Carlos Ruiz made his long awaited debut of the 2013 season yesterday. Ruiz set out from Reading, Pennsylvania Saturday night on a 125 mile drive to New York City to rejoin his team; as they faced the New York Mets on Sunday. A long trip, but certainly worth it.

Ruiz returned to the lineup yesterday after serving a 25 game suspension for using a banned amphetamine substance. Ruiz’s suspension was announced on Nov. 27, 2012 following his second positive test. An initial positive for a stimulant does not trigger a suspension; only that the player must undergo an immediate follow-up testing. The Phils starting catcher apologized in a statement, saying he was “sincerely regretful for his mistake in taking a prohibited stimulant.” He apologized to teammates and fans again at the beginning of Spring Training.

The 34-year-old Ruiz had a career year in 2012, batting .325 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 114 games. He missed a little more than a month with a foot injury. The Phillies opened up 11-14 this season without Ruiz, so the team was certainly glad to have one of their offensive leaders back in the lineup.

Ruiz batted in the number five spot in the lineup, going 1 for 4 with a double that helped the Phillies beat the Mets 5-1. With his usual catcher behind the plate, Phillies ace Cole Hamels got his first win of the season after five appearances. As stated by Hamels, “It’s huge to have him back. He’s been our leader, and it just makes our lineup feel more complete.”

Hamels was not the only one excited about the catchers return. Phillies manager Charlie Manual had this to say about Ruiz. ”Chooch is a big player in our lineup, I think I speak for everyone when I say we are excited to have him back.”

The Phillies next game will be this Tuesday, as the team travels to Cleveland to face the Indians. Ruiz is expected to start.

Image Credit: Philly.com

I created an IFTTT profile that includes three channels:

1) My Facebook Page

2) My Twitter Page

3) My Temple G-Mail Account

With these channels I created two “Recipes”:

IF a new photo of me is added on my Facebook page THEN the picture is automatically posted in a tweet on my Twitter page. 

I created this recipe to connect my Facebook and Twitter account; forming a relationship between my followers on Twitter and my friends on Facebook

IF ESPN updates a new score for the Philadelphia Phillies THEN an email update is automatically sent to my Temple G-Mail account. 

I created this recipe so I will always be up to date on my favorite team the Phillies! (Even though I probably already knew the score anyway) This way I can create updates on my blog for all of you as soon as they happen!

It seems that everyone (myself included) believes that Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly requires a mobile quarterback given his past offensive style at the University of Oregon. However, his constant insistence that he does not need a “dual-threat” quarterback was confirmed yesterday when the Eagles decided to draft USC quarterback Matt Barkley in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

After the Eagles passed on Geno Smith, the highly decorated “dual-threat” quarterback from West Virginia that shockingly fell all the way to the second round; it appeared that the Eagles would hold steady with its current roster of QBs. However, the Birds made a surprise trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, moving up to the first pick in fourth round (98th overall) to snag Barkley. Getting Barkley in the fourth round was an absolute steal, given that he was the 2nd ranked QB in the Draft; just behind Smith.

Eagles management stated that they were “very surprised” that Barkley was still available when he was. According to Kelly, “We had Matt rated as one of the top 50 players in the entire draft. The fact that he was still there, we talked about all along that we were going to take value. And there was no better value than us to open up today and take Matt.”

At USC, Barkley was the starting quarterback for all four years he was on the team. Over his career as a Trojan he completed 64 percent of his passes for 12,327 yards, 116 touchdowns, and 48 interceptions. He also set 20 USC school records.

This selection further complicates the ever growing question: who will be the starting QB for the Birds? Barkley is now the fifth quarterback on the Eagles roster along with: Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Dennis Dixon, and G.J. Hinne.

Coach Kelly took the pick as another opportunity to specify that quarterback position is still completely open; and that the quarterback does NOT need to be mobile. ”Everything we do, our quarterback has to be able to throw,” Kelly said. “If they have the ability to run, I believe that’s an added bonus. In this league, you got to be able to throw the football, that’s the first skill set we’re looking for. Repetitive accuracy is the No. 1 quality we’re looking for in a quarterback.”

Who knows what Coach Kelly has planned for his offense next season. The Eagles have two “dual-threat” quarterback types in Vick and Dixon; two “pocket passer” types in Foles and Barkley; and one that falls about in the middle with Hinne. Only time will tell what Coach Kelly has up his sleeves, but one thing that is for sure is that this is going to be a very interesting and exciting season.

Image Credit: The Daily Trojan

One of the biggest priorities for the Eagles this off-season was to re-build the team’s disastrous offensive line . And that is exactly what the team decided to do last night in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft; by selecting Oklahoma University offensive tackle Lane Johnson with the number four overall pick.

Lane Johnson at the University of Oklahoma

Before the draft, the Eagles identified four key players that they believed were worthy of the number four overall spot held by the team. When their turn came, one of those four players was still available, and the team went with him. As stated by head coach Chip Kelly, “It’s an exciting thing when you can target people and get exactly what you’re looking for.”

The Eagles did not get the most prolific of the offensive lineman available. The number one ranked offensive lineman was Luke Joeckel (from Texas A&M University) who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the number two overall pick. And NFL combine phenom, and number two ranked offensive lineman Eric Fischer (of the University of Central Michigan) went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the number one overall pick.

Even though Johnson was not one of the biggest names of the draft, the Eagles did end up with in my opinion, the most athletic player at the offensive lineman position available in the draft. Johnson is 6’6”, weighing in at 305 pounds. At the NFL combine he proved his strength by putting up 28 reps on the bench press. However, what truly makes him special is the fact that he posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.73 seconds and 34 inch vertical jump; showing how athletic he truly is. These were the best results from a lineman in both categories.

However, as stated by Johnson himself, he “went to the combine to prove he was a football player, not just an athletic big man.” And his history supports this. Johnson was actually a quarterback and safety when playing high-school football, and went to junior college recruited as a quarterback. Hard to believe given his size and strength. He then transferred to Oklahoma recruited as a tight-end, but after injuries plagued the Sooners on the offensive line, Johnson was then transitioned into an offensive tackle position. This shows how athletic and adaptable of a player he really is, which is a quality that many teams do not take into account during the draft.

Overall I believe that Lane Johnson was a great pick by the Eagles. He was clearly the best player available at his position; and I believe rebuilding the offensive line was the most  imperative problem facing the team.

The question now is who will the Eagles take in the second round of the Draft. With the number one ranked quarterback in country Geno Smith free-falling through the first round entirely, many people believe this may be who the Birds go with.

Geno Smith at the first round of the NFL Draft

The Eagles have the third pick in the second round (35th overall) following the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars may be in the market for a quarterback, given that the team’s current starting QB Blaine Gabbert has not lived up to being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. If the Jaguars pass on Smith, this could be a likely pick for the Eagles. I will be sure to keep you posted…

Image Credit: Philly.com

Image Credit: SB Nation

Since the Philadelphia Flyers failed to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, the team now must focus on the 2013 NHL Entry-Level Draft to re-build the team for next season.

As we saw this season, the Flyers have a lot of rebuilding to do defensively if they want to be serious contender next season; so drafting a solid blue-liner that can be built into a starting player is essential.

In terms of defensive players, the top player that every NHL team is looking at is Seth Jones. Jones, the defenseman from the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, is currently the number one ranked draft prospect by the NHL’s Central Scouting Rankings in the country. However, Jones will most likely be a very coveted pick, so if the Flyers do not end up with the number one spot, they will most likely have to set their sights on another defensive player.

That player could be Darnell Nurse, the nephew of former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Nurse is a defenseman for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League; and is currently ranked the number two defenseman in country; ranked number four overall.

When asked about Nurse, Chris Edwards of the NHL Central Scouting had this to say: “I like everything about him … he defends himself, is steady and doesn’t make many mistakes. I’m not saying he plays like Chris Pronger, but he could be that Pronger-type of guy with how good he is with the puck and his toughness.”

In a recent interview with the Courier Post Donovan McNabb had this to say about his nephew: “”Darnell is a really mature kid. I’ve always tried to instill in him a great work ethic, to have pride and passion in everything you set out to do. I think he has what it takes to be a great player”

Although the draft is over two months away, set for June 30th, Nurse could be one of the best prospects available to the Flyers. Any time a player is compared to Chris Pronger it is definitely a good sign,;and being the nephew of former NFL star Donovan McNabb can’t hurt. Once the NHL draft lottery comes out in May, we will have a better idea if Nurse could be a possibility for the Fly-Guys. I will be sure to keep you posted!

Image Credit: Courier Post

The Phillies have called up starting pitcher Jonathan Pettibone from the Minor League AAA Leigh Valley Iron Pigs to replace the injured John Lannan, who could be out for up to two months with a knee injury. Pettibone is set make his Major League debut tonight in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.

At the age of 22, Pettibone will be youngest Phillies’ pitcher to start a game since Fabio Castro in 2007 (who was also 22). Pettibone rose to AAA Leigh Valley last season, and recorded a 3.10 ERA in 26 minor-league starts. In his first two starts of the 2013 season, he has posted a 9.64 ERA.

Pettibone was chosen over Tyler Cloyd, who is scheduled to pitch tonight for the Iron Pigs. Many fans believed that the Phillies would call on Leigh Valley lefthander Adam Morgan to be the long term replacement for the injured Lannan. However, Morgan was not available to start Monday because he threw 100 pitches Thursday afternoon.

The Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro had this to say about Pettibone. “He hasn’t pitched great this year yet, but his stuff has been good. Hopefully he has enough weapons and guile to pitch well for us.”

Tonight could be a one night audition for Pettibone. If he does well, he may be the first choice to fill the 5th spot in the Phillies starting rotation. We will see how he does tonight.

Image Credit: Philly.com

This past week Sixers fans were hit with a very surprising update. Multiple sources have reported that Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins is planning to resign at the end of the 2012-2013 season. This was Collins 3rd season as head coach of the Sixers, and although he still has one year remaining on his contract, he has apparently told team management that “he would prefer to not return as coach next season.”

The story is still in speculation as there has been some information contradicting this accusation. Following the Sixers’ 91-77 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the team’s home finale, Collins’ lawyer John Langel, told a few reporters that his client will indeed be returning next season. ”He’s here for another year, at least,” Langel said. “He’s the coach and we’ll see what happens.”

However, Langel also stated that he has not asked the team for another contract extension for Collins because the coach did not ask him to.

A firestorm started last Thursday when a Philadelphia Inquirer story cited that the 76ers organization privately hoped Collins would not return for the 2013-14 season. However, 76ers owner Josh Harris has stated that “he very much wants Collins back at the helm next season.” Sources have reiterated that at no time did Harris not want Collins as his head coach next season.

As of now, if the rumors are true, it appears that Collins’ tenure as head coach of the 76ers will end after the final game of the season on Wednesday at Indiana. With so much speculation flying around, and very little definitive answers, we will most likely get an official statement from Coach Collins himself following the end of the Sixer’s season. As soon as there is any breaking news I will be sure to keep you updated!

Image Credit: Philly.com

The Phillies began the 2013 Major League Baseball season last night in Georgia facing their division rival the Atlanta Braves. This was the start to a long awaited and highly anticipated season; with many new player additions and the return of the team’s two biggest stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard . However, it was not the result that many Phillies’ fans were hoping for, with the Phillies losing 7-5.

Chase Utley after his homerun in the Phillies 7-5 loss to the Braves

The Phillies went with veteran starting pitcher Cole Hamels to open the season, however it was not one of his best performances. Hamels struggled with his location throughout the night, particularly with his cutter and curve. This resulted in too many fastballs over the plate, which resulted in a hitting clinic put on by the Braves. Hamels allowed seven hits and five earned runs in five innings of work.

The pitching woes continued when Manager Charlie Manuel decided to pull Hamels in the fifth, bringing in right handed reliever Chad Durbin with the Phillies down 5-3. Durbin allowed two runs without recording a single out, giving the Braves the 7 runs needed to hold on for a 7-5 victory.

Although the starting rotation and bullpen did not seem to live up to their reputation, it was not all bad news in the season opener. The Phillies offense looked pretty promising, with two new starters (Domonic Brown and Ben Revere) both getting hits that plated runs.

However, by far the biggest positive of the night was the performance of veteran 2nd baseman Chase Utley. After missing most of the 2012 season with knee injuries, Utley gave Phillies fan a huge sigh of relief last night with this performance at Turner Field. Utley had a great game, going 3-5 with a homerun and three RBIs; which is a great sign for the Phils moving forward.

Although Phillies fan would have loved to see a season opening victory over their hated division rival, ultimately opening day is only one out of 162 games. If the Phils pitching rotation can get it going, and the offense continues to get men on base like it did last night, I think the Phillies could have a solid season.

Image Credit: Philly.com

Throughout the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament the La Salle Explorers had proven themselves as a clear front runner, never trailing an opposing team by more than five points in any game. However, last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, the Explorers experienced a role-reversal when they faced the Wichita State Shockers.

La Salle was only the sixth #13 seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA tournament history. However, none of the previous five had made it to the Elite Eight, which proved to be a bad omen.

Senior Ramone Galloway following La Salle’s 72-58 loss to Wichita State

A hard charging Wichita State team came out strong in the first half, leading by 14 points just five minutes into the game, and extending the lead to 16 points at half time. The Shockers held on to their commanding first half lead the entire game, with La Salle never cutting the deficit to less than 11 points. As stated by Explorers head coach John Giannini, “Wichita State won the game in the first half, they really overwhelmed us.”

La Salle saw its underdog run in the tournament come to end last night with a 72-58 loss to the Shockers. This was La Salle’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1992.

Guards Jerrell Wright and Tyrone Garland lead La Salle with 16 points each. And senior guard Ramone Galloway finished with 11 points in his final game as an Explorer. However, their performances were not enough to overcome an explosive Wichita State team, lead by guard Malcolm Armstead who scored 16 points.

Obviously the Explorers are disappointed to see their surprise tournament run come to an end, but it was clear victory by Wichita State. However, La Salle should be very proud of themselves for pulling some huge upsets and making it as far as they did. It was a great season for the Explorers.

Wichita State will head to the Elite Eight to face the #2 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the West Regional final on Saturday night.

Image Credit: USA Today