1. Hard to believe the Eagles really got Matt Barkley in the fourth round. I have no idea if he’ll pan out, but it’s so hard to find a franchise quarterback that it was a no-brainer. How difficult has it been for the Eagles to find elite quarterbacks? Think about this: In their history, only three QBs have won more than one playoff game (Tommy Thompson in the 1940s, then Ron Jaworski and Donovan McNabb). Three guys over 80 seasons. Without an elite quarterback, you have no chance to win anything. So the opportunity to draft somebody who could one day be that guy with the 98th pick … you take him no matter what offense you run.
2. For all the talk about teams hitting on late-round draft picks, the Eagles have drafted exactly one player in the sixth round or later in the last 25 years that’s gone to a Pro Bowl – and that was a punter who only played in five games as an Eagle (Mitch Berger, a sixth-round pick in 1994, went to a couple Pro Bowls later in his career with the Saints and Vikings.) The last time the Eagles drafted a position player in the sixth round or later that went to a Pro Bowl? That would be 1986, when they took multiple future Pro Bowlers Seth Joyner and Clyde Simmons in the eighth and ninth rounds. The fifth round did produce Trent Cole and Ike Reese and the fourth round William Thomas. But the last offensive player the Eagles drafted later than the third round that went to a Pro Bowl? Wilbert Montgomery, 36 years ago.
3. This won’t be popular, but I like that Chip Kelly is going to give Nate Allen a chance to compete for a starting safety job. I haven’t forgotten how well he played as a rookie in 2010 before getting hurt. He’s only 25, but he’s played for five different position coaches (Dick Jauron, Johnnie Lynn, Todd Bowles, Bobby April, Mike Zordich) and three defensive coordinators (Sean McDermott, Juan Castillo, Bowles) in three years. So it’s not surprising he’s looked lost the last couple years. At one time, he looked like a player. Nothing to lose giving him a shot.
4. This is so mindblowing I double-checked and triple-checked it. But since opening day of 2011, Kyle Kendrick has a lower ERA (3.46) than Roy Halladay (3.65). And that includes a season in which Halladay was Cy Young runner-up.
5. How many Philly athletes have improved as much as Kendrick? Like went from really, really bad to really really good? I can’t think of too many. Jermane Mayberry had a tough time for a few years at left tackle but stuck with it and eventually became a Pro Bowl guard. Mike Lieberthal was a .248 hitter the first five years of his career and then hit .282 last eight seasons in Philly and went to a couple All-Star games. Who else?
6. The fact that I couldn’t think of a single 76er who qualifies (other than Nikola Vucevic, who they got rid of) is not a good sign.
7. Hard to believe that this time a year ago, the 76ers were up 3-1 in their best-of-seven playoff series with the Bulls.
8. If Doug Collins ever gets another coaching job, he should just announce the day he’s hired that he’s quitting in three years.
9. This is what my cab driver told me on the way to Cleveland Airport Thursday morning: “My wife, all she does is sit on the couch and watch reality TV. Reality TV every night. I ask her, ‘Why do you care about these peoples’ lives? Why do you care about these people?’ I told her, ‘If you care about them, it makes me wonder why I care about you.’” He also said that did not go over very well with his wife.
10. Want an Eagles undrafted rookie to keep an eye on? Go with Jake Knott, a 6-2, 245-pound linebacker from Iowa State. The kid has a real shot.
11. The following is a Special Guest Random Flyers Point from CSNPhilly.com hockey writer Sarah Baicker: Everyone arguing that the Flyers can continue into next season without clearing significant cap space needs to stop. Now. Next time your buddy insists the Flyers can continue without getting rid of (for example) Danny Briere or Ilya Byrzgalov, remind him the NHL’s cap goes down about $6 million next season, and the following players are up for new contracts at the conclusion of 2013-14 (something tells us you Flyers fans would be hesitant to part ways with most of them): Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Matt Read, Brayden Schenn and Steve Mason.
12. If it were up to me, anybody parking in a handicap spot without a valid handicap tag would lose their license for a year. Do it again, you lose your license for life.
13. Jimmy Rollins is hitting .233 in his last 112 games going back to June of last year. He has 10 RBIs in his last 44 games.
14. Whenever I hear Annie Lennox singing, I want to puke.
15. The over-under on wins for Eagles wins in 2013 is eight. Interesting. It’s nine for the Giants and Cowboys and 8½ for the Redskins. That would be a heck of a turnaround if they go 8-8 after losing 11 of their last 12 games last year.
16. I wonder if Boris Spassky still plays chess.
17. Here’s something I just don’t get: Why do restaurants always play the worst imaginable music. I mean, is there anybody out there in the universe that actually thinks, “Hey, let’s go out to dinner, and hopefully they’ll be playing some songs by Adele, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Brittany Spears, Ed Sheeran or Nicki Minaj featuring Maroon 5 while we eat?” No, there isn’t anybody like that anywhere ever.
18. The following is another Special Guest Random Flyers Point from CSNPhilly.com hockey writer Sarah Baicker: The Flyers should have re-signed Jaromir Jagr after the 2011-12 season. They should not, however, bring him back this summer. Why? Because everyone in hockey knew that last season would be shortened by a lockout – and fewer games meant less of a chance that Jagr (now 41) would succumb fatigue or injury, as he did with the Flyers late in 2012-13. But there will be a full 82-game season to play beginning this fall, and Jagr will be 42 in February. At this point in his career, he’s just not worth the money or the risk.
19. OK, be honest: Out of the Who, Stones, Kinks and Beatles, whose music do you listen to the least these days? The Beatles, right?
20. Two of the best jobs I ever had were working at a record store (Record World) and a book store (Book Beast) as a kid in White Plains, N.Y. Now I’m afraid in a few years there won’t be any more book stores or record stores, and that makes me really sad.
21. How does the Board of Health allow those big giant open barrels of pickles in grocery stores, where people allegedly use tongs that have probably been sitting around on a plate for a few weeks to grab their giant pickles? That can’t be a good idea. Really.
22. My 10 favorite guitar players of all-time: 1. Lindsey Buckingham, 2. Doug Gillard, 3. Steve Howe, 4. Mark Knopfler, 5. Steve Morse, 6. Richard Thompson, 7. Bill Nelson, 8. Tommy Conwell, 9. Terry Wilson, 10. Robert Pollard.
23. Danny Watkins doesn’t strike me as a Chip Kelly sort of guy. I’ve never seen a guy so indifferent after getting benched. At least pretend you’re disappointed.
24. Best place to see live music in Philly is Johnny Brenda’s, and nothing else is close.
25. Will any of us still be alive when the I-95 construction is finished?
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