Save the Celebration for when it Really Counts

Okay, first off, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon. I will openly admit that. Some see pessimism as a negative world view, but I merely categorize it as a necessary checkpoint for properly managing expectations. Because if you expect that things are going to go the way you want them to for the most part, you're expecting incorrectly.

This is why, as an Eagles fan, I'm trying to maintain some modicum of perspective regarding Philadelphia's highly improbably 38-31 come-from-behind win over the N.Y. Giants at the Meadowlands yesterday, a game that was crucially important for both teams coming in with a 9-4 record and tied for first place in the NFC East Division standings. Oh, and this makes it a season sweep for the Birds over the Giants, and marks the sixth consecutive victory for Philly over New York. Oh, and this is the second Eagles-Giants game in a row where the G-Men looked for all the world like they had it all wrapped up, only to piss it away in the final moments. Oh, and the Giants held a 31-10 lead with just under 8 minutes remaining, and the Eagles capped off this seemingly fictional comeback with a DeSean Jackson 65-yard punt return with less than 10 seconds on the clock when all that New York's punter had to do was kick the Godforsaken football out of bounds.

Sounds like it must feel pretty damn good to be an Eagles fan right now, huh? Okay. Fine. It feels pretty good. TODAY it does.

I would argue that by tomorrow, it shouldn't feel so great anymore, because the Birds haven't won anything in the 2010-11 season yet. Haven't clinched the division title, haven't even clinched a playoff spot. Yes, the last two games will be played within the comfortable confines of The Linc, against Minnesota and then Dallas (which is playing much better since the Wade Phillips firing). But if the Giants beat the Packers in Green Bay next Sunday, they're in the playoffs. And I don't know about any other Eagles fans, but as I live and breathe, I want NO part of the New York football Giants a third time this year, and you shouldn't either.

Look, I recognize that it's nice to be able to enjoy the kind of moment that occurred yesterday. You don't get them often, no matter who you root for. But I would hate to think the team, and the fans, and pretty much everyone pulling for the boys in green, are lulling themselves into some false sense of confidence or security, only to be brought back to reality in the form of some unexpected thrashing in the next couple of weeks, or by the Gods, in the playoffs (let's make it there first).

As a follow-up to that point, does anyone else feel like DeSean Jackson is just pissing off the karma Gods to no end with his endzone chicanery at this point? Can someone bring this guy back down to earth? I know he's an incredibly, immensely talented player, and the Eagles are lucky to have him (they probably wouldn't be in this position right now without him). But does he really think that passing off his antics as "entertainment" is really an appropriate way to explain his behavior? Really DeSean? Do you think the mostly Giants-partisan fanbase at that game in the Meadowlands yesterday was "entertained" by your unnecessary glide across the one-inch line as one last "eff you" before waltzing into the end zone? Do you think the Dallas fans were "entertained" by your 'falling backwards' across the goal line in that road victory over the Cowboys? Do you not think all of this is going to come crashing down horribly someday in the form of some gut-wrenching disappointment the likes of which Philadelphia sports fans have never experienced? Again, call me a pessimist if you like, but the touchdown taunting B.S. can't possibly mean good things for the Birds in the long run. It just can't.

Name me the last time a memorable Super Bowl winning team or athlete bookmarked his/their accomplishment in the game of all games with some cocky gesture that still stands out today? Yeah, I can't think of that time either.

Okay, so, in review, the Eagles are a phenomenally talented team ... offensively. The defense has a LOT of holes in it (one of the last in the league statistically in red-zone situations), and the never-ending injuries on both sides of the ball aren't helping. Andy Reid still makes me want to jump through the screen and strangle him at times, like when he pocketed the red challenge flag yesterday on that OBVIOUSLY horrible call when Jackson was clearly down before the ball came out, then it was ruled a fumble and the Giants recovered. But if Michael Vick, Jackson and the rest of the offense can continue to bail out the rest of this team's inadequacies with mind-bending, incomprehensible heroics on offense (and occasionally on special teams), then God Bless. But do NOT fool yourselves, Eagles fans, into thinking this is somehow a well-rounded, powerhouse football team. Because it's not. The smoke-and-mirrors stuff they're pulling in most of their wins is highly impressive, I'll grant you that. But it feels like it's only a matter of time until the many weaknesses of the 2010-11 Eagles are exposed in the most embarrasing of ways.

Let's put it this way ... if the Eagles played that hated team from up north in Foxboro right now, it would be UGGGGLY. Did anyone see that Sunday night game against the Packers? You know, the one that we all thought would be over about halfway through the second quarter because Aaron Rodgers wasn't starting for Green Bay? Did you guys see Matt Flynn, who has less NFL experience than most third-string QBs in the league, fearlessly drive his team down the field against that Pats defense for four straight quarters, with a chance to win the game until the final ticks elapsed off the clock? Yeah, I saw it too, and also couldn't believe it. But New England found a way to win. Like they always do. Now THAT is a complete football team.

Birds fans, enjoy that "Miracle at the Meadowlands - Part Deux" that you saw yesterday. It might just be the pinnacle of the Eagles' 2010-11 season. I hope I'm wrong. But I don't think I will be unless a lot of stuff is corrected over the next few weeks. At least they are in the driver's seat for a division title and a shot at the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC. They can't blame anyone else if things don't turn out how they want.

A Bunch of Random Thoughts

* The girl-on-girl scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis is only one of a few good reasons to see the new Darren Aronofsky-directed psychological mind-hump Black Swan, currently in limited release theaters but soon to expand to more screens. Overall, it's quite engrossing, mostly because of the intentionally low-budget look and feel of the film, the hand-held camera shots, the dark, grainy textures and mood scapes. Portman plays an immensely talented and technically proficient but somewhat wooden, unemotional ballet dancer, and she is selected amongst many also-talented competitors to play the role of the Swan Queen in her Lincoln Center (NYC) troupe's redux of the Tchaikovsky classic from which the movie bears its namesake. Kunis plays a hotshot, free-wheeling "colleague" of Portman's, straight off the plane from San Francisco - a confident, self-assured competitor with carry-the-room charisma who strikes up a "friendship" with Portman and ultimately is selected as the Swan Queen alternate just days before Opening Night, cementing what the protagonist perceives to have been an adversarial relationship with Kunis all along.

What happens throughout much of the flick is mind-bending. Let's just say that mental stability is not present in heaping amounts in some of the most prominently featured characters in this movie, which leads to often confusing moments for the viewer. It's kind of like - "Hey, did she just imagine that shit, or did it really just happen?" For me, it feels like a convenient "out" for Aronofsky, and/or whomever wrote this script. The lines between fantasy and reality are often blurred. If you can buy into the spirit of that construction, then rock on, you will enjoy the hell out of this movie. I thought it was kind of a cheap device at times, but again, the end result is that this is a powerful cinematic work, one that will likely leave a lasting impression of some degree, which is more than I can say for a lot of what Hollywood churns out these days.

Oh and this movie does nothing to help fight the stereotype (an untrue stereotype, of course!) that women are effing CRAZY. Same goes for the "power-abusing ballet troupe director working with young, pretty, impressionable females in a subservient position" stereotype. Worth checking out, no matter how you feel about it all afterwards.


* Just finished reading a killer novel - a true-life account of an undercover ATF agent's harrowing one-year experience infiltrating an Arizona-based Hell's Angels Motorcycle gang. The book, formerly on the New York Times bestseller list, is called "No Angel" and the agent is named Jay Dobyns. What this guy had to give up in his efforts to put a serious dent in the Hells Angels organization is mind-boggling. Rather than a story that shifts focus onto several different protagonists or characters, it shows you how Dobyns lived through all of this while juggling his personal life and relationships with colleagues who became increasingly concerned about this man's safety and well-being as he plunged deeper into the Rabbit Hole of illegal activity and self-deception.

It's a lightning-fast read. At times you might find yourself wishing that more crazy stuff is constantly happening, but don't expect every other page to be littered with tales of hot-lead shootouts, wild sex, copious drug use and salacious material in general. All of that stuff is discussed, mind you, but since this is a real-life account, you get the full truth of how these events honestly played out as Dobyns kept meticulous notes and lived this unbelievable saga 24/7 for the better part of a year. You find yourself ripping through especially as you get closer to the end to find out what the hell happened to this guy, and what the hell happened to the bad asses he was pursuing. Riveting stuff if the true-crime genre is right up your wheelhouse.



* Auburn and Oregon will play for the National College Football Championship on Monday, January 10th in Glendale, Arizona. Ho hum. The two best teams ended up with unbeaten records, so there's not as much BCS Controversy this year as in other years. But as usual, a playoff would be nice so that we could see if TCU, or Stanford, or Wisconsin, or Boise State, or any of a handful of other teams really is worthy to also be hoisting some kind of national trophy. Don't look for this to happen anytime soon, by the way. But in fairness, these are the two best teams as the 2010 season played out. Cam Newton, controversial season of his own aside, won the Heisman Trophy fittingly on Saturday night, and he did have an unfathomably eye-opening season so he deserves it. I'm going with Auburn to win this game though, and give the SEC its fifth straight national championship.

Also, for anyone who has had their eye on the Pitt Panthers this season, take note of that battering ram in the backfield wearing a No. 27 jersey. His name is Henry Hynoski, and he played high school ball at the alma mater of yours truly (Southern Columbia Area H.S. in Catawissa, Pa.). He was part of a truly special group of players that won 5 straight state championships from the fall of 2002-2006, and his work ethic and perseverance has certainly served him well as a collegiate student athlete. There's talk that he might have the tools to play at the next level, no easy feat indeed especially when you come from a formative school surrounded by corn fields. But make no mistake, Hyno is the real deal. Watching him is like looking at an offensive lineman throw blocks in the backfield and take the occasional handoff or screen pass. He never hesitates for a second to put his body in front of whatever terrifying defensive player is careening into the Pitt backfield to take the QB's head off. I like to keep an eye on Pitt and Penn State to see where the in-state Pennsylvania talent decides to go. It seems like Pitt has nabbed a lot of really strong homegrown players over the past several years. It should be interesting to see how that road turns now that Dave Wannstedt is out as head coach.



* Oh NFL, how you continue to seduce us with your crazy and wily ways. Okay, let's just all agree that the New England Patriots shouldn't necessarily be the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Yes, yes I know - they're playing the best football out of anyone right now, that's true. But I'd just like to remind us all of what happened in February of 2008 (Helmet catch, anyone?) Yeah, I know I sound like a hater. I guess I've just had enough of the Pats. I kind of wish they'd go away already, you know? Kind of like Brett Favre. But they probably aren't, I get it. Come on, let me have my wishful thinking at least.

As an Eagles fan, I'll gladly take that sometimes scary-to-watch 30-27 nipping of the hated Cowboys in Dallas last night, but that Philly defense is definitely suspect. It's not one of the best in the league even when it's 100 percent healthy, which it is currently not. Next Sunday the Birds (9-4) go to the Meadowlands to battle the Giants (8-4), with whom they may share the same record pending the outcome of tonight's New York-Minnesota showdown. Not going to be easy, especially considering the Eagles won a nail-biter over the Giants at the Linc a few weeks back.

All I know is that it's really a shame that somebody has to win the putrid NFC West, meaning that a deserving team (Green Bay, Tampa Bay, possibly even the Giants or Eagles) will be left on the outside looking in come playoff time. Kind of a crime, actually. The next three weeks will certainly be high on the NFL drama.

And if you're a Jets fan who was soaring on confidence as recently as three weeks ago, you have to be re-examining your entire outlook on the 2010 season for Rex Ryan and company. The Monday Night thrashing at the hands of the Patriots last week isn't even all that unbelievable considering what that team has done lately, although it was still quite humbling because of all the national hype and so forth. But that 10-6 loss to Miami at the Meadowlands yesterday? Ouch. The Jets should have come out and beaten the pants off that team, using that national Foxboro embarrassment as motivation to dig deep and find out what they've really got in the tank. But nope - the often confused, seemingly offensively directionless Dolphins, with the sometimes hapless Chad Henne at the helm, beat the Jets. Yikes. Jets will probably still make the playoffs, but some serious issues need to be addressed to avoid an early exit. And believe me I hope they get it together. I would much rather see them than the Patriots come out of the AFC East to do some real playoff damage.

If You Can't Stand the Heat ...

... then you're one of many. Also, get out of the kitchen.

The kitchen will be rocking tonight in Cleveland when LeBron James and the Miami Heat return to the city that the star player spurned for greener pastures (or so we thought) back in July, announcing one of the most landmark offseason NBA moves in the league's history.

Of course, what's memorable isn't just the fact that James was switching teams - we all pretty much knew he probably wasn't going back to Cleveland after the end of last season. It had more to do with how James chose to carry out his decision to "take his talents to South Beach." In a live, one-hour primetime televised special when the only significant competing event might have been a baseball game, or a re-run of CSI or something. Yes, it was on this grandest of stages that James chose to rip out the hearts of Cleveland sports fans everywhere.

Okay, that's one way to look at it. That's how Cleveland fans look at it. My view has always been that they need to get it together, and that they should have seen this coming. Sure, doesn't make it any easier, but it's clear some sort of shake-up needed to happen if James or the Cavs were ever going to win a championship. It didn't work out. We all know the ins-and-outs of it by now - no need to rehash it all.

But what has been significant is the surprisingly slow start out of the gate that Miami has experienced in the early going here. They're 11-8, and not even in first place in their division. It's one of the most heaped-upon, discussed sports stories of the past several weeks (well, at least since the 2010-11 NBA season began). Why aren't they whipping up on everyone? What's with the chemistry problems? Why can't LeBron and Dwayne Wade complement each other on the court? Will this team even win one NBA title, let alone multiples?

So many questions. And the crowd in Cleveland tonight will be in full-on "Eff you, LeBron!" mode, without a doubt. I'm just not sure we'll see the kind of defining moment that everyone is hoping for (or thinking might happen). It will be entertaining, the crowd will be obnoxious, but ultimately, this is going to be another forgettable NBA game between two teams that are most likely not winning a championship this year (well, Cleveland definitely won't be. Jury's still out on the Heat, although it's not looking great for them).

It's just funny. We judge athletes, anyone famous really, by the standards we want them to have. LeBron is no different in our eyes. We think, well, he has ridiculous, unspeakable physical gifts on the basketball court. Therefore, he should dominate like Jordan did in the 90s. Like Kobe is now. It just doesn't seem right otherwise. We can't wrap our head around LeBron's legacy, who he is as a person right now, and it's messing with us big-time. Why is this guy so good but he can't be on a title-winning team? What's important to him? What does he value? Does he want to be a global icon, or a multiple-ring winner, or both? Is he more concerned with his name branding, or the brand name of the jeweler who'll be crafting his championship ring? Does he have the mental toughness that's necessary to lead himself and his teammates to the promised land?

None of us know the answers to any of this. All we know right now is that this 25-year-old kid has immense skills on the basketball court, but seems to lack the ultra-competitive, killer instinct gene present in Jordan and Kobe. You know, the same gene that makes most of us say - "Wow, those guys seem like real dicks sometimes, but they won't settle for anything less than winning at all costs."

The Heat have a lot of talent, but they lack a ton of qualities needed for a championship (a veteran coach, leader-type players who've won multiple titles before, a bona fide big man in the low-post, chemistry). You get the idea. It's just amazing how these things can be so hard to predict. Cleveland won more games than anyone else last year in the regular season, and by the time they were ousted from the playoffs, we were thinking "How the hell did anyone think that team was going to win a championship?" Then, LeBron, Wade and Bosh team up on the same squad, and we're all immediately handing over the championship hardware to them. It's nuts.

For the record, Boston, the Lakers and San Antonio are the best teams right now. I'll be very surprised if one of them doesn't end up winning the title, but it's certainly early and a lot can happen between now and June.

I'll be glued to the set tonight like a lot of others, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not as epic an event as we'd all like to believe. This is mostly about some unsettled 'score' between one talented hometown hero and his bitter fan base. It's a sad, tense relationship that will probably never be resolved, but shouldn't be this contentious in the first place.

Everyone needs to just move on.