SB Nation User Blog: The Legend

2009 D-Line Reserves

The Legend — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:03:52 -0000

2009 D-Line Reserves

Since I did highlights for the starters, I decided to do some for our reserves. Hope you guys enjoy them.

2009 D-Line Starters

The Legend — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:41:10 -0000

I made a re-cut on nfl.com of our 09' starters and wanted to share it with you guys. I know I am going to get comments asking why Juqua Parker isn't in it and that is because I think Abiamiri will start. Hope you enjoy it:)

Ivey opting out

The Legend — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:23:16 -0000

Ivey opting out

I am a little surprised since I think he said at the end of the year that he was going to stay but he isn't going to be a huge loss so it doesn't matter I guess.

Iggy vs Skip tomorrow on 1st & 10

The Legend — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:33:24 -0000

Iggy vs Skip tomorrow on 1st & 10

76ers interview Casey

The Legend — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:37:52 -0000

The 76ers interviewed Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey today.

Casey, a former head coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, confirmed the meeting to the Daily News.

“It went well,” he said.

Casey would not say anything about the location or duration of the meeting.

Casey, who just completed his first season with the Mavs, has 2 years remaining on his contract.

Casey, 52, served as the T-Wolves coach from June 17, 2005, to Jan. 25, 2007, as a replacement for Kevin McHale; he finished with a record of 43-59. He coached for five seasons in Japan before beginning his NBA coaching career in 1994-95, joining the staff of the Seattle SuperSonics, staying 11 seasons.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/Sixers_talk_to_Casey.html

Ainge will let Thibodeau interview

The Legend — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:39:09 -0000

Ainge will let Thibodeau interview

Hopefully Stefanski interviews Thibodeau since it seems like the majority of us want a defensive coach.

Miscommunication is why Miller missed meeting

The Legend — Sat, 02 May 2009 05:06:23 -0000

Andre Miller also missed the meeting but made contact with the team Friday afternoon. Miller’s agent called it “miscommunication.” Apparently unaware Friday’s meeting was mandatory, Miller went to New York and had lunch with his agent. Miller has a flight out of New York on Saturday to Denver.

Miller and Ratliff both happen to be impending free agents.

Before Stefanski heard from Miller’s camp, he wasn’t sure if Miller was sending a message. He still reiterated the team’s desire to have the team’s starting point guard return next season.

“There was no intent, malice or deliberate message that was trying to be sent by this action at all,” Miller’s agent Andy Miller said. “Quite frankly I wouldn’t waste my time or waste Andre’s time making subtle messages to Philadelphia’s fans or management.”

Miller and Ratliff’s absence were still almost a sidenote to the plethora of topics that were discussed as the players underwent exit interviews with Stefanski and coach Tony DiLeo.

http://csnphilly.com/pages/landing_09?Raanan-Sixers-Look-Forward-After-Playoff=1&blockID=52165&feedID=717

All I got to say about this is thank god

Brown uses Westbrook's deal to support case

The Legend — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:54:47 -0000

Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown spoke to WIP's Morning Show yesterday about his contract situation. He had talked to both The Inquirer and Daily News earlier this week, but something he said to Angelo Cataldi and company caught my attention.

It was in reference to the Eagles' decision to rework Brian Westbrook's contract prior to last season.

"At the end of the day, you’re saying, 'If I do it for him, I can’t do it for another guy,'" Brown said. "Well I didn’t start the floodgate. It opened when Brian [Westbrook] had three years left on his deal. Yeah but you have four. Well if that’s the case, say ‘We did it with Brian with three. You have four. Play one more.’ But now don’t bring that up and say ‘Oh but you have four.’ That’s just because it’s something that makes you look good."

Brown, of course, is pointing out that the Eagles chose to rework Westbrook's contract when he had three years left. His argument is: Why should reworking my deal, which has four years left, be so crazy?

It's an interesting comparison because Jon Runyan also brought up Westbrook's contract earlier this week during an ESPN 950 interview with Mike Missanelli.

Here's what Runyan said when asked if the Eagles were trying to send a message to everyone with their sharp response this week.

"It’s a message for this one. Everybody has their own," he said. "Brian Westbrook went through the same thing last year and ultimately got it done so it’s just one of those games everybody plays. That’s the thing. Depending on who it is and what your value is, the rules of the game change also."

It's clear that Eagles players took notice when the team reworked Westbrook's contract.

And interestingly enough, that might have been something the Eagles' brass anticipated.

I went into the archives to find Joe Banner's comments after the Eagles announced the new Westbrook contract. Banner recalled a deal with Brian Dawkins two years earlier and compared it to Westbrook's.

"We think of [Dawkins] as a Hall of Fame-caliber player. I feel like I'm standing up here again right before the first preseason game of the season, we're talking about a Hall of Fame-caliber player," Banner told the Daily News. "This is a premier guy, leader, player. What he has done over the last few weeks here, with this going on, and still working - he came out there when he had strep throat and practiced. When he had an excuse, regardless of what was going on. He just wants to win so badly. He wants the team to be the best it can be.

"That's what drove him; it's what has always driven him. If you put the same things I said about Dawkins a few years ago, if you take somebody with that kind of talent, and those kind of intangibles that they bring to your team, in who they are in their heart, in their head, that is the guy you want to make sure is feeling good about things, if you possibly can."

The message seems clear. If the franchise values you at a certain level, it's willing to make concessions, as was the case with Westbrook. And as may be the case with Donovan McNabb if the team reworks his deal this offseason.

But for others like Lito Sheppard and Brown, sounding off really isn't going to get you anywhere.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/Sheldon_brings_up_Westbrooks_deal.html

I think Sheldon is a hell of a player and one of the most underrated CB's if not the most but to compare his situation to Westbrook's is stupid.

Sixers trying to find time for Marshall

The Legend — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:20:58 -0000

There’s a reason 76ers coach Tony DiLeo refers to Donyell Marshall as his secret weapon. It’s because every time Marshall saves the day with his lethal 3-point shooting, it’s not long before he returns to his primary role as head cheerleader.

After two strong performances in early December, Marshall played six minutes in the following two games before spending five straight games pinned to the bench. After three straight torrid shooting exhibitions in mid-March, he had a five-minute stint followed by a string of inactivity.

There’s no reason to believe the trend is going to change now, especially considering that Thaddeus Young was forced to the bench by Marshall’s latest resurgence. Despite a game-saving performance in which he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1, there is a good chance the Sixers’ secret weapon will be returning to the witness protection program.

And it could happen as soon as Wednesday night’s Game 2 (7 p.m., CSN) in Orlando. Marshall, along with rookie Marreese Speights, who played seven minutes in the opening game, likely will spend most of the contest giving Kareem Rush company on the bench.

“It may be a little difficult [to find Speights and Marshall playing time in the series],” DiLeo said. “[Orlando] doesn’t play with a typical power forward-center. They have a power forward in Rashard Lewis that is more of an outside player. Sometimes that is a tough guard for a guy like Marreese Speights.

“We’re going to throw guys in and out depending on lineups, foul trouble and game situation, just like we did with Donyell. If it’s clicking and working, we’ll stick with that team.”

In the fourth quarter Sunday night, everything was working with Marshall on the court. But for the most part this season, the Sixers have done very well with Young occupying the power forward position. The second-year stud evolved into the Sixers’ most consistent offensive option late in the season.

Young was noticeably absent, but not necessarily missed thanks to Marhsall’s heroics, in the fourth quarter of Game 1. Young played less than two minutes of the final quarter, during which the Sixers outscored Orlando, 35-19. Unless Marshall goes crazy and hits 3-of-4 threes like he did on Sunday, that’s likely to change throughout the rest of the series.

As for the task of handling Orlando’s All-Star center Dwight Howard – who at 23 years old officially became the youngest player in history on Tuesday to win the Defensive Player of the Year award – in the fourth quarter, that situation is a bit more unpredictable. Theo Ratliff handled the duties during the Sixers’ Game 1 comeback. Sam Dalembert split the responsibility with Ratliff the other three quarters.

“It just depends on the game situation. Both are shot blockers, have length and are athletic that maybe bother him a little bit. And both of them have different ways to play him that will keep him a little bit off balance,” DiLeo said. “The good thing about it is we have two guys like that to guard him.”

Two guys still might not be enough. Howard had 31 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1 despite getting his eye raked by Dalembert in the third quarter.

Howard expects to be fine for Game 2. He experienced minimal discomfort in the affected eye on Tuesday.

http://csnphilly.com/pages/landing_09?Raanan-Sixers-Trying-to-Find-Time-for-Ma=1&blockID=50401&feedID=729

I kind of disagree with this. I know with Elton Brand out we have been playing Thad Young at PF but if we want to get Marshall more playing time there isn't any reason why we can't slide Young to SF and Iguodala to SG.

Sheldon Brown requests trade?

The Legend — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:50:32 -0000

I just briefly saw this on ESPN like the very end. I hope this isn't true and we re-adjust his contract because he is our best CB. If we do trade him I wonder if our draft changes. I think we still might go Moreno if he is there but I heard that the Eagles really like Sean Smith from Utah and they have worked other CB's also like Vontae Davis from Illinois as well.