My take on the current Philadelphia sports scene...
SIXERS- The talk of the town. The Sixers are suddenly relevant again. Fans care again. Ebiid and co. have made basketball interesting once more- on and off the court. The team is fun, quirky and interesting. All of the other teams in the city have young players, but this 76'ers squad has personality. That's what endeared fans to teams like the 1993 Phillies. The Sixers need more help, which should occur in the off-season with at least 2 high draft picks and free agency. Ben Simmons gives fans something to look forward to this season. Okafor will be traded soon, and possibly Noel, since he is seeking a new contract. Noel would be ideal coming off the bench to back Embiid but not at $ 20 million a year, which is supposedly what Noel's agent is looking for. If the Sixers end up winning 30 games this season, consider 2016-17 a success...Raise The Cat!
EAGLES- The front office is down in Alabama this week for the annual Senior Bowl. There is a long way to go before the draft but it looks like the Birds will narrow down their top pick to WR Mike Williams ( if he is still on the board at #14 or #15), a corner back or a running back. Passrusher is also a priority. If Mike Williams is gone, the team should look hard at RB Dalvin Cook form Florida State. Cook would give them another much-needed weapon, would control the ball with a consistent running game and would making the passing game better. Defensive backs are a premium in this spring's draft. So, the Eagles can still get a quality corner back in the 2nd or 3rd round if they choose to go elsewhere in the 1st round. The next drama will be who the Eagles cut to save money on the salary cap. Expect guys like Kensricks, Barwin and Ryan Mathews to be cut. Benny Logan may be in jeopardy too, not because he is not a good player, but because the team has too much money wrapped up in their other players on the defensive line. Free Agency comes next, and Birds' fans will be waiting to see who the squad signs re: wide receiver help. And, before the draft occurs in late April, the schedule is released in mid-April.
PHILLIES- Only a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. With key acquisitions in outfielders Saunders and Kendricks, the Phils seem set with their everyday line-up. Hopefully kids like Couzins, Williams and Quinn push in spring training. They will all start at Lehigh Valley, but they could be up to Philadelphia by the All-Star game. This could be a season of two halves. In the spring the Phils play their recently acquired veterans. If they are out of contention around the July 31 trade deadline, the team can trade some veterans like Jeremy Hellickson and Clay Bucholtz. The second half could be evaluation time for the prospects, as the team needs to know who can play and who can't before next off-season when more high-profile free agents hit the market. One interesting fight will be in the bullpen for the closer's role. Hector Neris may be the future closer, but newly-acquired Benoit and last year's closer Gomez will be in contention for that role.
FLYERS- the Orange and Black go into their All-Star break with a 3 game winning streak. After winning 10 in a row, the team ha again slipped in the playoff race. The continuing drama will be the goaltender situation. The Flyers need to know if their two veteran goalies will be free agents or will re-sign with Philadelphia. The Flyers also have at least 3 goalie prospects coming up.Wayne Simmonds is quietly becoming a superstar, having 21 goals at the break.
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