Is LeBron James Really Any Different Than Cliff Lee?

Why all the hate?

I’m suggesting therapy for all you LeBron James and Miami Heat haters.Let me get this straight: the guy took less money to go to a team he felt had a better chance of winning; he knew by going to this team he would dilute his individual legacy; and in playing for this team, he has completely subordinated his game to accommodate other high-profile teammates, meaning he is the opposite of the selfish NBA player. And you hate him….why?

We Blew It With Bin Laden’s Burial

And a few other thoughts on Osama’s exit

Sports fans are people too, so it came as no surprise to me that my 97.5 FM The Fanatic show on Monday was filled with interesting and provocative comments regarding the slaying of Osama Bin Laden.

Phillies: You Snooze, You Lose

Why the team needs to make a deal right now. Plus: My Flyers’ prediction, some thoughts on Donald Trump, and why people are no damn good

When, weeks ago, I was downplaying the Phillies’ lack of lineup offense and suggesting cryptically that with this team I could put Moe and Larry at right field and second base respectively and still win the National League, I was also making a very big assumption.

The Phillies Need to Add a Bat

Plus: John Gonzalez and David Murphy should be sent to their rooms like the children they are

I admit, I didn’t see it coming.Until they lost their second straight game at home to the Milwaukee Brewers, I didn’t see the Phillies losing a series until much later in the season. And I certainly didn’t see Roy Halladay losing a game (and for that matter being charged with six earned runs along with 10 hits in six innings and change) following a Phillies loss. Halladay’s efficiency as a pitcher is almost inhuman, and so I assumed he would, like a robot, program his way to a win following a loss.

The State of Philly Sports

Wait, things are actually ... good?

Ok, now I really know I woke up in Bizzarro World. People are talking about the Philadelphia sports scene in the context of accomplishment instead of bad fan behavior.

Who Cares If NFL Players Have Health Insurance?

Their million-dollar salaries make it tough to be compassionate

Just a few moments after this blog is published, a federal court judge in Minnesota will rule on an injunction to stop the NFL owners’ lockout of the players and issue perhaps a temporary resume of league business.

The Real Reasons Luis Castillo Got Cut by the Phillies

Plus: Why the geniuses in the national media have it all wrong about the Fightin’s

The national media would have the people of Philadelphia believe that this is going to be a star-crossed year for the Phillies. They cite the turn the team has taken in spring training: from prohibitive favorite to problem-ridden because of an abundance of injuries to their key players.

The NFL’s Stupid New Kickoff Rules

Plus: A few thoughts on Leonard Weaver, Tiger Woods and some other folks who tick me off

The league that isn’t currently a league passed a rule this week that I’m not sure any fan is going to get a kick out of.NFL owners had their annual meeting in New Orleans, and in between going out for expensive dinners and showing each other their $25,000 watches, the owners went for a rule that lessens the excitement in the game. Kickers will now kickoff from the 35-yard line instead of the usual 30-yard line. Last year, kicking from the 30, some 16 percent percent of kickoffs went for touchbacks. So, with all the big-footed kickers in the NFL, you can bet your last NFL trading card that that number will at least double in the upcoming season.

NFL Contract Fight Brings Out the Weasel In Everyone

News flash: Team owners don’t really care about fans. Plus: The players deserve more

At the top of this latest post, I must give full disclosure: I am pro-union and pro-NFL players. I was a member of the Newspaper Guild for years. I sat on strike for seven weeks, fighting alongside my reporter colleagues for benefits like nominal raises in pay and health benefits. And without the bonding of a group, all for one, we wouldn’t have gotten dick from a management that desired to reap more of profit margin at the expense of their hardworking employees.