- Newly-acquired WR Golden Tate was introduced to the Philly media yesterday afternoon, and he came across as thoughtful, sincere and excited to play for the Eagles. Tate is 30 and hopefully will sign beyond this season. For now he gives Carson Wentz another weapon on offense. He may not have the breakaway, blazing speed like DeSean Jackson, speed that can stretch a defense, but Tate catches the football and leads the league in yards made after the catch, He is elusive and make defenders miss. Tate is great in the red zone as well. He's terrific on screens, which Wentz should use extensively when the pass rush gets too much,
He makes the Birds better and sends a message that the team isn't giving up on the season. Meanwhile the Lions, only a game out of first place in NFC North, are telling Detroit fans that a long-awaited Super Bowl appearance won't happen this year.
There's been a recent baby boom in local hospitals. Almost 9 months ago the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Coincidence? Or do we now know how some people celebrated after the big game?
- Legendary slugger Willie McCovey died yesterday. "Stretch" was a long and lanky first baseman for the San Francisco Giants, playing 19 of his 22 major league seasons in Candlestick Park. Although McCovey lived in the shadow of the great Willie Mays, he hit 510 home runs and made it to the Hall of Fame.
The Giants has a great team in the 60s, with McCovey, Mays, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and Jim Ray Hart, among others. But the Dodgers, with Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, seemed to have their number out west. I guess great pitching does beat great hitting most of the time.
McCovey is probably best known to today's generation of fans as the guy who "McCovey Cove" is named after, that space of blue water outside the right field fence in San Francisco where titanic homers make a splash-down. McCovey often hit long homers to right field in Candlestick, especially back in the day when it wasn't as easy to hit homers.
RIP Willie...
- Phillies GM Matt Klentak is on WIP Sports Radio soon. I'm sure he won't say much. He never does. It will be interesting to see what the club does regarding free agency. Will they still go after Machado, despite his recent statements about not hustling? Or will Harper be their target, along with pitching help? Or neither?
The Phils are favorites to get someone this off-season, with their needs and all the cash they have hoarded over the years. Looks like Machado has played his last game in Dodger blue from his recent comments. Also appears that the Yankees, in need of a shortstop, at least until June, are backing away from Machado. So, the Phillies may have clear sailing for Machado- but do they really want him? And will the fans welcome him to town, knowing he has already stated that he won't hustle all the time?
- The Sixers are home tonight, where they are 4-0, against the clippers, while the flyers continue their four-game road trip with a contest in Los Angeles vs the Kings.
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