What Else You Got?

There's little use in stewing over the Phillies' dismal Spring Training camp, especially when there are other subjects worth discussing.

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I'll tell you what.... If that famous red phone rings in the White House at 3AM I want Tiger Woods to answer! Has there ever been a cooler head in the public eye? Has there ever been a more dominant athlete especially when one considers he is taking on all comers from all continents, 100 percent of whom are playing three opponents simultaneously: the course, themselves and Tiger? We are witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

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To tell the truth, I could care less about basketball. It just isn't my kind of game. I can understand the frenzy of March Madness in others to some extent and I can marvel at the skills of a Michael Jordon or LeBron James. Still, the game mostly leaves me cold.

So much for the windup; what's the pitch?

How 'bout them Sixers. They are the best local professional story in quite some time and one of the best in the NBA this season. No real superstars. Fired their GM in mid-season. Traded their best player a year ago. Played poorly much of the first half of the season. Then, they started winning, especially on the road and against some pretty damn good opposition. Suddenly, they are a mere game under .500, which doesn't look like much until you realize how far down they were when they started their recovery. People are turning out to watch them again, too, which pleases them and their coach no end.

Nice story for a bunch of lunch pail guys.

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The Flyers, on the other hand, are headed in the opposite direction and now are a mere game or two from a complete collapse that will leave them short in the hunt for the final playoff spot. They have lost 16 of 21 games, some by big margins and too many when they had decent leads going into the final period. They have a lot of problems with defense, scoring and the power play and have suffered a host of key injuries. Their biggest problem, however, is the lack of a front line goaltender. Marty Biron is strictly second rate and Antero Nittymaki isn't even that good. A great goalie would have made a big difference, especially down the stretch.