Surgery means Utley could miss start of title defence

Phillies star second baseman Chase Utley, could miss the start of the 2009 season after having surgery on his right hip.

The three-time All Star has been ruled out for four to six months, with the latter meaning he would miss the first few months of the Phillies' title defence.

However a four month recovery could mean Utley will make it back in time for opening day, when the Phillies will host division rivals the Atlanta Braves, on April 5th.

Early signs are that the surgery was successful, but it is still too early to give an accurate return date for the left-hander.

Utley was key to Philadelphia's championship winning season, hitting .321 and knocking in a league-leading 21 homers through the first week of June.

After that he cooled off, going .272 with 12 home runs the rest of the way, with his decreased production costing him a shot at the National League MVP.

The hip injury had supposedly been niggling away at the lefty since spring training, but Utley put up with it all season long and throughout the playoffs, where he hit just .220 but did come up with two big home runs in the World Series.

This video shows every single homer the Phillies hit in their Fall Classic victory over the Rays... just so you can all enjoy them again! See if you can spot Utley's big shots:



His loss would be a big one for the Phils, who need a consistent hitter like Utley to make up for the streaky form of slugger Ryan Howard.

No doubt new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will be keeping a close eye on his progress, to see whether or not he needs to bring in a temporary replacement through free agency.

On a brighter note for Philly, third baseman Pedro Feliz also had successful surgery on his back and should be ready to go in 2-3 months, meaning the Dominican will be fit for the Phils' opening day date with the Braves.

Crunch time in the NFC East as Eagles and Giants collide

In a few minutes time, the Eagles will get the chance to prove their credentials as they host the reigning champions and currently top team in the NFC, the 7-1 Giants.

The Eagles (5-3) come into tonight on the back of three straight wins against the 49ers, Falcons and Seahawks respectively, but this game is a completely different prospect with so much at stake.

As the second half of the season gets underway, the entire playoff picture in the NFC could be shaped tonight.

If the Eagles win, it means that what many call the toughest division in football is back up for grabs, with Philly showing they could not only make the playoffs, but go all the way to Tampa for Superbowl XLIII.

If the Giants win, they will establish themselves as firm favourites to clinch the NFC East, be the no.1 seed in the conference and ultimately, have the chance to defend their title in February.

For the first time in a long time, the Eagles head into a game almost fully healthy, with only long term casualty Shawn Andrews certain to miss out.

Cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Joselio Hanson are both listed as questionable, but both participated fully in Friday's practice and should be good to go.

Offensively Philly will have all their weapons ready to go, with everyone needing to do their bit, against against the second best defence in the NFL.

There are four key areas for the Eagles tonight if they are to leave Lincoln Financial field with the win.

Offensively, the line have got to protect Donovan McNabb from a defense that leads the NFC with 30 sacks so far this season.

The Giants won the Superbowl on the back of sacks and the general pressure they exerted on opposition quarterbacks, in particular from pressure up the middle.

Guard Max Jean-Gilles has played well in the absence of Andrews, but tonight he will have the kitchen sink thrown at him by New York's defensive line.

Giants defensive co-ordinator Steve Spagnuolo loves to move his lineman around to create match ups, and with such a talented group of athletes (Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield and Mathias Kiwanuka) this isn't difficult.

Certainly the loss of Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan has not affected the Giants ability to get in the faces of quarterbacks and get them on the turf.

If the Eagles offensive line can keep McNabb relatively clean, he has the ability to beat the rest of this New York defense, especially with key injuries to strong safety James Butler, linebacker Gerris Wilkinson and cornerback Kevin Dockery.

Part of keeping McNabb upright is being able to establish the run.

Against Atlanta, Brian Westbrook managed a career high in rushing yards and last week, though unspectacular, he kept the Seahawks defense honest, allowing McNabb to rack up over 300 yards through the air.

It is essential that Philly do the same tonight, otherwise it could be a long and painful night for McNabb.

The second key to Eagles success tonight is converting their opportunities.

Last week against Seattle, the Eagles moved the ball at will until they got to the red zone, having to settle for four field goals in a second half where they could and should have blown their hosts away.

They cannot afford to be so wasteful tonight in a game that could well be very very tight, and they must find a way to punch the ball in on short yardage downs.

Defensively, the Eagles have got to get pressure on Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Despite handily beating the cowboys last Sunday, Manning was made to look fallible as he was put under pressure all night long, being sacked four times, losing two fumbles, being picked off for a touchdown and throwing for a season low 147 yards.

The Eagles will have to do the same in this game and they have the ability, having collected 27 sacks of their own through the first eight games.

Pressure will lead to takeaways and these could be essential, in a game where the turnover battle could be the decisive factor.

It will also mean that Manning will struggle to find star receiver Plaxico Burress, a man who has been the bane of Philly for many years.

The final area that Andy Reid and his team must look at is stopping the Giants ground game and in particular, Brandon Jacobs.

New York lead the NFL with an average of over 160 rushing yards per game, most of which is down to Jacobs, but their 1-2-3 punch of Jacobs, Ward and Bradshaw is undoubtedly the best in the league, reminiscent of the Eagles Westbrook, Staley and Buckhalter combo of years past.

The Eagles defense has, for the most part, been stingy against the rush this season, only allowing more than 90 yards on two occasions.

Stopping the run tonight is vital for Philly's chances, which will mean tackling low and hard on a guy who is the right weight for a defensive end.

Shut down Jacobs and this will force Manning to try and carry the team, which will give the Eagles their best chance of knocking off the defending champs.

Should the Eagles lose, they will drop to 5-4 and more importantly, 0-3 in the division, which will majorly dent their playoff hopes in such a competitive division.

Win however, and they will send out a statement to the rest of the league, and show the world that this group is capable of bringing Philadelphia their first ever Vince Lombardi trophy.

Briere scores on return but the Flyers get struck by Lightning

Lightning 2 - 1 Flyers

Danny Briere grabbed a goal on his return from injury but it was the Flyers only goal of the game, as they lost at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning: their third straight defeat.

Briere's goal was more than the Flyers deserved, as they piled on the pressure in the first period, compiling 18 shots in the opening session.

But Philly were frustrated for much of the opening 20 minutes, as Lightning goalie Mike Smith produced save after save to keep the hosts at bay, before Briere broke the deadlock late in the period with the Flyers up 5-on-3; Simon Gagne and Mike Richards assisting the centre.

However these missed opportunities proved costly for Philly and despite some good work by Biron in the home net, he couldn't prevent two former Flyers coming back to haunt their old team.

Ex-Philly winger Mark Recchi broke away and set up Jussi Jokinen for Tampa's equaliser, before centre Vaclav Prospal completed the turnaround inside six second period minutes.

Both the goals came off Flyer mistakes but aside from that Philly managed to restrict the Lightning's offensive chances, with new defensive signing Matt Carle playing his way to the game's third star.

But for the second straight game the Flyers offense cooled off, with Tampa limiting them to five shots in the final period, leaving Philly to rue the chances they spurned early in the game.

A lot of credit has to go to Lightning goal-tender Smith, who was the player of the game after saving 34 of the Flyers 35 shots, but this will be little consolation for Philly who can't seem to get things going offensively and defensively in the same game.

The Flyers couldn't even fight properly- Philly's Arron Asham and Tampa's Ryan Craig had two goes at each other but neither could keep their feet for more than 30 seconds:

ROUND 1



ROUND 2



The season may only be 13 games old but already the Flyers are in their second major skid, with only the New York Islanders between them and the bottom of the Atlantic division.

In fact Philly's 4-6-3 record is the third worst in the NHL and with a three game road trip looming, Coach Stevens will need to use all his experience to try and get his side back to winning ways.

Tuesday night may be his best chance to do so, as the Flyers head to New York to take on the Islanders, before two tougher games at Pittsburgh and Montreal.

Things are going to have to change quickly if the team want to avoid a repeat of two years ago, where the Flyers finished with the worst record in the league.

Flyers get Briere injury boost + sign defenseman Carle

The Flyers received some good news on the injury front today as it was announced that Danny Briere has returned to full fitness ahead of schedule.

The star centre had been sidelined for the past six games after suffering a lower body injury in the shootout loss to the Sharks last month and, after having surgery on October 25th, was expected to miss at least three weeks action.

But just two weeks on, Briere is set to be back in the lineup for tonight's game against the Lightning, with Flyers coach John Stevens maintaining he is 100% ready to go.

Briere was one of the few bright points during Philly's winless first six games, with three goals and four assists, but you have to wonder whether his return has been brought forward by the Flyers current two game losing streak.

Whether he's ready or not, Briere will slot straight back in one of the best lines in the NHL, between Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble.

The Flyers may also see the return of Andreas Nodl tonight, after the Austrian winger missed the last two games through injury.

Tonight's game against Tampa Bay will not just see the return of old faces but also the debut of an unfamiliar one.

The Flyers today signed defenseman Matt Carle from the Lightning just in time for him to face his former team, in an attempt to solidify what has at times been a porous Philadelphia defense.

The 24 year-old had only signed for Tampa Bay in July, but in 12 games so far this year he was 2nd on the team in blocked shots and third in average ice time, with one goal and one assist.

Carle started his professional career with the San Jose Sharks, notching 16 goals, 47 assists and only 70 penalty minutes in 151 games over three seasons, before moving to Tampa.

The trade saw the Flyers acquire Carle and a third round draft pick from the Sharks, in exchange for two fringe players; defenseman Steve Eminger and winger Steve Downie, as well as Tampa Bay's fourth round draft pick in 2009.

Carle becomes one of the youngest players in a defensive group full of experience, but with all the defensive struggles Philly have had in the first 12 games, Stevens will hope his Alaskan signing will bring some youthful exhuberence to the team and have an instant impact.

He will immediately get the chance to show his former employers what they have given up as the Flyers and Lightning get it on in a few minutes time.

Despite concussion L.J. ready to go

It appears the Eagles will be at or near full-strength, as they head into their massive clash against the defending champion Giants on Sunday.

Guard Shawn Andrews seems likely to be the only one to miss out, with even L.J. Smith fully participating in Friday's practice.

The tight end looks set to play despite the concussion he suffered two weeks ago against Atlanta, via this hit from Lawyer Milloy:



This isn't the first massive hit that's been dealt out when these two sides have squared off.

Some of you may remember the hit that Brian Dawkins dished out on former Falcon Alge Crumpler a few years back.

Check out this amazing video, dedicated to one of the best safeties in the league ever! The hit on Crumpler is about 4 minutes in:



God love WEAPON X!!

Sixers struggle in Florida, coming up short at the Magic

Sixers 88 - 98 Magic

Another bad shooting game saw the Sixers slump to their second defeat in two nights in Florida, as they lost by double digits to the Magic.

Despite Orlando star Dwight Howard spending most of the first half on the bench thanks to some early foul trouble, the 76ers failed to capitalise on controlling the boards, shooting just 35% as they went into the break behind 54-43.

Howard (14pts) managed to stay on the court in the second half and he, Rashard Lewis (2opts) and Hedo Turkoglu (20pts) combined to give the Magic a 23 point lead in the third.

For the second night in succession, the 76ers mounted a fourth quarter fightback, getting back to within six thanks to some poor free-throw shooting by Howard, who went 2-8 down the stretch.

But once again it was not enough for Philly, who couldn't draw any closer as Orlando stayed strong to win their third game on the bounce (their 6th victory in their last seven games vs Philly.)

Four sixers starters made it into double figures, with Thaddeus Young compiling back-to-back 19 point games, whilst Samuel Dalembert had a double-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

The two Andres, Iguodala (16points, 11 rebounds, eight assists) and Miller (15pts) also reached double digits but both shot poorly (4-12 and 7-24 respectively), as the team went under 40% from the floor for the second straight night.

The Magic (3-2) also became only the second team this season to prevent Elton Brand completing a double-double, using an effective double-team strategy to hold the forward to just six points and 12 boards.

At least the Sixers (2-4) managed to hold onto the ball better, committing nearly half as many turnovers as they did in Miami.

However this will be of little comfort to coach Maurice Cheeks, who will have to wait until Tuesday to see if his team can turn things around at home against the undefeated Utah Jazz.

Hot Senators blow away Flyers

Flyers 1 - 4 Senators

The Flyers travelled to Ottawa on Thursday and suffered their second straight loss at the hands of the red hot Senators.

Philly coach John Stevens will be hoping this isn't the start of a run like the team went on to start the season, when Philly went 0-3-3 in their first six games.

Conversely Ottawa will be hoping their recent 4-0-1 streak will kick-start their season following four consecutive losses.

First period goals from Anton Volchenkov and Dany Heatley meant the Flyers were chasing the game early, with the visitors managing only three shots in the opening session.

Winger Arron Asham claimed his first goal of the season in the second to bring the Flyers within one, with but this reprise was short lived as Jesse Winchester restored the Sentaors lead less than a minute later.

This two goal cushion was more than enough for Ottawa (6-5-2), but Chris Neil added some extra insurance late in the game, firing into an empty net.

Philadelphia (4-5-3) have now conceded three or more goals in eight of their 12 games so far this year, winning just once when they have done so.

Neither Martin Biron nor Antero Niittymaki (who started the night) have managed to consistently keep the puck out of the net this season, and little help has come defensively from their colleagues.

Even offensively the Flyers cooled off: Jeff Carter's seven game points streak came to an end, whilst Mike Knuble failed to score for the first time in six games.

The one bright spot for Philly was captain Mike Richards who continued to supply his teammates with chances, collecting his 11th assist in 12 starts.

He will have to continue leading by example on Saturday, as the Flyers return home to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-4-4) who have also started the year slowly.

The Lightning will head into the game on the back of two road losses to the Devils and the Rangers, and Philly will look to make this consecutive loss number three against Atlantic division opponents.

Pair of champion Phillies file for free agency

Patt Burrell and Jamie Moyer to test the market

Two key members of the Phillies team that won the World Series just over a week ago, have asked to join the free agent list.

Left fielder Burrell and starting pitcher Moyer both played key roles in a Phillies season that ended with their first championship since 1980.

Burrell may have only hit .250 during the season, his lowest batting average in 5 years, but he still smashed 33 home runs, got 86 RBIs and ranked third in the league with 102 walks.

His worth was proven at times in the post-season, coming up with some crucial hits against the Brewers and hitting .333 in the NLCS against the Dodgers.

However one of his famed problems is his streaky nature and in the World Series he was cold, going only 1-14. He also has some defensive issues.

Depending on price, the Phillies may well choose not to resign him and go in a different direction.

If they do, new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will have to find someone to replace a guy who has averaged 31 homers and 99 RBIs the past four years- no easy task!

Moyer on the other hand, had a great regular season, notching up 16 wins with a 3.71 ERA.

The lefty had a poor postseason, with all three of the Phillies playoff loses coming on the back of his starts, but as the oldest active player in the majors (turning 46 later this month), he can be forgiven for looking jaded.

Despite his age the Phillies seem willing to keep faith with Moyer, who has suggested he wants to pitch until he is 50.

Depending on the deal he desires, both parties seem happy for the southpaw to return to Philadelphia.

Burrell's future however is more uncertain.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, they are about to find out that keeping together a championship winning team is a very expensive business!

Travelling Sixers get burned by the Heat

Sixers 83 - 106 Heat

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers...that about summed up Philadelphia's night, as the 76ers (2-3)committed a league-high 26 of them en route to a 23 point pounding in Miami.

Dwayne Wade took advantage for the Heat (2-2), collecting nine steals to go with his seven rebounds, six assists and let's not forget his game-high 29 points!

The Sixers showed some fight, battling back from 23 points down to come within nine late in the third quarter.

But it was all Miami from there on in as the Heat netted 12 straight points to come away with a comfortable win.

Two bright spots for Philly, who have continuously shone in these first few games, are Thaddeus Young and Elton Brand.

Young followed up his good performance against the Kings with a solid 19 point return, whilst Brand picked up a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Louis Williams (16) and Andre Miller (11) also made double figures.

However no-one could make up for some terrible shooting by the team as a whole, Philly shooting 37.5% from the floor during the evening.

The usually reliable Andre Iguodala was particularly disappointing, going just 1-7 with only two points.

At least the 76ers will immediately have the chance to redeem themselves, albeit in a very difficult environment, as they stay in Florida tonight to take on the Magic.

Sixers return to .500 as they dethrone the Kings

Kings 91 - 125 Sixers

Unlike Saturday when the 76ers blew a big lead in Atlanta, Philly returned home and got the job done, blowing away the Sacramento Kings.

The Sixers may have allowed the Hawks to come back from 23 points down at the weekend, but last night they jumped in front early and stayed there, expanding their lead as the game went on.

40 points in the paint in the first half, saw the Sixers build a 68-48 lead at the break.

Thereafter it was downtown shooting that developed the Philly advantage, with the Sixers going 7-9 from 3 point range in the second half to dominate the Kings and ensure there was no rally.

The 76ers shot 76.9% from beyond the arc and 59.2% overall throughout the game, led by 18 points from forward Thaddeus Young.

Guard Louis Williams racked up 17 points but the Sixers got production from all areas.

Starters Elton Brand (15), Andre Iguodala (10), Andre Miller (12) all reached double figures, whilst Willie Green (16), Kareem Rush (10) and Donyell Marshall (12) did the same off the bench.

Former Sixer John Salmons got 11 points for the Kings on his return to the Wachovia Centre, but the Kings looked tired and rarely threatened to change the tone of the game.

For them the loss marked the end of a demoralising 0-4 road-trip to start the season.

The win takes Philly back to .500 at 2-2 on the year and should give the team some added confidence, as they roll into Florida to face the Heat and the Magic on Wednesday and Thursday.

Eagles and McNabb gun down Seahawks

Eagles 26 - 7 Seahawks

As promised, quarterback Donovan McNabb came up big in Seattle, racking up 349 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception as the Eagles (5-3) dominated the Seahawks (2-6) at Qwest Field.

McNabb and the Philly offence started slowly, going 3-and-out on four of their first five possessions.

The other was a promising drive as the Eagles marched 72 yards into the Seahawks red zone...before McNabb was picked off by Seattle strong safety Deon Grant.

By contrast Seneca Wallace got the hosts on the board with their very first play! The Seahawks quarterback connected with wide receiver Koren Robinson for a 90 yard score, with less than two minutes on the clock.

However the Eagles defence was stifling for the rest of the night, forcing Seattle to punt on every possession and only allowing the Seahawks offence to enter their half of the field three times.

Philly's D only gave up 233 total yards and also picked up four sacks.

McNabb and his receivers finally came to life in the 2nd quarter, with back-up tight end Brent Celek (in for the injured L.J. Smith) the pick of the bunch.

Celek ended up with a career high 131 receiving yards and he produced some big catches on both of the Eagles touchdown drives.

The first ended with a 22 yard pass from McNabb to Reggie Brown, before guard Todd Herremans made a surprise appearance on the score sheet.

With under a minute to go in the half, Herremans checked in as an unorthodox tight end and converted the one yard pass from McNabb, giving Philly a 14-7 lead at half-time.

The Eagles offence continued to dominate in the second half, scoring on every possession bar their last, yet worryingly all of these were David Akers field goals.

Despite moving the ball down the field at will, Philly stalled every time they got in and around the red zone, something they will have to correct if they are to stand a chance next week against the Giants.

Akers was a perfect 4/4 on the night but the Eagles inability to convert their chances into touchdowns and put the game away, could have told against stronger opposition.

Brian Westbrook had a quiet night on the ground for the Eagles but his 61 yards on 20 carries were crucial in keeping the Seahawks defence honest.

Receiver Kevin Curtis seems to have grown in confidence every week since his return from injury.

He made some nice plays, catching six passes for 83 yards and is starting to look like the 1,000+ yard guy he was last year.

Philly's third straight win coupled with New York's crushing defeat of Dallas, means the Eagles move ahead of the Cowboys and off the bottom of the NFC East.

The Eagles remain just one game back from Washington (6-2), who host the Steelers on Monday night and two games back from the NY Giants (7-1).

A home win over the Giants next weekend would go a long way to proving the Eagles' playoff credentials, but to do so they need to address their red zone/short yardage issues.

Otherwise they will come up wanting!

Flyers win streak ended at 4

Oilers 5 - 4 Flyers

The NHL season is still young but already the Flyers have experienced some highs and lows in their first 11 games.

Philly were win-less through their first six games (0-3-3), before back to back wins over divisional rivals the New Jersey Devils sparked a run of four wins on the bounce.

Edmonton made sure that streak didn't reach five, holding off a late rally by the Flyers to win 5-4 at the Wachovia Centre.

The Oilers Eric Cole opened the scoring mid-way through the 1st period before a Mike Knuble power play goal levelled the scores two minutes later.

Two Ales Hemsky scores saw Edmonton regain the lead and despite a second power play goal, this time from Braydon Coburn, the Oilers extended their lead to 5-2 in the 2nd period.

Philly were hot on the power play all day (going 3-6) and Jeff Carter benefited late in the second; the center extended his scoring streak to seven goals in seven games to give the Flyers hope.

Left wing Simon Gagne pulled the Flyers within one with just 20 seconds gone in the third, but Philly's rally ended there.

Scott Hartnell came the closest to a Philly equaliser but his breakaway shot was well saved by Dwayne Roloson, ensuring that the visitors ended a five game skid of their own.

It's impossible to see the direction of the Flyers season so early on, but they are already 10 points off the high pace set by the New York Rangers.

At least they have a few days to recover before traveling to Canada to take on a an on form Ottawa Senators side on Thursday night.

Eagles head into Seattle for must-win game against battered Seahawks

Another Sunday, another must-win game for the Eagles!

Despite two wins on the bounce against San Fran and Atlanta, Philly (4-3) still sit bottom of the tough NFC East.

But this week the Eagles have the chance to make up some ground as they travel to Seattle, with their divisional rivals Dallas and the Giants squaring off and the Redskins hosting Pittsburgh on Monday night.

Last Sunday against the Falcons, the Eagles once again looked like a force to be reckoned with.

The return to fitness of Brian Westbrook was no coincidence, with the Philly back rushing for a career high 167 yards and two touchdowns, gaining over 200 total yards from scrimmage.

Westbrook will be key again tonight, but just as key will be McNabb and the Eagles passing game, as they take on a Seahawks D ranked 30th against the pass.

With Kevin Curtis seeing more game time over the last few weeks and fellow wide receivers Reggie Brown Jackson fit to go, the Eagles should be able to rack up some yardage through the air.

But Philadelphia do have some key offensive players missing.

Despite training earlier in the week, tight end L.J. Smith will miss the game with concussion, caused by the massive hit laid on him by the Falcons' Lawyer Milloy. Brent Celek will deputise.

Guard Shawn Andrews continues to be absent with back problems (although Max Jean-Gilles has done well in his place), whilst receiver Jason Avant is questionable with a troublesome 'trap muscle' (runs from your neck to your shoulder- don't worry I had no idea where it was either!!)

Despite these omissions the Eagles are relatively healthy, which is more than can be said for their hosts.

The Seahawks (2-5) have been banged up all year long and they have injuries across the board going into tonight's game.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, defensive end Patrick Kerney, wide receiver Deion Branch and tight end Will Heller all miss out, while linebacker Lofa Tatupu and fullback Leonard Weaver are both questionable.

Seneca Wallace will start in place of Hasselbeck for the third straight game, after gaining confidence last week against a poor 49ers outfit.

Wallace threw for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns but the week before he struggled against a much better defence in the form of Tampa Bay, throwing two interceptions and only gaining 73 yards.

If the Eagles can take away the run as they did against Atlanta and force Wallace to throw the ball, there could be turnovers and sacks aplenty for the Philly D.

At the end of the day a win is all that matters for the Eagles, especially with the visit of the 6-1 Giants looming large!