Random weekend Philly sports thoughts...
* I will miss manager Pete Mackanin, but let's keep things in perspective. Pete wasn't exactly Sparky Anderson with some of his decisions. He filled in when Ryne Sandberg walked away. To his credit, Pete kept it together despite the turmoil and garbage the front office gave him to work with.
I think Pete should've been given a chance to finally manage good players.But it's obvious that GM Matt Klentak wants his own guy in charge. A younger, more analytical version of himself in the skipper's role.
I didn't agree with the way Pete handled his bullpen or his way of disciplining guys who didn't hustle, players like Herrera and Franco. His coaching staff also let him down. Hopefully Samuel, Stairs, McClure and Morandini do not return as well.
I do agree that this organization needs a fresh, more positive approach now that they are ready to be competitive. I fully expect Klentak to dive into free agency and improve the pitching staff thru trades. They have the cash, young players and better farm system to make moves.
Will I miss Mackanin's honesty? Yes. It will depend who replaces Pete. Hopefully a manager who thinks out of the box, not a cookie-cutter guy who always does things by the book. So, I'm willing to give MacPhail and Klentak a shot. The off-season will be interesting, that's for sure.
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* Running the ball was a welcome change for the Eagles last week against the Giants. It seemed to open up the pass and control the clock. But I'm not gung ho about the team needing to have a balanced attack.
Isn't the goal to score and move the ball the best way possible?
So, if throwing the ball picks up first downs and scores touchdowns, do it. Sure, you need to run the ball to keep defenses honest and not get Carson Wentz killed.
To me, don't be cookie-cutter and throw-or run- the ball automatically. Do whatever makes sense week to week. For instance, the Chargers are weak against the run. So on Sunday, it would make sense to focus again on the rushing game, especially to keep their aggressive tackles at bay.
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OK, I didn't agree with Doug Pederson's 4th-and-8 goofy play-call against the Giants. But it didn't cost the Birds the game. And it was in the second quarter, not near the end of the game.
It scares me that Pederson could make such a stupid call, relying on an analytics guy in the booth to give him advice. He's learning on the job and hopefully he learns from his mistakes and doesn't do it again.But I get it- you hold your breath waiting for the next shoe to fall.
If the Eagles would've lost Pederson would've been buried. But they didn't. And the call didn't cost the game . The defense stepped up and the Giants' coach may even be worse than Pederson.
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You gotta sign Joel Embiid to a contract extension. OK, he has only played 31 games in three seasons. Your'e taking a chance on his health. But you took a chance when you drafted the guy. When he plays, he's great.
You're committed to him now. You can't let him walk and become a superstar elsewhere. You need to ride Enbiid out and see what happens. He will either be an injury-riddled bust or one the game's brightest stars, the leader of a young, talented Sixers squad that will contend for years.
Embiid finally practiced 5-on- 5 yesterday afternoon. Jojo will be OK. He is fun to watch with a captivating personality. Sign him and let him play.
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