

Martin Frank of the News Journal says DiLeo wants to speed up the Sixers.

The Courier Post said Maurice Cheeks made a classy exit.

Kate Fagan has more on Cheeks.

John Gonzalez of the Inquirer has a Mo Cheeks love hangover.

Sam Donnellon said the firing was just a matter of time.

Frank Ziccarelli of the Toronto Post said Mo Cheeks exit should be an example for all.

Johnathan Abrams of the New York Times said the Sixers are slipping far below expectations.

Peter Vecsey wrote for FOXsports.com that most coaches just aren't worth investing in.

Sean Gregory of Time talks about the epidemic of coaches being fired.

Here's Phil Jasner's Mo story.

Jasner says the coaching change will have to be able to take the Sixers through the rest of the season.

Jim Burton of the Standard-Examiner has a soft spot for Mr. Mo.

Mo was a good guy, and it's sad that things didn't work out for such a classy coach.

Web shooter: Front Page News

If you woke up this morning and checked SI.com and ESPN.com, both Web sites have front pages features on Philadelphia sports teams. Lucky us.

SI's Marty Burns writes that the Sixers are still preaching patience to justify their slow start.

It wasn't supposed to be this way, of course. When the Sixers lured Brand away from the Clippers with a five-year, $82 million deal, many expected Philadelphia to make an immediate jump in the standings. Maybe even challenge the Celtics for the Eastern crown.

Just like in real life, the article offers no real solution for the problem. Maybe while Brand is out of the line up, they'll start playing like they did at the end of last season.

The second article comes courtesy of Rick Riley. He took a survey of NFL players, asking them what the outcome is of obscure rules. Does this vindicate Donovan? You decide.

Sixers reeling through a quarter of the season.

The Sixers aren't off to the start everyone envisioned after a big offseason that included the signing of Elton Brand. Right now their 8-11 and have lost five of their last six after a 114-102 loss to the Lakers last night.

Here's what the writers said about the team today.

Kate Fagan writes about last night's loss.

John Smallwood of the Daily News said that nobody said the Sixers would turn things around quickly.

Caryl Kauffman of the Journal Register News Service said Stefanski said the Sixers will get back on track.

Bernard Fernandez featured Maurice Speights in his story.

Postgame Reactions: Sixers 103, Bulls 95

The 76ers snapped their four-game losing streak with an overtime win over the Bulls.

Here's Phil Jasner's gamer.

The Inquirer's Kate Fagan says Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Andre Miller carried the Sixers to victory.

Here's Fagan's postgame notes.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune's story gives you the Bulls angle.

Jasner talks about No. 1 pick Derrick Rose.

The Associated Press discusses the game and Andre Miller, who scored nine of his 28 in overtime.

Stats, LLC, on ESPN.com, previews the Sixers next game against the Lakers.

Postgame Reactions: Bobcats 93, Sixers 84

Kate Fagan of the Inquirer says the Sixers should be happy that nobody was there to see it.

The Associated Press gives its version of the Sixer loss.

Phil Jasner's stock on the Sixers has fallen after losing to Charlotte.

Here's the Total Sports Network's coverage of the game.

Post Game Reactions: Timblerwolves 102, Sixers 96

Kate Fagan of the Inquirer wrote about the game the Sixers said they needed, but didn't get.

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune in Minnesota gives a T'Wolves version of what happened.

Here's a recap from UPI.com

Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press said it was the will of Al Jefferson that gave the Timberwolves the W.

This recap is courtesy of the Total Sports Network.

James Beilby of the PA Sports Ticker gave this game recount for Hoops World.

Sixers attendance is out of Wach

By Sean Brace


Twenty-eight out of 30.

That is where the 76ers stand in attendance throughout the NBA this year. An absolute shame. You would think that after signing one of the biggest free agents during the off-season in Elton Brand, and re-signing Andre Iguodala and crowd favorite Louuuuu Williams, the Philadelphia faithful would be storming through the Wachovia gates. But in the words of my man Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.

It isn't really a shock to me that the Sixers are struggling again in attendance this year because, as I have been saying for a few years now, the Wachovia Center is one of the worst venues to watch a professional team play. There are many reasons why but the top culprit is public address announcer, Matt Cord. He is in charge of music during the game and while the teams are in time-outs - the most important time to get the crowd going.

Now the NBA is a different monster when it comes to being the P.A. for any team. These days in most home arenas you can't go a possession without hearing some sort of base-filled rap song jamming out of every speaker in the rafters. I'm pretty sure that is not the way to go. Some teams have their home court advantage led by their P.A. announcer, such as the man in Detroit, John Mason, who revolutionized the position with such favorites like BaBaBa-Ben Wallace!. How about when the Boston Celtics are winning and they have Gino dancing? Who even knows what that means, but it works. The key is, you must keep it simple but original at the same time. Like I said, most teams have nothing but hip-hop playing. Well, maybe we should experiment with the good old days of rock music, bring back the arena favorites: ACDC, Bon-Jovi, Guns and Roses. You know the good stuff. Think indoor Lacrosse but better. How about the cheerleaders just come into the stands and hang out. Maybe they buy you a beer? A true guys night out.

And I never really got the rabbit.

Truthfully the Sixers need to get minor league with it and start coming up with some crazy events. I mean this is Philadelphia, we do have some of the craziest people in the world. How about a Mixed Martial Art fight at halftime? Kimbo Slice needs work. Pull a lucky fan out of the crowd and lets get it on!

The 76ers should treat this like getting rid of a head coach and his staff and just scrap the whole entertainment personnel. I hate to be the man to suggest that but its like any other job. You are there to make the Sixers home games a can't-miss event and right now, they are giving tickets away for 10$ to watch a quality product, and people still aren't showing. Maybe Ed Snider should go to LA and bring home the most talented Laker girl. While he's at it maybe he could swing by Detroit and see if John Mason could share some pointers about what music and sound effects he uses. To me its pretty easy, crowds want to be entertained, and as an entertainer you either have it or you don't. Clearly Matt Cord and the whole Philadelphia 76ers gamenight experience, don't.

On the beat

Phillies

Todd Zolecki of the Inquirer discusses who will fill a coaching vacancy and a possible free agent reliever.

The Mayors of the two competing cities weren't the only ones making friendly wagers during the Phillies-Rays World Series.

Sixers

Phil Jasner of the Daily News says there's endless possibilities for Thaddeus Young in the Sixers offense.

Rotoworld.com expects Andre Iguodala to play through his foot injury on Wednesday.

Samuel Dalembert didn't practice yesterday, but according to Kevin Tatum of the Inquirer, he said he's fine and will be ready to go.

Flyers

Sam Carchidi of the Inquirer says the Flyers penalty killing unit is having a historic season.

GM Paul Holmgren said the hit Alexi Kovalev laid on Simon Gagne wasn't cheap, the Inquirer's Ed Moran said in this story.

Eagles

John Smallwood of the Daily News says he isn't a guy that likes to call for people's job. However, with Andy Reid, it's time for him to go.

Ashley Fox of the Inquirer said Donovan McNabb deserves a graceful exit.