<rss version="2.0">
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		<title>AOL RED Blogs: Calling The Shots!</title>
		<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/</link>
		<description>AOL RED Blogs</description>
		<language>en</language>
		<webMaster>dev@corp.vpi.net</webMaster>
		<copyright>(c) 2008</copyright>
		<pubDate>Wed, 2 Jan 2008 10:38:50 PST</pubDate>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 2 Jan 2008 10:38:50 PST</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[URGENT!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/urgent.3/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 2 Jan 2008 10:38:50 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I am still writing in this blog and plan to keep it active for a long time but there may not be a new entry for about a week. I recentley went through some tough heart problems (I&#39;m only 17&nbsp; eesh) so I need to be easy for right now. THanks for understanding and keep checking back.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[psssstttt Roger.......did it hurt?!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/psssstttt_rogerdid_it_hurt/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:09:10 PST</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[No Longer Fish Out Of Water]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/no_longer_fish_out_of_water/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:53:05 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&nbsp;The impossible has been done! The Miami Dolphins, the lowest point of the NFL totem pole ended their 16-game losing streak with an overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens earlier today, 22-16. The Ravens had a chance to send Miami home with a familiar feeling but in overtime Matt Stover missed the possible game winning field goal which led to a fabulous catch-n-go touchdown by Greg Camarillo. All talks can down stop about the Dolphins &quot;winless season&quot; because it is now a thing of the past. &nbsp;Next up for the fins.....undefeated New England Patriots.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA["Quote of the Day"]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/quote_of_the_day.10/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:37:19 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&nbsp;Yankees&#39; pitcher Andy Pettite admits to have using HGH in the past---&nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone ... This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list. I wasn&#39;t looking for an edge. I was looking to heal. &quot;-- Andy Pettitte]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[*UPDATE* The Mitchell Report]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/update_the_mitchell_report/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:52:37 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The long awaited &quot;Mitchell Report&quot; has hit the media and with just enough force to knock Bud Selig on his.......butt. Senator George Mitchell was named head of a special organization that was to deal with the steroid problem in Major League Baseball. And after long anticipation, the report that Mitchell has put together which names all the players link to steroid use...is public! Let me lay out some of the big names for you...&nbsp;-After Seven Cy Young Awards, 354 major league victories, MVP and All-Star honors, and an obvious vote into the baseball Hall of Fame, Roger &quot;the Rocket&quot; Clemens was arguably the biggest name to appear on George Mitchell&#39;s steroid list. As of now these names are just speculation but this list had a long preparation time so Clemens can expect a long road ahead of him.-Barry Bonds (obviously) was noted on the list and will undergo further investigation.-Other big names include Jason Giambi, Eric Gagne, Gary Sheffield, Gary Matthews Jr., Jose Guillen, Brian Roberts, Paul lo Duca,&nbsp;Andy Pettite (hmm,,, another Yankees guy) and Miguel Tejada which is very interesting considering Tejada was just involved in a 6-mad trade between the Orioles and Houston Astros.&nbsp;&nbsp;Major League Baseball comissioner Bud Selig has announced that he will be handling these players on a case-by-case situation.&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Come on Guys!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/come_on_guys.4/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:38:06 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[....my whole purpose to this blog is to educate and entertain anyone interested in sports or anything that has to do with sports. But, without a lively reader and contributor I cannot fulfill my blog. This latest post is pretty disappointing so I am hoping for better results on the next one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Who is more deserving of a National Title shot?LSU Tigers (2 losses) - 0.0% (0 Votes)Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (0 losses) - 100.0% (4 Votes)]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Philly Muscle...]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/philly_muscle/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 3 Dec 2007 18:10:00 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Could you imagine an NHL coach telling his team not to be TOO physical? Well, Philadelphia Flyers coach John Stevens has had to just that after the fifth Flyers player was banned in Monday night&#39;s game against the Dallas Mavericks. &nbsp;All Flyers fans will try to forget last season when Philadelphia had their worst season in franchise history, but that will be a hard feat to accomplish. You could never get over the gruesome beat downs- score wise as well as in the physical aspect. Now, all of a sudden the Flyers are off on a great note this year and are playing with some real internal fire and they are told to STOP! Granted being overally physical isn&#39;t always the way to bring life to your team but it has obviously been working thusfar for Philly. &nbsp;My words of advice.....keep playing the way you have since the beginning of the season. It is true that the league has issued a warning to the team but what can they do? Expel the team from the league - I don&#39;t think so. So, the best that the Flyers can do right now is keep winning like they have been doing and try to bring down the excessive hits to a minimum but not totally obsolete.&nbsp;&nbsp;PlayerBan (in games)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ReasonRiley Cote3&nbsp;Shot to HeadScott Hartnell2Check to HeadRandy Jones2Face-first Shot into boardsJesse Boulerice25Hit to the FaceSteve Downie20High Hit to the Head&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[R.I.P Sean Taylor #21]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/rip_sean_taylor_21/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 3 Dec 2007 18:00:01 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;  ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[RED SOX ARE '07 CHAMPS!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/red_sox_are_07_champs/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:17:01 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Unfortunately, this will be a short post due to the lack of excitement in this series. But nonetheless congratulations to the Boston Red Sox on their second championship in the past four years. It definately looks like they have put that curse far back in the rear view mirror and hope to establish themselves as a mini-dynasty. A seperate congrats goes out to Mike Lowell who won the World Series MVP honor.&nbsp;BOSTON RED SOX 2007 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[A Battle of Titans]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/a_battle_of_titans/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:34:44 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[After the Colts whooped up on the Panthers today (31-7) and the Patriots rolled over the Redskins (52-7) all the talk has been about the matchup of unbeatens next week. No matter what happens before, during or after the game there is one thing that we all know for sure, there will only be one undefeated team in the NFL. If you can find the time to analyze every small portion of each teams game plan you could find positives and negatives to each teams style. Fortunately, I have already been thinking about the outcome of this game and will save all of you the trouble. No need to thank me now, just comment back when the results play out next week. Anyway, I will simply come out and say that I predict the Colts to win. We all know that Tom Brady has gathered up the majority of the hype this year but that is only because undefeated streaks have become a regular occurence in Indianapolis. And not to mention the possibility of Brady having the chance to already break Peyton&#39;s record for most touchdown passes in a season. So, why the Colts you ask? Let me try to break it down so you can see the genius that is working inside my head....When comparing quarterbacks, Brady and Manning are probably the most identical in the entire NFL. The only difference would be that in past years Manning has always had the better receivers to bail him out of tough situations. Well, ever since Randy Moss put on the blue and silver that scenario has changed. Now, Tom has a top-tier reciever in Moss and another big play maker in Wes Welker. When it comes to quarterbacks, neither team has the edge considering Manning and Brady are both on the same level when it comes to arm strength, wits, and competitive nature.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; EDGE: EQUALNow, looking at the running backs can prove a little bit of a differnet story. I have to give the slight nod to the Colts considering they have the best running tandem in the NFL right now with Joseph Addai and Kenton Keith. The Patriots would have put up a little more of a fight in this category if Laurence Maroney never would have suffered an injury but an injury can slow up even the strongest of runners. Plus, the Colts use the short screen passes much more effectively than the Patriots which makes Addai a huge threat.&nbsp; EDGE: COLTSThe last offensive unit I will judge is going to be the wide receivers and this one should be fun. In past years this category goes to Indianpolis without question. But with a quick glimpse at an updated roster and injury report all of a sudden ones mind can be filled with doubt. Not only will you see the Patriots sending Randy Moss and Wes Welker out wide, but you will see the Colts pro-bowl Marvin Harrison nursing an injury. Now, fortunately for Indianapolis they do have Dallas Clark who is one of the top tight ends in the NFL and the Patriots counter part to Clark, Ben Watson, has not been active. These are two teams that utilize the tight end position a lot so this category should have some asterisks surrounding it. I say, the Colts get the edge if Ben Watson is not playing but the Patriots get the edge if Marvin Harrison is still out. And if they are both out, then expect Dallas Clark to be a huge factor in this game. Not to mention how much it will help out Reggie Wayne if Peyton can get some passes off to the rookie slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez. EDGE: EQUALNow, for the one you all have been waiting for: defense. New England&#39;s defense has been very solid as they are usually known for but who have they really had to worry about? They have not faced a Peyton Manning or a Reggie Wayne yet and that can be a big factor. Now, the Patriots may have a little secret that I do not know about but trust me when I say you cannot simulate a Peyton Manning. Even if you are in practice with Tom Brady, you CANNOT simulate a Peyton Manning. I mean, this guy should be in a league of his own or a new position at least. A team could be made up of a quarterback, runningback, wide receiver and then a Peyton Manning. Indianapolis&#39; defense has been playing fast and spreading the wealth (9 INT&#39;s this year by 8 different players). Led by safety Bob Sanders and defensive tackle Dwight Freeney, I am not too sure that there is any more solid of a defense than the Colts. They have done their job all year and kept opponents out of the endzone and has gotten their offense on the field as much as possible. After all, that is how you win football games is it not? But, if any defense can compete with the Colts&#39; it would be the group of Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Asante Samuel and Rodney Harrison.&nbsp; EDGE: EQUAL (with a slight Colts nod)Please, feel free to leave your predictions for next week&#39;s Battle of the Titans....]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[World Series: My Thoughts]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/world_series_my_thoughts/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:00:26 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;As this year&#39;s World Series approaches, the Colorado Rockies of conjured up an enormous amount of hype. This championship will be the measuring stick for the Rockies entire season and rightfully so considering they made the playoffs thanks to a forced one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres. After making the playoffs, everything seemed to go the Rockies way. Colorado came into every game and series playing like they were favored to win it all from the very beginning. And if you ask any professional or minor league manager for that matter, that is the kind of mentality you must have if you expect to win. But winning 21 of their last 22 games?! That is strictly unheard of! Well, enough of the old praise of the Rockies magical season (so far) and onto my thoughts on each team and the final outcome...Boston Red Sox-&nbsp; After surviving a late season scare by the New York Yankees and pulling off a come from behind series victory over the Cleveland Indians, the stars seem to align just right for the BoSox. It seems that after the Sox most recent World Series victory that they have become the most liked and popular team in the entire MLB which allows them to draw in huge fan support. This in turn gets a lot of hype built up around Boston but the difference between the Red Sox and many other teams is that they can live up to expectations. With one of the most intimidating rotations in all of baseball and a powerhouse of a lineup, one would think it lunacy for the Sox to not win this series. But, with Tim Wakefield not making the World Serieslineup and Jacoby Elllsbury starting for Coco Crisp in center field, the Red Sox are handing Colorado a slight crutch. Wakefield may be older (41) but he has the experience necessary to pull out the big innings. Unfortunately, persistent back problems will keep Wakefield watching from the dugout.Colorado Rockies- The biggest thing that Rockies have going for them coming into this series is obviously winning 21 of their last 22 games. But that is a fact that can also work against Colorado in the aspect that the streak must eventually end. And what better timing than in the most crucial series of the entire season? Colorado&#39;s lineup lacks a lot of experience compared to the 9 players on Boston who have played in the World Series before (3 who have won the MVP). Fortunately, the Rockies rotation has been catching fire which has been working very well with their power lineup. As long as the Rockies pitching can keep the runs low the Rockies should have no problem racking up some runs with the help of Garrett Atkins, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe and MVP hopeful Matt Holliday.Prediction: Red Sox in 6. I have a strong feeling that the Rockies streak has met its match in the high powered Boston offense. Not to mention the solid rotation of Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[A season to remember]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/a_season_to_remember/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:21:56 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This has certainly been one hell of a college football season so far. After the recet, shocking new BCS standings that placed the Univeristy of Southern Florida at #2 they lost yesterday to Rutgers by 3 which pushed USF to #7 in the polls. Kentucky was also upset today by the Florida Gators in a game I personally thought the Wildcats were the underdog. This has been a fluke season for some teams and I think Kentucky was one of them. The Gators were of course ranked and pulled out a not so huge &quot;upset&quot; but and upset nonetheless. Fortunately, my Penn State Nittany Lions held off Indiana to improve their record and push on to next week when they face off against #1 Ohio State. And how about the Crimson Tide of Alabama improving to 6-2 after a big win over #21 Tennessee. I think that truly entitles the Tide to a BCS ranking. Another big upset earlier today was UCLA&#39;s 30-21 victory over 12th ranked California. After climbing so freely along the BCS poll the Golden Bears are slowly falling back down the ladder into a position they may not find acceptable come end of the year. The last big upset of the nite so far is Vanderbilt&#39;s win over #6 South Carolina. Now, I might just be incredibly uninformed but S. Carolina is another one of those teams that I found incredibly overhyped. And once a team is overhyped there is nothing a college football fan loves to see more than that team lose to a University not in the top 25, which was the case in the Vandy/S.Carolina game. I will be back to inform you on the games taking place right now which are pretty interesting considering #4 LSU is losing to Auburn midway through the third quarter and #19 Virginia is trailing the Maryland Terrapins by 5 with 12 minutes left in the 4th quarter. If not tonight, I will be back tomorrow to inform you on those late night games and an incredible come from behind overtime victory by the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) which improved their record to 6-1.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[BS! I mean BCS...]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/bs_i_mean_bcs.3/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:08:18 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[After one of the greatest weeks of college football upsets, this is what the newly updated BCS standings will look like. Is that USF, South Carolina and Kentucky I see in the Top 10?! With big losses on the parts of LSU and California this past week the National Championship matchup is still up in the air. 1. Ohio State2. South Florida3. Boston College4. LSU5. Oklahoma6. South Carolina7. Kentucky8. Arizona State9. West Virginia10. Oregon11. Virginia Tech12. California13. Kansas14. USC15. Florida16. Missouri17. Auburn18. Hawaii19. Virginia20. Georgia]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Gonzalez Tops All TE's; Favre Sets Another]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/gonzalez_tops_all_tes_favre_sets_another/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:58:04 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[~Four years after the record for most touchdown&#39;s by a tight end was set at 62 by Shannon Sharpe, it&nbsp;is finally broken by a man who very much deserves it. Kansas City tight end and 8-time pro-bowler Tony Gonzalez set the NFL record for most touchdown&#39;s by a tight end today by reeling in his 63rd. This future Hall-of-Famer also sits at #2 for receptions by a tight end (750) and yards (9,048). Congratulations Tony, this honor was well earned!&nbsp;~Is there anything Brett Favre can&#39;t do? Well, he can throw more interceptions than anyoen in the NFL that&#39;s for sure! Earlier today Favre threw his 278th interception which pushes him past George Blanda for the most interceptions thrown in NFL history. uhm, congratulations Brett?!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[The Philly Perspective...]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/the_philly_perspective/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:44:45 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey everyone, Zach checking in for a brand new entry! I&#39;m going to get straight to the point and talk about Philadelphia sports. &nbsp;1. Phillies- Thanks for a great year guys. That is all that a true Philadelphia Phillies fan can say. There should be no aggression towards these guys for choking in the NLDS because just the fact that they kept the Mets out of the playoffs was huge! New York has an all-star lineup and had the NL East lead all year long until it came down to crunch time and Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Aaron Rowand stepped up big time. They should go into next year very strong but look to mix it up a little pitching wise. The starting rotation is okay but I think Moyer has to go and hopefully they can bring back Curt Schilling from Boston. There has also been talks of getting Mariano Rivera which would leave Brett Myers as the setup man (would be the top tandem in the MLB) but I doubt that happens. Jimmy deserves the MVP and all I can say is....2007 NL East Champs!&nbsp;2. Eagles- What the hell happened? Wasn&#39;t this the Eagles team that many predicted to go to the Super Bowl? This season is already a disaster and we are only 6 weeks through. They just pulled out a close win againt the Jets and the birds look like crap. The one bright spot is in Kevin Curtis in hopes that McNabb is benched (a realization that noone is willing to welcome) and Curtis can play a huge role for Feeley or Kobb. I hate to face facts but McNabb is bringing us down. I cannot recall how many times he wastes chances in the pocket and eventually scrambles to be sacked instead of throwing the ball away. That is one of the very first thigns you learn as a quarterback; it is okay to throw the ball away. It is a much better alternative to losing 10 more yards and putting even more pressure on an already stumbling offense. And truthfully, I believe the offense is stumbling because of Donovan. Westbrook is once again proving to be an elite back and Reggie Brown can be so much more productive when the ball is actually thrown his way. Whether the majority of the blame goes on Donovan or the coachign staff is your decision but it is not playing out so well right now.&nbsp;3. Flyers- Their season has been everything I have hoped for so far. With such a crushing performance last year I barely watched any games on TV and for the first time in awhile made it out to no games. But so far this year the orange and black are 3-1 and atop their division. Daniel Briere has proven to be everything we hoped for and Marty Biron must be a gift from heaven because he is answering our prayers. The Flyers have let up 10 goals so far this season which is the least in the entire NHL except for the Minnesota Wild (2). The overall attitude and gameplay on the ice has totally changed and now we are seeing the fast paced, hard hitting hockey that Flyers fans are used to. Let&#39;s hope this is just a preview of what the rest of the season has in store.&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Here but quite busy...]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/here_but_quite_busy/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:56:48 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey everyone, just making another check in. Glad to se that my hit counter has jumped almsot 1,500+ since the last time I checked it. I really do try to keep active but it is really hard for a 17 year old who just recentley got their license to stay active with a sports blog. I love blogging but it is obviously like a side commodity in my life. Well, anyway it is a couple days away from the first day in August and I must say, I&#39;m excited. Normally I hate going back to school like anyone but I&#39;m going to be a senior so if I&#39;m going to be excited, why not this year? The most exciting part of this year is the new wrestling season. My goal is to wrestle at the same weight this year as I did last year (125 pounds). It is somehwat hard to keep the weight over the summer but I think the possibility of being one of the top wrestlers in the area and having articles about me is enough incentive. During the season wrestling is very big so whenver a wrestler breaks out of their shell and really showcases themselves there is always articles in the paper. Hopefully, one of those articles will be about me this upcoming year. And if that does hopefully happen, I will make sure to make an entry and include the link. That is itt for right now but the NFL season is about to get underway so I will definatlelyt be making entries based on that and coverage on my Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks for staying loyal to my blog and make sure you keep on reading!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Portland and Seattle: Best Draft]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/portland_and_seattle_best_draft/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jun 2007 13:58:32 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[It is pretty easy to see the surprises and good picks of this past NBA draft although it is truly hard to see how it will all play out until the season actually starts. One thign I do know for a fact though as many professional analysts will tell you is that the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle SuperSonics easily had the best draft. Portland wasn&#39;t too hard of a pick just for the simple fact that they drew the #1 ping pong ball way back and had the chance to draft Greg Oden. Oden is a powering beast in the paint and it was quite obvious that this kid was goign #1. Supposedly, when Oden was in 9th grade his coach told him he would be going #1 in the draft....hmm......PHSYCIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&nbsp;Now, Seattle was also easy considering they got the #2 pick and made a steal of a trade when they sent old-timer (yet still somewhat good) Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics for their 5th round pick. Now, Boston gets a player who will get them wins now but provides nothing for their future. *tisk tisk*. Seatlle took Kevin Durant with the #2 pick and got a huge prospect in Jeff Green at #5 which gives them probabyl the two best guards in the draft. WHAT A STEAL! ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Who the?????]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/who_the/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:51:32 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Atfer hearign the Sixers draft picks from last night I am not really sure wher I stand. I am not the biggest basketball fan so i am not sure about some guys coming into the draft and definately don&#39;t know anything about Thaddeus Young (76ERS first pick). So, this is your chance to show up the author and tell me in a comment what you know about Young. The only thing I know is that he was a third team all-freshmen team and the 8th freshmen taking in the first round (NBA record). Were the Sixers just living in the moment and trying to set that freshmen record or did they really see something in Thaddeus? Please, let me know. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[I want YOUR predictions........yeah, YOU!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/i_want_your_predictionsyeah_you/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:37:54 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[For what you ask? This upcoming NFL season of course. There has been so many big transactiosn and changes&nbsp;in rosters between trades and the NFL draft that I want to see what my loyal readers think. Just add comments that tell me a couple predictions that you have about some teams this year. AND IN ADDITION, if you pick one specific team and include it in your comment I will give you my complete rundown of all the suggested teams in a brand new entry. Just pick 1 though because I don&#39;t have tiem to take 5 teams from one person. See ya guys soon...&nbsp;&nbsp;* O yeah! One problem that I have been havign is with the poll. I got the question and 3 choices up but for soem reason it is showing random old choices of NFL teams as well. So please, do not pick one of the teams. Thanks]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Don't worry....I am still here.]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/dont_worryi_am_still_here/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:03:18 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello all of my frequent readers. Unfortunately, I haven&#39;t written in about 2 months but I was so busy wiht school and all that I never had time. I just got back from the hospital today after having ear surgery so I just wanted to let you all know that your favorite AOL RED Sports writer is still here. I think I deserve a nice award or blog makeover from AOL by now BUT I&#39;m not gettign cranky&nbsp; hehe. So, hopefully I can jump on everyone now and then over the summer and keep you guys filled in with sports through all next year....peace for now!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[April wasn't everything it was cracked up to be...]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/april_wasnt_everything_it_was_cracked_up_to_be/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:50:17 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[...not at all. As the month draws to a close we Philadelphians are seemingly disappointed with the sport situation in Philly. Although the Phillies have been winning some games they ended their 5-game win streak with a loss to the Nationals today which puts their record to 8-11. Unfortuantely, I was not home to watch the game so there will be no analysis of it in this entry...maybe later guys. Our Sixers season has officially been over for about 1 week and a half now and the NFL draft is just less than two days from now. Expect me to be back with a lot more exciting entry sometime this weekend or early next week with a nice entry about my thoughts on how the Philadelphia Eagles in this years NFL draft. I&#39;m not really sure yet who the Eagles should go after *cough* LINEBACKER *cough* but I&#39;m sure they will end up having a decent draft although they only have 6 picks. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[BAck wit' them hard punches to the gut!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/back_wit_them_hard_punches_to_the_gut/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:42:44 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Oh yes! He&#39;s BACKKKKKKKKK!!!!! Now, don&#39;t get too excited because this is going to be a quick run off of how disappointed with my Philly sports. Hmmm.......who should we start with? I&#39;ve got it, the Flyers.&nbsp;Besides being the worst season in the long history of the Flyers, the entire campaign was plagued with bad luck. I mean, we even had a 45% chance at getting the #1 pick in the entry draft and what happens? We get #2. That is just the luck that coems along with being a Philly fan but this season was extremely painful. &nbsp;Next, I will rip/criticize/bombard all the decisions that went along with the 76ERS this season. First, I&#39;ll start off with trading Iverson. GOOD JOB! Believe it or not, this was a very smart move on the Sixers part. With A.I. gone the Sixers have gone 24-19! The problem is that we made a desperate playoff run at the end of the season which eventually came into the hands of the Orlando MAgic&nbsp;who shoved it right in our face. Now, we can all look back on the playoff that almost was and the lottery pick that we&#39;ll never have. Way to go guys, when Iverson left you should have just thrown the season. I mean, we could have had a Greg Oden or Kevin Durant but no! We get some busted up dreams and a crew full of second tier players. This just won&#39;t do, we need some huge off season moves and a nice draft pick considering we have 3 first-round picks. &nbsp;Finally, the Phillies. Please do not even get me started. WE are just 2 weeks into the season and I am already fired up about &quot;the team to beat!&quot; It seems as if Jimmy Rollins is the only one tryign to back up his words as he has put up a great showing at the plate with 6 homeruns so far (leads the N.L.) Unfortunately, we are still leaving TONS of guys on base and when we have the lead, we can always depend on our good &#39;ole bullpen to pull out the loss. Ryan Madson blew leads in his first two games by giving up huge home runs. If I was Charlie Manuel I would have made sure he was fired on the spot. Some good news for the Phils is that Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell have been holding up ome solid averages which brigns our outfield some life. But where there is a positvie there is always a negative for Philadelphia. This negative is a big one though as our defending MVP and city icon Ryan Howard is wiffing the big one. With just 1 homerun in the season his huge sophomore year looks like a simple fluke and is playing right into the hands of every MLB analyst out there. Dang Ryan, can;t you hit the ball?!&nbsp;Anyway, that&#39;s all I have for now but thank you to all of you readers who keep checking on my blog. I see that I keep on racking up the visitors and had 40+ today alone without any entries for awhile. I am really busy and tryign to keep up but keep checkign back for quick updates and a post that talks about my possible podcast!!!!!!!!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[I'm Stickin' With 'Em]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/im_stickin_with_em/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 1 Mar 2007 17:29:50 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I could care less if my UNC Tar Heels got the last seed in the March Madnees tourny, I&#39;m sticking with them until the end. And for those of you that think I am a bandwagoner, you can just go search through my archives if you care that much and find my March Madness entries from when the Tar Heels last won the tourny and I predicted them to do so. Why the Tar Heels you ask? Well, I don&#39;t have an incredibly strong arguement to back up my &quot;fandom&quot; but then again, I have the right to like whatever team I want, right? I guess you could call me a big fan of the old Tar Heels. I love Michael Jordan and what he obviously brought to the game of basketball so I enjoy following his college team. I also loved to watch UNC when they were being led more recentley by the likes of Sean May and Rashad McCants. And even more recentley like this very season, I am a huge fan of Tyler Hansbrough. I mean, who couldn&#39;t like a sophomore forward at 6&#39;9&quot; who averages 18.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game? I guess a Duke fan but come on...do you think I care what a Duke fan thinks?From what I have seen of the brackets the Tar Heels will be the number one seed in the East Division which also contains a fan favorite in Kansas who is the #2 seed. BYU is the #5 seed who I think can possibly make some noise in this bracket if they really wanted too. So, I see UNC beating Delaware St. in their first game and probably moving on to face Villanova who will play the #9 seeded Stanford. I will have another entry up later some time with most of, if not all of my bracketology picks...]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Where Pacman Goes....trouble follows]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/where_pacman_goestrouble_follows/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 25 Feb 2007 06:08:44 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Does any state in the entire country have enough order or respect for that matter to control Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones? When Jones isn&#39;t on the field displaying the incredible talent that he has, he is most likely at some nightclub causing some kind of a stir.Of his most recent antics, Jones had $81,000 seized by police after the promoter of Minxx Gentleman&#39;s Club was caught with a bag of money that belonged to the Tennessee corner back. Supposedly, Jones had showered the dancers in the club with money as an &quot;intent for visual effect&quot; but didn&#39;t really expect them to take his money. Because when Chris Mitchell, the promoter of the club ordered the girls to pick up the money and they didn&#39;t, he took it upon himself to load up the cash into a plastic bag and head out the front door. Moments after Pacman realized that the money he was throwing around was missing, a huge brawl broke out in the club.When all was said and done, Mitchell was found in his hotel room with the bag of money as well as two expensive watches in a safe. But after the melee, it is being reported that gunshots were fired in the front of the club. Police say that they saw a black man with cornrows in his hair holding a black semi-automatic handgun. One female and two security guards were hit in the shooting, one of whom unfortunately will be paralyzed for life. Jones has not been questioned by authorities as a suspect but rather as a witness to the crime. All of this took place in Las Vegas since Pacman was in the area attending the NBA All-Star game.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[NASCAR Punishments Harsh Enough?]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/nascar_punishments_harsh_enough/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 25 Feb 2007 06:06:13 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;Now, seeing that this is my first entry on NASCAR, please do not get all hyped over what is to follow in this entry, raceheads...After Jeff Gordon won a Daytona 500 qualifying event, it seems that he has jumped into a bandwagon of recent drivers and failed his postrace inspection. It seems that his quarter panels were too low for the regulation measurement. Despite all of this, Gordon will still get the victory but start the Daytona 500 in the 42nd spot instead of the second row. Now, I am not the biggest NASCAR fan so to me, this punishment along with the others in the past week are not harsh enough. I&#39;m not sure if the inspections that the driver&#39;s have failed are no big deals or they just are not being treated as such but starting in 42nd does not seem like a great punishment in the eyes of an &quot;un-NASCAR educated&quot; sports freak. I guess I have just been polluted with the thoughts of huge fines and suspensions after the whole steroids/MLB bit. And not to mention the fines for some entertaining, fun provoking touchdown dances in the NFL. Is it that other sports are dishing out to hefty fines or that NASCAR is taking it too easy on their drivers? I&#39;ll leave it up to you guys to comment and enlighten me in the ways of the NASCAR...]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Forsberg; Gone As Fast As He Came]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/forsberg_gone_as_fast_as_he_came/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 16 Feb 2007 07:55:52 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Although the title doesn&#39;t have much truth to it, it really seems as though Peter Forsberg has only been in Philly for a short time when in reality, it has been a rough two years. The former hockey phenom has been surrounded by injuries and controversy the moment he arrived in Philadelphia. And seeing as the Flyers office has been trying to make changes for the better, the former 1st round-pick of the Flyers will soon be history.....once again. According to a report by Canada&#39;s TSN and the Philadelphia Daily News, the Flyers have agreed to a trade with the Predators that will send Forsberg to Nashville in return for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and two draft picks. The draft picks consist of a first-round selection as well as pick in the third round. Forsberg&#39;s lingering injuries and his most recent scratch from the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs just might have been the last straw. Now, don&#39;t get me wrong. I love Peter Forsberg, but he should have been here from the start. It wasn&#39;t his fault that he was traded so early in his career and how were people supposed to know that he would turn out to be one of the best hockey players ever? I guess anybody has the chance to breakthrough. Hopefully the Flyers make a wise pickup in this next draft and put this disappointing season behind them.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[CONGRATS ARE IN ORDER!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/congrats_are_in_order/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:49:52 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The unthinkable has happened. David has once again defeated Goliath or in this case, the Gator has overcome the Buckeye. Nobody thought that it could be done but the Florida Gators led by quarterback Chris Leak put on a remarkable showing of talent and whooped the heavily favored Ohio State Buckeyes, 41-14. There was just some sort of magic in the Florida players during that game and that would lead to their eventual crown. So, with a masterful defense unblemished by the best college football has to offer in Troy Brown, Florida University has captured the 2007 NCAA Football crown which coincides with their 2006 basketball crown to make Florida the University of the year in my books. Congratulations Florida!!!!!!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[!NEWS!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/news.2/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:47:46 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I just want to let everne that reads my blog that I had nothing to do with the change of my AOL RED Blog. It was down for a day or so and today I checked it and the poll was messed up which I do not know how to fix and I am still workign with the new setup. If you do not like it, please complain to AOL REd and not me.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[76ers Looking for NEw Life]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/76ers_looking_for_new_life/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:38:09 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[As the bottom dwellers of the NBA, it was quite obvious to the Philadelphia 76ers front office that some change was needed. Now, there hasn&#39;t been many bright spots for the Sixers this year but the fact that they will be building upon youth is a different way to look at things in a good perspective. Just recently, Philly released 13-year veteran Chris Webber who has missed 11 of the Sixers last 14 games with an ankle injury. This guy was supposed to come in and give Philly an experienced big man in the paint that could combine with Allen Iverson for a huge scoring threat. Unfortunately, Webber had just once decent season with Philadelphia and now that Iverson is gone, it is time to totally revamp this squad.After the trade of Iverson, the Sixers now stand with 3 first-round picks in the next draft as well as a valuable&nbsp;chance to set up a solid crew of young talent. With Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver, Samuel Dalembert and some other possible young stars, I think that this Philadelphia team will become and true contender within two years. The young guys that have been on the team are turning into some of the best in the league and Mo Cheeks can only hope that they make the right choices in the upcoming draft. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[young gets R.O.Y]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/young_gets_roy/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 4 Jan 2007 16:25:47 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I knew it and you should have too! Titans quarterback Vince Young was announced the Rookie of the Year today after blowing away competition such as Marques Colston and Reggie Bush. Young has lit a bright light in the hearts of Titans fans and they hope that he will eventually lead them to a super bowl....or at least a playoff birth. Vince has the talent to lead a team to greatness but the have one problem....he is the only good player. &nbsp; Running back Chris Brown was supposed to mold into a stud but we all saw were that went after numerous injuries and off-field incidences. Now, if the Titans frotn office can just surround Young with some decent receivers. Because all the games the Titans won with Vince at the helms, was because of him. He made the last secodn plays, the game winning scores and the highlight reel runs. A little more talent down in Tennessee could turn them into a potential contender. I never thought I would have said that haha.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[HAPPY NEW YEAR!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/happy_new_year/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:39:48 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! 2006 was a great year in sports but I have a feeling that 2007 will be even better.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[poll results]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 27 Dec 2006 10:25:28 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This was a very heated poll and I received the most votes out of any that I have ever held....Vince Young edged out Reggie by 1%. Don't forget to vote in the new poll &nbsp; NFL Rookie of the Year?  Vince Young 37%&nbsp;  Reggie Bush 36%&nbsp;  Lawrence Maroney 9%&nbsp;  Marques Colston 6%&nbsp;  Matt Leinart 13%&nbsp;  Total votes 117]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[vick's unaproved style pays off...kinda]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/vicks_unaproved_style_pays_offkinda/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:50:18 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[We all know the classic story behind Mike Vick......or should I say Ron Mexico. Hahaha, I love that one. And if you don't know the story behind that whole thing then just go to Google.com and type in Ron Mexico, I'm sure any story you find will be accurate. But, the main point of this entry was to actually mention something good about Mike vick's style of play in the NFL. Vick, being more of a running back than a quarterback just broke a record today against the Carolina Panthers for being the first QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. I think that really says something about him. Either, his receivers are really bad which we know is not true because he has Alge Crumpler and Michael Jenkins who can catch as well as Warrick Dunn who is a good receiving back. I just think he is a ball hog and think that he has to make the highlight reel every week with some dumb run. O well, he can run as much as he wants because he will never have a ring.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[listen up]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/listen_up/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:02:25 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Here is my next good deed for the new year. I just received this comment so I will give my wonderful advice.... &nbsp; hi zach, i feel stupid but i just shattered my knee in a basketball game if you play it and i need advice. I was being looked at by my varsity coach to play for him then this happened. I really need to play bad I love basketball. Should I rush myself or take it easy and wait. Im 14 year old girl who is being looked at for varsity!!!! HELP!!! &nbsp; This one to me, is very simple. It is actualyl happening to me as well (not as painful though). I pulled a muscle in my back while wrestling and it was really bad. I wanted to get back on the mat as sson as possible because we had lots of tournaments coming up and I am the varisty guy at my weight. But, I knew that those tournaments were individual and my coach really needed me for the duals 9when we just wrestled one other school). So, to help the team rather than myself, I sat out the most recent tournament and although my back is feeling better, I am going to sit out the one we have on Thursday. I feel that it is a lot better but if I rush right into a 100% give it all you got match, then I could hurt it again and worse. So, my advice is to take it easy. Let it heal and the coach will still look at you. If you rush the process, then the next time the coach sees you, you will most likely not be 100% and he will think that you never really were varsity caliber. So, let him know what happened, and if you doesn;t know you then the first thing you should do is go right up to him and introduce yourself, people think very VERY highly of that. Just tell him that your going to give it time so you can get back at full steam and show up all his players (even if it isn't true). Hope I helped!  &nbsp; &nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[My Christmas list]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/my_christmas_list/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2006 08:25:06 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[There is so many talented players out there that didn't get or should be getting something great. Such as, an honor or their name etched in the record books. So, since I am such a giving person, here is my Athlete Christmas list.....&nbsp; &nbsp;1. LaDanian Tomlinson~ An MVP award and Super Bowl ring  Does any athlete on the face of this Earth deserve more praise than LT? That answer would be no but I suppose you could make an argument on it. He's already broken two records this year (most TD's in a season, most points in a season) and he still has two regular season games to play. This guy is never plagued by injuries, he has the endurance of a horse and the power of a lion. His Chargers team is packed with talent, including the best linebacker in the NFL (Shawne Merriman) who is probably the only guy that can take Tomlinson down by himself. Both his presents are very realistic.  2. Mario Lemiuex~ A new stadium for the Penguins  The Pittsburgh Penguins are seeing one of their finest seasons in a long time and they expect to be good for years to come. They are led by two young super stars (Crosby/Malkin) and have another potential great in Jordan Staal. It doesn't seem fair for the city of Pittsburgh to have to kiss their franchise goodbye and relocate the team to a place like Kansas City after Penguins fans have faced many hard times. Even though I am a Philly fan, you have to give credit to those teams that make it out of a horrible funk.  3. Peyton Manning~ A defense...  The Colts are the best regular season team, year after year. The majority of that credit belongs to Peyton Manning who has been the savior of Tony Dungy's system. But, without a solid defense to back up Peyton's incredible offensive performances, the Colts will never raise the Lombardi Trophy. Players such as Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders are pro caliber players but when team's are checking out film, those are the only two guys they really have to worry about. And when team's get down the play style and speed of those guys, then it is not hard to attack the weaknesses of the Indy defense. Peyton deserves a Super Bowl but he will not get it without a defense.  4. Florida Gators~ A BCS upset  As much as I would like to give the Gators this present, I doubt it happens. Anything is possible but I personally think Michigan was the Buckeyes toughest opponent and we all saw what happened there. Troy Smith and the OSU offense are one of the most explosive and productive in NCAA history and their defense is not far behind. The Buckeyes can rack up the points as well as keep them down. I hope Chris Leak is packing his "A" game because I really want to unpack a championship for the Gators. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[IVERson is histroy!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/iverson_is_histroy/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:25:23 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Finally, something electric has happened in Philly with trades. It will take a little to see if it was in the benefit of the team but just today, the Sixers traded 4-time scoring Champ to the Denver Nuggets in return of Andre Miller, Joe Smith and TWO first-round picks. It will take a little to see how this trade effects the team but I believe it will prove beneficial in the end. The Sixers can really build up a great young team with all of the first-round picks they have for the next entry draft. Do you think this was a good deal considering the Sixers are rid of the "mouth of the south" and gain soem talent in return. Don't forget about those picks that can prove to be incredibly helpful in the near future.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Advice*]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/advice/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:55:02 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This is my most recent letter/comment/call for advice....... &nbsp; My coach says that everyone who wants to be goalie in games will get a chance in goal and everyone who hasn't gone in this game will go in the next.I ask to be goalie in some games and my coach says yes,but she doesnt put me in the goal for the entire season!And there was no way they could have forgotten because I asked almost every time!I think I have the same coach this year and I'm afraid that the same thing might happen again!What should I do? &nbsp; Take a stand. Simply put, make sure they recognize you. It may something where they are zoned out or something funny like that so go up to them and talk it out seriosuly with them. If the talk lasts about 5 minutes then you can make sure that you got across to them. If that doesn't work, find a new position.... hehe Hope I could help you some but people can be flat out dumb]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[poll results]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:27:54 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[who DESERVES to play OSU?  Florida Gators 55%&nbsp;  Michigan Wolverines 45%&nbsp;  Total votes 84&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Eagles not looking so broken]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/eagles_not_looking_so_broken/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 10 Dec 2006 17:38:43 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[After a 21-19 win today against the Washington Redskins, my Philadelphia Eagles playoff hopes are looking a little more promising. They are 7-6 as well as the Giants and Falcons but since the Eagles have a better divisional record than Atlanta, we get the second wild card nod. We take on the Giants next week in a big game and if we pull that one out, SAY HELLO TO THE PLAYOFFS!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[PHils get "handy" help]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/phils_get_handy_help/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 7 Dec 2006 19:24:04 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The Philadelphia Phillies received hgue help in their starting rotation today as they got Freddy Garcia the former Chicago White Sox pitcher. Garcia went in return for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez (two promising oyung arms). The Phils were only set on the tiem now and the upcoming year which is good. Instead of havign to mold two young pitchers, they get a former all-star that can help immediately. Now, they can go in search of a reliever or power bat. &nbsp; ....Freddy Garcia, welcoem to the N.L.!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[poll results]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 3 Dec 2006 15:45:33 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Here are the previous poll resutls but make sure to vote in my new poll and read the most recent entry that goes along with it... &nbsp;Best of the AFC?  Colts 22%&nbsp;  Chargers 5%&nbsp;  Ravens 15%&nbsp;  Patriots 27%&nbsp;  other 32%&nbsp;  Total votes 41]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[who is the top contender?]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/who_is_the_top_contender/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 3 Dec 2006 15:43:56 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[After a huge loss to the UCLA Bruins, the USC Trojans hopes of a National Championship were flushed down the toilet. Pete Carroll and company can't be too depressed considering the great season they had without Trojan legends Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. That just shows that Pete Carroll has built up enough prestigue in his program that the finest scouted high school players would be very willing to becoem a Trojan.  &nbsp; But, enough of the USC sympathy! UCLA played a flat out good game, good enough to knock the Trojans out of Ohio State's mind. So, my question to ALL OF YOU is, who really&nbsp;truly to play Ohio State for the National Championship. I am going to run a poll on this subject as soon as I finish this entry. I know that I had a similar poll earlier but now that the situation has cleared up a little more, I can give you a clear question with clear choices. The poll will simply be, who deserves to play OSU for the National Championship. And the choices will be either the Florida Gators or Michigan.  &nbsp; Now, Michigan fans please do not be to bold-headed. I know you really think that the Wolverines deserve another shot but how about Florida who has had a magnificent season and not one chance to play the Buckeyes. My vote is goign to the Florida Gators because to me it i quite simple. Michigan had their chance to prove themselves to the nation and becoem the top team in college football. They lost out on that chance but went down with a great fight. Florida has played a wonderful season for this single chance to be college football's top team or at least cotnend for the spot. Michigan simply had their shot and Florida did not. So, Gators, I am granting you that shot (on my blog of course!). &nbsp; p.s. You can all see what really happens tonight on TV as the BCS Selection Bowl will be on. I know I will be watching and you should too.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[baze, set a blaze]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/baze_set_a_blaze/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 1 Dec 2006 18:55:07 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[48-year old jockey Russell Baze has recentley made horse riding history with his 9,531st win. This legendary win came Friday, December 1st at the Bay Meadows track. Baze&nbsp;broke the record formerly held by&nbsp;Laffitt Pincay Jr.&nbsp;while aboard&nbsp;"Butterfly Belle" which I am sure, will be a name that sticks in his head for the rest of his life. Pincay's record has lasted since December of 1999, so I am sure that he has enjoyed his reign atop horse riding's greats but now he is forced to take a back-seat to Russell Baze who has been waiting 32 long years for this oppurtunity! Baze is not recognized as much as riders such as Pincay because he has never won a Kentucky Derby or Breeder's Cup title but there is no argueing after his most recent win that he is amongst the greats. Russell Baze is now the all-time most winning jockey of all-time, for now...]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[poll results]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:02:35 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I was getting a little sick of this poll because I feel that I did not give you guys enough choices. So, here are the results and make sure you vote for the brand new poll! &nbsp; NCAA National Champ?  Ohio State 32%&nbsp;  USC 23%&nbsp;  other 45%&nbsp;  Total votes 31&nbsp; ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[rewarding rulebreakers?]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/rewarding_rulebreakers/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:01:33 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Steroids, Steroids and&nbsp; more steroids! Is there anything else that comes to your mind when you here MLB? After this past year, greats such as Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmerio just to name two, have faced huge controversy. Most recentley, McGwire did not recieve enough votes to be elected into the MLB's most prestigous honor....the Hall of Fame. I personally think the question of honoring these "cheaters" is a no-brainer. There is no way in any circumstance that the players that have "juiced up" should be honored in Cooperstown. That would single handedly ruin everything baseball stands for and the reputations of all the earlier inductees. IF you are atop the all-time home run list or RBI list&nbsp;or showed up as a key player throughout your career WITHOUT using&nbsp;human growth hormones or anything along those lines than&nbsp;you should&nbsp;at least be nominated for the Hall.&nbsp;To me, it&nbsp;is as simple as if you cheat, then&nbsp;you may praise your own accomplishments but you were eventualyl a loser in the MLB and the Hall of Fame does not represent losers. The Hall is there to remind everyone the great players that have represented the MLB to the fullest&nbsp;and there is no room for steroids in Cooperstown.&nbsp; &nbsp; Leave your comments for me about your thoughts on these "juicers." Whether they should or should not be inducted in the Hall of Fame.......]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[the first question]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/the_first_question/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:43:58 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Since I just recieved my first question via comment, I am going to designate an entire entry it. Unfortuanely, it was a little hard. The question was.... &nbsp; Do You Have Any Tips For a Soccer Goalie? ...I play soccer but have never played goalie before. My coach is just always telling the goalie&nbsp;to obviously keep your eye on the ball and if the ball is in the other end to move up and cut off the field space. So, if the ball is cleared out that you can possibly have enough time to run up and clear it yourself.  &nbsp; Guys (and girls), what I really meant about questions was somewhat along the lines of opinions or facts about sports. I'm not really a kind of "tip" person unless it is about something I am really knowledgable about and play. So, keep the "tip" questions to a minimum but keep the questions coming so I can bring you more entries.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[poll results]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Nov 2006 17:12:23 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[NFL MVP?  LaDanian Tomlinson 30%&nbsp;  Peyton Manning 39%&nbsp;  Philip Rivers 4%&nbsp;  Tiki Barber 16%&nbsp;  Steve Smith 11%&nbsp;  Total votes 56&nbsp; ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Ap top 20]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/ap_top_20/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:59:14 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Here is the updated list of the Top 20 teams in NCAA Football: &nbsp;     &nbsp;1. Ohio State  &nbsp;2. USC   &nbsp;3. Michigan   &nbsp;4. Florida   &nbsp;5. LSU   &nbsp;6. Louisville   &nbsp;7. Wisconsin   &nbsp;8. Oklahoma  &nbsp;8. Arkansas   10. Boise State   11. Auburn   12. Notre Dame   13. Rutgers  14. Virginia Tech   15. West Virginia  16. Wake Forest  17. Tennessee  17. Texas  19. Nebraska  20. Brigham Young]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[who will ohio state whoop?]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/who_will_ohio_state_whoop/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 19:33:23 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[It is quite obvious that the Ohio State Buckeyes already have the NCAA National Championship wrapped up. They have the most explosive/productive offense in all of college football and possibly the history of the NCAA. They also have one of the hardest hitting and fastest defenses in the country. They already beat the #2 team in the country, TWICE (Michigan and Texas early in the season)! I may end up holding a poll on this, but the main point here is.....who do you all think will end up facing the Buckeyes in the National Championship? This is pretty much between the likes of Michigan, USC, and Notre Dame. If you would like to throw the Gators in there, then so be it. But, who do you think will attempt to take down Troy Smith and company? ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[flyers start to pick it up]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/flyers_start_to_pick_it_up/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 19:29:43 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Maybe it was the sight of Ken Hitchcock's face on another bench, or maybe it was the realization that they are the bottom feeders in the NHL. Whatever it was, my Flyers are starting to pick up a little steam (yes, my Flyers). After taking down the NHL's real worst team in the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Flyers headed up to Canada to take on Montreal and with a helping hand from Simon Gagne they took the 4-2 win. Now, this is a game to truly be proud about unlike a win against the Blue Jackets. When a team faces Columbus, they are just focusing and making sure that they do not allow Columbus to gain 1 point from the game. It is pretty much guaranteed that Columbus will lose although there is always exceptions. I am truly sorry for busting on you Columbus fans but for as long as I have been a sports freak, I have never seen a Blue Jacket fan in my ENTIRE LIFE! But, whatever it was that sent a little life through the Flyers, I hope it is here to stay.  &nbsp; The Flyers are a good team but the chemistry has just been missing. We have a great yougn team and our older players are some of the best to have ever played the game. Such as Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje. But the fact that HAtcher and Rathje have lost their speed does not help at all considering they are two of our most dependent penalty killers. If you look up and down the Philadelphia lineup, they have a very solid team. From Gagne, Forsberg, Hatcher, Knuble, Rathje, Richards, Nittymaki but the fact is that they have not been working together which always kills a team. Maybe the Flyers will start winning now (knock on wood) and become a threat once again!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[What;s next for the 'canes?]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/whats_next_for_the_canes/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 09:02:31 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Larry Coker, the Head Coach for the Miami Hurricanes was recently fired. After that ugly brawl between Miami and Florida International and the recent struggles of the 'Canes, I think this is best for the prolific college football dynasty. And yes, I called them a dynasty. Although they ended this season at .500, the Canes alway produce high quality NFL players (Portis, Taylor, Lewis, Reed) and are highly competitive. Do you think that firing Coker was the best choice for the 'Canes?]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[big turkey day]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/big_turkey_day/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Nov 2006 18:34:13 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[In today's first Turkey Day game, Joey Harrington led the Miami Dolphins to a win over the struggling Detroit Lions who were without Kevin Jones. Harrington had 3 touchdowns and 213 yards. But, this article is really going out to give credit to Dallas' quarterback, Tony Romo. In his game today, Romo set a Dallas record for most touchdowns thrown on Thanksgiving with 5!&nbsp; Now, although I am an Eagles fan I must give Romo his credit. This guy is leading the 7-4 Dallas cowboys, just set a big record, and is reportedly "seeing" Jessica Simpson. Not to shabby if I say so myself. The Cowboys took a huge win today as did the Dolphins and right now the Chiefs and broncos are squaring off in a heated rivalry. I'll make sure to write a little somethign on that game and the rest of the games this weekend so, CHECK BACK!  HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[let's get this straight]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/lets_get_this_straight/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2006 20:13:40 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Okay everyone, let's get one thing straight. THIS IS A SPORTS BLOG!!!!!!!!! Look at the title, "Calling the Shots." and under that it says "All Sports, All here." This blog is not about my life. This is all about sports. I have been getting comments that (1 recently) that is askign if sports is all I talk about. DUHHHHH. This is a SPORTS BLOG! I am not talking about my life, my family, any of that. If you like sports and want to read about some of the hot stuff going on in the sports world, then please enjoy my blog. If not, please go find another blog that talks about someone's life. Even though I find no reason in reading a blog that says, "This morning I woke up, I got dressed and went to school. I was realyl tired." That gets quite repetitive and boring after about 1 entry. I appreciate all of my visitors that enjoy my blog and encourage it. If you have negative comments, then don't waste your time writing them. Positive comments are always welcome. So, if you want to here about me waking up and going through my daily routine, sorry but that is not going to happen. This is for sports lovers and I know there is enough of them out there that this blog will stay successful and I will keep updating as long as people enjoy it. Thank-You and Happy Thanksgiving!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[T.O. needs a new plan]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/to_needs_a_new_plan/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2006 13:48:09 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[....phone plan that is. Maybe it is just that the Dallas receiver has used all his minutes or maybe it is because he doesn't have roaming. Personally, I would go with the fact that he is stubborn and obnoxious but that is no reason to talk trash on Donovan McNabb after tearing his ACL last week. Owens was not particularly talking trash but when asked if he would send Donovan a message with his condolences, Terrell replied with a resenting "absolutely not!" I guess the Cowboy is&nbsp;riding too high on his steed atop&nbsp;Brokeback Mountain (no offence intended)&nbsp;and still cannot get passed the fact that McNabb did not send him a "get well" text after Owens nearly overdosed earlier this year (even though Donovan really did).  Is it really that hard to send one text to a former friend, wishing them the best after they just experienced one of the worst injuries in sports? I mean, it isn't like you are asking him to be your best pal and come over to enjoy an episode of "Dancing with the Stars." Damn you by the way Emmit Smith! Why do you have to win everything? But anyway,&nbsp;it is quite obvious that Terrell takes things too far and possibly wishes more pain on McNabb. Whatever the deal is with this guy, I have just two things to say on this topic. Good luck with a speedy recovery Donovan and as for you Owens. Please, get some help for all of our sakes.&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[FYI is the new ESPN]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/fyi_is_the_new_espn/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:36:56 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; There is this great new sports website that I am involved with called "FYI Sports Fans." Now, the glory of that title is that you may interpret it anyway you wish. Either as "For Your Information Sports Fans" or "For Young Intelligent Sports Fans." I am a writer for the website as well as an overall valued contributor. Nick (a young blogger) has put this site together in association with myself and a few other great, young sport minds. I think everyone young and old will enjoy this blog. All the hot topics are covered on a daily basis as well as periodic featured articles. A chat is in the works as well as a forum that has already been quite active for awhile now. There are open advertising oppurtunities and I believe this site can really kick it off big. If you would like to contibute in anyway, even if you are interested in joining the forum either.... &nbsp; * visit FYISportsfans.com &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; or * leave me a comment with your email address so I can contact you]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mike Vick; the CHARGER!?!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/mike_vick_the_charger/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:02:06 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;  Yeah right! Sorry to scare you with that one Charger fans. I was actually referring to the big trade in 2001 where the Atlanta Falcons recieved a pick from San Diego which they eventually WASTED on Michael Vick. In turn, the Chargers got the football form of God in LaDainian Tomlinson who leads the NFL this year with 22 touchdowns. Now that you look back on it, you just want to never stop laughing at the Falcons for missing Tomlinson. But, I guess you can never predict how good a guy will be. They thought Vick would be the right fit for them, but they were wrong. So, Atlanta got Mike Vick a.k.a Ron Mexico a.k.a another running back and allowed Jim Brown's spawn to strut his way over to San Diego.  &nbsp; Sorry Atlanta fans, you have the talent in Alge Crumpler and Warrick Dunn. But, as logn as Vick is on the field for you guys, you will not be winning anything anytime soon. Wait, scratch that, you just may beat the Texans or Packers. Now, if somehow Atlanta was able to get a good young in the upcoming draft then they just may be in luck. Now as for San Diego, I don't think anyone in the entire NFL can beat them right now. LT is a straight up animal and the only guy that could possibly bring him down is on his own team; Shawne Merriman. So, unless Merriman decides to sprint out onto the field during a game and tackle his own teammate, I think that the Chargers are going to make a nice run deep into the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE RESULTS ARE IN!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/the_results_are_in/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:47:03 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[AND YOUR MVP's ARE...... &nbsp; AL Minnesota Twins' Justin Morneau took a tight AL MVP race with the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter close behind. Morneau had a .321 batting average along with 34 home runs and 130 RBI's to help the Twins to the AL Central crown. The Minnesota slugger received 15 first-place votes which was three more than Jeter. Morneau plays one of the biggest roles with the Twins than any other player does for their team. If the Twins are slumping, it takes just one crack of the bat from Morneau to send some sort of electricity through the team. He can get any player going, from pitchers to infielders all the way to the hot dog vendors. In just his third MLB season, Morneau is making $385,000 which as an arguably small amount for an MVP winner. But this guy has class, so I doubt we will be seeing&nbsp;the MLB version of Terrell Owens in Minnesota.&nbsp;  &nbsp; NL After losing a possible chance at Alfonso Soriano to the Cubs, there was only one thing that the Philadelphia Phillies had to celebrate over the weekend. And that is, first base slugger Ryan Howard's MVP award. Howard stepped it up big time for the Phillies this year and with another big man in the lineup, the Phillies could have made a&nbsp;solid playoff push. Ryan had a batting average of .313 this year with and MLB leading 58 home runs and 149 RBI's. In his two years in the MLB, Howard has already won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, the NL Hank Aaron Award and now adds the NL MVP Award to his collection. Oh yeah, don't forget his 2006 Home Run Derby title! This young man has a very bright future and hopefully the Phillies are able to surround him with identical talent which would only make him better. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[HUGE MISTAKE!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/huge_mistake/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:43:48 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I think that you guys are taking my views the wrong way. I am not A STEELERS FAN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT! I AM 100% FOR THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES! I bleed green, my family bleeds green, and if I ever have kids, they will bleed green. The Eagles have the greatest fans in the world and I am proud to be on of them. I live in Philly so I love all Philadelphia sports. How can you mistake me for a Steelers fan when all of my entries are about Philadelphia sports? Philly fans are the greatest and noone else can touch them. And please guys, don't make the comments too negative. I have respect for all fans but I am a philly guy so you know I'm stubborn. And I am allowed to bash other NFC East teams because I am an Eagle fan haha. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[POLL RESULTS]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/poll_results/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:36:24 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This poll has been up for quite awhile but my blog has been getting real hot so here are your results. &nbsp; &nbsp;Best of the NFC East??  Eagles 43%&nbsp;  Giants 27%&nbsp;  Cowgirls 23%&nbsp;  'Skins 6%&nbsp;  Total votes 77&nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[upsets all around]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/upsets_all_around/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 5 Nov 2006 18:07:47 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp; Even though week 9 of NFL action has not yet come to a close, there has already been three huge upsets that could play a big role come post season. This is the time when favored teams need to stay solid and get the wins that they are practically guaranteed. Well, that did not happen in a few games this afternoon and these will only make week 10 that much more exciting... 1) Washington-22&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;vs.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dallas-19 This game was huge because of once again, how tight the race in the NFC East has become. The Cowboys stood at 4-3 coming into this game with a lead of .5 over the Philadelphia Eagles for 2nd place. The Redskins were 2-5 and just looking to defend their home field and not lose by such a predicted margin. Well, after all was said and done, the 'Skins did more than just protect the scoreboard. Washington put up a prized fight against the heavily favored Cowboys and pulled out a close win, pulling their record out of the drain and too a 3-5 mark. Tony Romo had another outstanding game with 284 yards along with a touchdown but Dallas was just flat out beaten up. The Redskins defense actually had a glimpse of life and their offense spread the ball around pretty well.  The New York Giants beat the Houston Texans so that puts them ahead in the NFC East by 2 games over the Eagles who hold the tie-breaker over Dallas.  2) Detroit-30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; vs.&nbsp;&nbsp; Atlanta-14 Now, I am not exactly sure what happened here considering this game was not nationally televised but from my perspective, their was too much placed on Mike Vick's shoulders. All of the Atlanta fans think that Vick is godly which he is obviously not. He runs WAY too much even though he has been working on becoming a pocket passer. And he is incredibly inconsistent. Vick can give you those once in a lifetime games were he passes for 200 yards and runs for another hundred or those games were he just shuts down and leaves the offense to dry. Jon Kitna led the Lions with 321 passing yards and 1 touchdown as Kevin Jones owned the ground with 110yards and 2 touchdowns. Detroit now stands at 2-6 as the Falcons take a poor loss and leave with a 5-3 mark. (what happens when he wins? haha) 3) Miami-31&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; vs.&nbsp;&nbsp; Chicago-13 Is this that Chicago team that everyone was chanting 16-0 for? Well, I had my doubts before but now that they just lost to a team that was 1-6, I am pretty sure that these guys will look very poor in the post season. Yes, Chicago will make the post season considering the record they built up before this game but their schedule is INCREDIBLY WEAK! They have beaten the likes of San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle (without Shaun Alexander) and Buffalo. And now they can add a loss to Miami to their arsenal of high-class competition. When Chicago stands up to the power houses like New England or Indianapolis, they are cooked! Tell grandma to get out the nice place mats because they're going to be serving Bear in Chi-town. There was no impressive points from Miami besides the fact that they made the best of Chicago's 5 turnovers! When a team is turning the ball over that much, it doesn't matter how bad your offense is, you are going to score.  The Bears brought their undefeated season to a pathetic halt when everyone thought that their first loss was bound to come against New England (or so I thought). &nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Sixers; 3-0]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/sixers_30/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 5 Nov 2006 18:06:56 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ After just three games, the Sixers find themselves atop their division as well as the entire Eastern Conference! With the Cavaliers loss on Saturday and the 76ers win today against the Miami Heat (107-98), Philadelphia is the only undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. And let me tell you, it feels good to have a winner in Philadelphia! The best part about the Sixers this year is how generous they have all become. Now, instead of depending on Allen Iverson or Chris Webber to drop 30 points a game, they can spread the ball to Iguodala or Kyle Korver and know that they are in good hands. Everyone has stepped up their game significantly including Korver has changed is roll from just a 3-point shooter to....an incredible 3-point shooter! In his first 3 games, Korver is averaging 17 points and is hitting crucial shots when the game comes down to the wire. Including, his nine straight 3-pointers that helped Philly overcome an 11-point deficit and pull out a huge victory over the defending champs!     Atlantic W L PCT GB CONF DIV HOME ROAD L 10 STREAK  Philadelphia 3 0 1.000 0.0 3-0 0-0  2-0  1-0  3-0  W 3  New Jersey 1 1 0.500 1.5 1-1 1-0  1-0  0-1  1-1  L 1  Toronto 1 2 0.333 2.0 1-1 0-1  1-1  0-1  1-2  L 1  New York 1 2 0.333 2.0 0-2 0-0  0-1  1-1  1-2  L 2  Boston 0 3 0.000 3.0 0-2 0-0  0-2  0-1  0-3  L 3]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Sixers; 1-0]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/sixers_10/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:12:16 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ I've never really been a big basketball fan but I sure do love my 76ers! And I thought, why not get high on the bandwagon this year? And after hearign soem talk of a possible postseason birth, I was icnredibly happy.  My 76ers are 1-0 after their first game that they won, 88-75. Even though it was against one of the worst teams in the NBA (Atlanta Hawks) a win is still a win. Winning by 1 point and winning by 40 points should no make a huge difference. Look at the Miami Heat. They lost to the Bulls by 42! So, does that mean when they come to Philly on Sunday that we are going to crush them like that? Of course it doesn't.But the point is that my sixers got off to a good start and hopefully they make this great city happy.     Eastern Conference  Atlantic W L PCT GB CONF DIV HOME ROAD L 10 STREAK  New Jersey 1 0 1.000 0.0 1-0 1-0  1-0  0-0  1-0  W 1  Philadelphia 1 0 1.000 0.0 1-0 0-0  1-0  0-0  1-0  W 1  New York 1 0 1.000 0.0 0-0 0-0  0-0  1-0  1-0  W 1  Toronto 0 1 0.000 1.0 0-1 0-1  0-0  0-1  0-1  L 1  Boston 0 1 0.000 1.0 0-0 0-0  0-1  0-0  0-1  L 1]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Champs downed by 42!!!!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/champs_downed_by_42/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:28:26 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ The Miami Heat did win the NBA Championship last year, right? I obviously know that they did but you would never tell from the way they started off the season tonight. Let's just say that the Chicago Bulls either look incredibly good or the Heat look incredibly bad. It could be the addition of Ben Wallace that meant so much to Chicago but whatever it was, they put a gigantic whooping on the former champs, 108-66!  I find that score incredibly ridiculous. You are the Miami HEat adn you're lineup is made of Dwayne Wade, Shaq, James Posey, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. So, HOW DO YOU LOSE? A squad made up of Ben Wallace, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas. Actually, that isn't a bad matchup considering that the Heat should have a huge upperhand in the experience department with the likes of Gordon, Deng and Thomas making a huge portion of the Bulls. Maybe the problem was that Dwayne Wade was the only Heat player to reach double digits (25 points) or the fact that the second highest scorer for Miami was Antoine Walker (9 points). The Heat allowed four Chicago players to reach double digits in points (Deng, Hinrich, Duhon, Sefolosha) and allowed Ben Wallace to make a great Chicago debut with 11 rebounds! (that smile wouldn't last long...) And may I add that Ben Wallace is shooting 100% in his free throws on the season! I thought that would be a funny fact considering he went 1-for-1 and this is probably the only time he has ever seen that 100% on his stat sheet. Maybe the Lakers game will be a better show than this blowout, what a shame!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[this is just a Sunday for Philly]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/this_is_just_a_sunday_for_philly/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 14:48:45 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Many other teams would consider what the Eagles are doing (losing 3 straight, 2 by FG's) to be a real gut-wrenching downslope. Well, for us Philly fans we have a simple name for it. And that name is, "Sunday!" Real tough one isn't it? The Eagles should be 7-1 in concurrence to their pathetic loss to the Jags earlier today. But NO!&nbsp;A horrific OT loss to the Giants, and two game ending&nbsp;field goals at the&nbsp;hands of the Saints and Bucs leaves us at a tough spot at 4-4. That means, we are now 1.5 games behind the Giants and if Dallas pulls out a win against the Panthers tonight that we will be tied with them for second place.  &nbsp; Now, as a Philly fan I&nbsp;come as die-hard as any of them. When the&nbsp;birds lose, I lose. I could crawl into my room and blog all day (which I do sometimes) or I could stuff my mouth with cheesesteaks. But, since&nbsp;I blog all the time anyway and there is no cheesesteak place within 10 miles of me, I will just&nbsp;enjoy our bye week with a smile on my face.  &nbsp; A bye week is the best thing that could happen for Philly fans. Hopefully, it will take the nasty taste out of our mouths and slap McNabb as well as the whole team right in the face and say "WAKE UP!' Donovan was having an MVP season until his last two starts where he was unable to hit recievers early on and if he did, they would drop the ball. &nbsp;I believe we can take this bye week, work out the kinks in the offense and comeback against the 'Skins in week 10 and put a nice whooping on them. That will help our confidence as well as our divisional record. The Eagles just really have to pick it up before they see Indy in 3 weeks.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[R.I.P Red]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/rip_red/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 07:13:40 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ The Boston Celtics legendary coach Red Auerbach was pronounced dead of a heart attack. He was 89.  All of basketball will keep the legend of Red in their hearts and realize what an accomplishment he achieved by winning 9 straight NBA titles. Red did what he had to do and he did it very well. R.I.P. Red Auerbach]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[TEMPLE WON....finally]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/temple_wonfinally/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:59:16 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Talk about tradition, losing has certainly become one for Temple football. That is until today, when the Temple Owls football team actually pulled out a win over the Bowling Green Falcons; 28-14! This win snaps Temple's 20-game losing streak and hopefully showed them some life. I think Temple's Travis Shelton put it best when he said, "we had more points and it was a great thing to see!" ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[CARDS ARE WORLD CHAMPS!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/cards_are_world_champs/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:45:47 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;CONGRATS! &nbsp; ST.LOUIS CARDINALS 2006 WORLD CHAMPS!!!!! &nbsp; &nbsp; World Series MVP~ David Eckstein]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Injury Buzz; Week 7]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/injury_buzz_week_7/</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:00:39 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Injury Buzz; Week 7 After 7 weeks of football there has been some key injuries that will play a big role in some teams' success. Such as.... * Matt Hasselbeck will undergo an MRI for a believed sprain in&nbsp;his knee. It is reported that the Seattle quarterback will be out 3 weeks. This piles even more stuff for the Seahawks to triumph over considering their superstar Shaun Alexander has a broken foot. * Ben Roethlisberger may have sustained his second major head injury of the season but nothing has officially been released. This just packs on another situation for the struggling champs to work through. * New York Giants linebacker LaVar Arrington and defensive end Osi Umenyiora both left the Giants MNF victory last night before the game was over with key injuries. Arrington tore his left Achilles' tendon which places him on the benches for the remainder of the season as Umenyiora is questionable for next week with a strained hip.  * Green Bay Packers place wide reciever Robert Ferguson on injured reserve for the third straight year with a foot injury. His past two seasons were ended to a knee and head injury.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[BCS Standings]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/bcs_standings/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:16:00 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; TEAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;POINTS 1) Ohio State&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;.976 2) Michigan&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;.945 3) USC&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;.943 4) West Virginia&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;.755 5) Auburn&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; .747 6) Florida&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; .726 7) Texas&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;.724 8) Louisville&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;.722 9) Notre Dame&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; .673 10) California&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; .668]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Rogers, You Cheater You!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/rogers_you_cheater_you/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 07:36:56 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This just embarrasses the game of baseball that much more. Besides the former antics of Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Roger such as shoving a camera man way back when, he cheated last night in the World Series. The game of all games in the MLB. It is quite evident from videos and pictures that Kenny Rogers had a spot of Pine Tar on his hands that he called a "clump of dirt."  &nbsp; If Tony LaRussa would have said something earlier to umps then Rogers could have possibly been suspended from the World Series and his amazing streak of 23 scoreless innings in the post-season sould have seen an untimely end.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Raiders Actually Win!]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/raiders_actually_win/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:15:52 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Although I could care less how the Raiders finished this season, I am somewhat proud to announce that they have won their first game of the year. Oakland put a spanking on the lately devestated Cardinals by a score of 22-9!&nbsp;Just last week, the Monday Night Football analysts were stuck in a tight decision between what even is more likely to happen; the Bears go 16-0 or the Raiders go 0-16. Obviously, every single one of them went with the Raiders going 0-16 but that whole assumption just went down the toilet. The Bears are 6-0 and the Raiders are now 1-5 so whoever took the Bears on that little MNF debate is safe, for now. We all know how incredible of a record 16-0 is so I'm going with the "professionals" on this one but saying that the Bears don't go 16-0 and that the Raiders obviously do not end up 0-16. The only bad thing about this game is that Dennis Green probably blew all of his steam on the Cardinals MNF loss to Chicago so there will most likely be no example of pure, erupting fury splashed with offensive language.....darn.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Flyers Feel Time for Change]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/flyers_feel_time_for_change/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:13:16 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[1-6, bottom of the NHL and struggling at every position. That is the last way the Flyers thought they were goign to start of the '06-'07 season. But after a tough 9-1 loss to Buffalo last week and a poor loss against Florida over the weekend, Philadelphia has decided that it's time for change. head Coach Ken Hitchcock who won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars was fired and then soon followed by the retirement of Bob Clarke.  The only surprise about this move is how early it came. Just this past weekend Ed Snyder said in an interview that the team is playing incredibly poor. The Flyers are used to winning traditions although they have not been a championship team in quite awhile. Noone would have guessed that office was going to make changes this early in the season but I guess you need to put a different look in the locker room when you have veteran players with their heads down.  The Flyers next game is on Thursday which should give new Head Coach John Stevens (former assistant) a decent amount of time to place a new mind set in his players that this year is not even close to over.  &nbsp;]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Eagles Can't Hold-On...Again]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/zbar88/calling_the_shots/eagles_cant_holdonagain/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:11:43 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Last week the Eagles took a nasty loss from the New Orleans Saints on a field goal that ran down the rest of the game clock. Unfortunatly, the Eagles could not shake that loss and game in today against a struggling Tampa Bay team and looked no better.  Tampa's offense looked horrible considering they did not even pass the 200-yard mark on offense. The Eagles on the other hand put up 500+ yards! How did they lose you ask? Defense. Easy as that, the whoel game was played out by the defense. Philadelphia had huge numbers on the Bucs in first downs, yards, plays and everything that really helps a team to win but they one major factor in turnovers, was working against them.  The Eagles had 4 turnovers (2 INT's returned for touchdowns) compared to Tampa Bay's 0. It looked all downhill for the birds in the fourth quarter until with 00:35 left Brian Westbrook took a pass from McNabb about 50 yards to the house. Besides giving the Eagles the one point lead, it quited the entire stadium. That was until the ensuing kickoff. The Bucs took the ball back to around the 35-yard line and set themselves up with managable field position. After, a few hard fought downs the Eagles lined up opposite of Tampa on a crucial third down. The ball was snapped and Jerome McDougle was able to bring down Tampa's QB for a huge sack that would have won the game. But, a competely unnecassary flag was thrown to knock down the Eagles hopes. McDougle did not take it kind to heart and kicked the flag, resulting in 15 more penalty yards.  The Bucs made it no further than that position but that 30 yards was huge as the game came down to the foot of Matt Bryant. Now, this guy did not worry the Eagles considering his longest field-goal in five years was from 50 and his longest of this year was 30 coming earlier in the game. But Bryant lined up and with the worst of luck, made the 62-yard field goal to give the Buccaneers the 23-21 win and hand Philly a 4-3 record and another loss off of a field goal.  The Eagles should arguably be&nbsp;7-1 if they could learn how to close out games. They should have spanked the Giants, they had the Saints until Michael Lewis blew huge coverage andwe had the game today until Matt Bryant pulled some magic out of his butt and put a 62-yard kick through the up-rights.  This game was ridiculous but no matter what happens tommorrow night, the Eagles will be behind 1st place by just .5 of a game.]]></description>
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