The current Philly sports scene...
Sixers-
So, the Sixers have the no. 3 pick in the June NBA draft, after the draft lottery last night. You could look at the lottery with both pro and con rose=colored glasses:
Pro:The Sixers moved up to 3, thanks to swapping selections with the Sacremento Kings. They still have the Lakers first round pick next year, which will be unprotected. LA has a group of youngsters, including guard D'Angelo Russell, however it's safe to say that the odds are pretty good that the Lakers will be back in the lottery this time next year.
Philadelphia also has the Kings' no.1 pick in 2019. Sacremento is a total mess, like usual, and the 2019 pick should be a top 3 selection. Both of these draft picks, along with the Sixers' own picks, and the future continues to look bright.
Con: The 76'ers didn't get the ultimate selections last night of the no. 1 and no 4 picks. I didn't think the team would keep both picks anyway. They may have traded the lesser choice for a more established player or even future picks. Now the Sixers can focus on that 3 pick, which brings us to,,,
Now what? Logic says the first two selections should be Fultz and Ball, but the Celtics, who draft no. 1, already have an all-star point guard . Would Boston instead take another position, such as swing man Josh Jackson form Kansas? Lonzo Ball seems certain to go to hometown UCLA. Could Fultz fall nicely into the Sixers' lap?
If Fultz does go before the Sixers are up, they will have plenty of talented , young players to choose from. Fox and Monk from Kentucky are namely two. Or would the Sixers entertain trading with Boston to get to 1, maybe the Sixers' 3 and Okafor ( whom Boston has express interest in)?
The Sizers need shooters in the worst way. Signing a J.J. Reddick in free agency would be big as well as drafting a young guard who can shoot.
There have always been rumors of the draft lottery being fixed. Bosotn, Los Angeles and Philly, three once-proud. high-profile franchises getting the top 3 picks...I'm sure the NBA would love to see these three cities return to prominence in the league. Think of the rivalries in the past. The Celts and Sixers, once again playing for supremacy in the East, and the Lakers playing showtime again in the West, may bring back the good ol' days to the struggling NBA.
Joel Embiid was fun at the draft last night. He's a great representative for the organization- bright, young, energetic, a fresh faced star. Enbiid needs to stay healthy and be the face of the Philadelphia franchise for the next 10 years.
Finally, how sad are the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacremento Kings? Brooklyn stupidly traded away so many first round picks to Boston in an ill-fated deal years ago. Once again that trade haunts the Nets organization, as Boston will be picking no. 1 in the Nets spot next month. Sacremwnto at least has a pick this tear, be it no. 5 in the first round. But they also traded away their firt rounder in 2019 to Philly. Brooklyn and Sacremento may be the two worst organizations in sports, losers in every sense of the word.
It's truly a wonder how so-called "experts" can be so wrong every year.
PHILLIES-
Nice that Cole Hamels would like to return to the Phillies after his contract is up in Texas. He is exactly what the team needs- a left-handed ace. Jerrad Eichoff has been a huge disappointment, and sending him back to the Rangers, straight up for Hamels, wouldn't be a bad move if Texas wants to clean house after this season.
I still think Vince Valasquez needs to be the team's future closer... The future outfield should be Altherr in left, Herrera in center (if he isn't traded this off-season), and Dylan Cozens in right. A nice combo of speed and power. Roman Quinn should be the 4th outfielder, spot starting as Altherr once did. Forget the washed-up vets like Kendrick, Saunders and Nava.
Didn't Tommy Joseph once play third base? Time to bring up Rhys Hoskins to play first base. Joseph has picked up his game, but is he the future? Does Franco need a little competition at third base to get him motivated?
When the Phils talk about the young prospects in Lehigh Valley "not being ready" or "there is no place to play them" in Pihlly, those kids aren't getting any younger, while the current Philadelphia roster is average at best. They are what they are, a mediocre squad. Guys like Cameron Rupp and Joseph may be playing better, but they are not special players. GM Matt Klentak needs to break the logjam in the minors soon. He knows what he has in Philadelphia. Summer is coming on, and so is the time to start making changes, as this current Phillies club is going nowhere.
EAGLES-
I love the signing of Legarrette Blunt out of New England today. He gives the Birds the bruising running back they need, someone to run the ball near the goal line, someone to pick up short-yardage first downs, someone to eat up the clock in the fourth quarter with a lead. It's another one-year deal, so no loss if it doesn't work out. He suddenly makes the offense so much better.
I was lucky to get Eagles tickets yesterday. The home opener vs. the rival New York Giants was sold out in minutes. Got the second home game of the season, an October 8 clash with Arizona. The Cardinals always give the Birds a good game. Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and gang should contend again in NFC West. My second game is against Denver on November 5. The Broncos rarely visit Philly. Their defense is still elite, although their quarterback situation is still cloudy.
Interestingly, both games are 1:00, so there will be a time difference factor with Arizona and Denver. The weather shouldn't matter, but the time may be an advantage for the Eagles, as both the Cards and Broncos will be kicking-off with their body clocks set to morning.
WIP SPORTS RADIO-
I wanted to offer my current assessment of WIP. I listen to WIP much more than their rival, The Fanatic. To me, The Fanattic is second-rate, many of their hosts unsuccessful at WUP. They don't have a local guy on overnight, and much of their programming is national.
I have been a loyal WIP listener since the 80s. I have no ax to grind, I just like listening to sports radio.
Some quick opinions on the WIP personalities:
Angelo Cataldi- Like a Jim Gardner of radio,a familiar voice. He may be a fake, and his main objective is to stir up controversy, but he is a comfortable voice in the morning. He will be missed when he retires soon, and WIP will be challenged to replace him. He is fun to listen to.
Stunts like Wing Bowl are tired and routine, and should be put out to pasture. It won't happen since it's great PR for the station.
Al Morganti- Doesn't offer much, but he is a good second banana, an Ed McMahon to Cataldi's Johnny Carson. Al knows hockey but that's about it.
Rheeya Hughes- A waste. Couldn't hold her own show. Will be lost when Cataldi retires. She will eventually fade away.
Marshall Harris- Wishy-washy. Doesn't offer solid opinions. Should stick with TV.
Hollis Thomas- No personality in person. Mumbles and stutters on the radio. Offers nothing useful. Other ex-Eagle players on the station are more interesting, more informative and understandable. Should stay with Rob Cherry on Saturday afternoons.
Keith Jones- Funny and honest. Knows little about sports other than hockey but is a refreshing, light-hearted change of pace.
Marc Farzetta- Annoying. Thinks he is cool. When he does host a show, he often talks over the caller. He doesn't listen, a cardinal sin of a radio sports talk host. Hate his "Hot Seat" segment on the morning show. Will always be a second banana, never a top personality. Temple grad, a reason why he got a job in radio.
Ava Graham- Big Daddy's daughter. Does little. Doesn't read updates. Basically a waste of time.
Joe DeCamera and Jon Richie- The morning 10am-2pm team. Better than Michael Barkann and Ike Reese, but that;s not saying much. All Eagles radio, not much else.
Chris Carlin and Ike Reese- the drive-time crew. No competition to Mike Missannelli on The Fanatic in this time slot. Reese shouts over everyone and tries to intimidate. other than football, he is clueless. Carlin is a loud-mouthed New Yorker, who will be returning to the Big Apple once his Philly gig is canceled.
Jon Marks- A nice addition to evenings. 100 times better than his predecessor Brian Haddad.
Paul Jolovicz- A know-it-all guy on late at night. Arrogant and rude, he chastises callers and listeners for not calling ( even though he is often unlistenable). His voice makes him distinct on the station, and he is a Wikipedia of sports knowledge, but he comes across as smug and condescending.
Jon Barcham- A new guy form Bleeding Green Nation. All he knows is Eagles.
Rickie Ricardo- Knows his baseball. Too bad the station doesn't have a weekly show devoted to baseball during the summer. His show is the closest to that. A broad caster for the Yankees, and ex-Spanish-language broadcaster for the Phillies.
Ron Charry- Good, sold weekend guy, but no more. Fills in, but ideally suited to his weekend afternoon gig. Honest and opinionated.
Steve Trevelise- My personal favorite. He's a Giant fan, but he knows sports, lets his callers talk, and is smooth. He also knows music and is the only host to do non-sports related interviews during his 2am weekend slot.
Big Daddy Graham- Depends on my mood and his mood. He can be jovial, yet rude to callers. I know the overnights on weeknights is to entertain, but his nightly segments are dull and routine. I don't get his wit. Still, he will be missed when he leaves the station, na dis an icon on the air. Yet his overnight slot will be easier to fill than Catadi's morning slot.
Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger- Maybe the vest show on WIP. Didnger knows all sports, especially football. He is easy to listen to and enjoyable, and kind to his callers. Macnow sometimes comes off as a know-it-all but generally he is easy-going and informative, with interesting topics. Plus he runs the Last Fan Standing football pool every fall.
Howard Eskin- Another familiar voice. Despite all of his many faults, he is opinionated, has more "inside" information than others, and has a cast of characters calling him every Saturday morning. Wish he was on more often. Along with Cataldi, he is the face of WIP.
Sonny Hill- Another treasure on Sunday mornings. He will be missed when he is gone, and give the station credit for having a basketball guy on every week.
Overall, sports radio currently sucks in the city. That could be a by-product of the lackluster teams, but it's more so the current hosts The station needs baseball expert (Ricky Bottalico?) on more often. I get it that the Eagles are Philadelphia's favorite sports team, but it would be nice to mix in the other sports too.
Experience and trust count. Personalities like Eskin, Cataldi, Hill, Graham and Didinger ooze trust and experience. WIP needs to beef up their afternoon show ( get rid of Ike Reese once and for all) and maybe upgrade in the mornings too. Anthony Gargano may have burned too many bridges to return to WIP, but he would fit in again in the 10am. time slot.
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