Philly Sports Today

While Wing Bowl 17 was the highlight of the Philadelphia sports calendar on Friday, the Flyers and Sixers gave Philly fans something else to cheer about as both Wachovia Center residents were victorious. Despite the fact that the Flyers were badly outshot and had to kill off nine Tampa Bay power plays, you certainly couldn’t tell by looking at the final score. The Flyers made the most of their scoring opportunities and rolled to a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the other side, the Sixers didn’t play their best basketball, but they also didn’t play a good team. The Sixers jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and held on for a 104-94 win over the Washington Wizards.

Let’s start with the Flyers, who absolutely exploded offensively in the second and third periods. During the first period, Tampa outshot Philly 16-10, but it only wound up being 1-1 on the scoreboard. Mike Richards scored the opening goal of the night, but former Flyer Vaclav Prospal converted a power play goal to tie the game at 1-1. The Flyers took control of the game in the second period when Randy Jones netted a power play goal and Richards once again rattled the cage to push Philly’s lead to 3-1. The third period was when it got really ugly. The Lightning outshot the Flyers 15-11, but couldn’t get one past Antero Niittymaki. Meanwhile, the Flyers were wearing out the red light. Scott Hartnell scored his 18th goal of the year sandwiched between Jeff Carter’s 31st and 32nd goals.

Niittymaki was brilliant in net, stopping 41 of Tampa’s 42 shots. However, Tampa goalie Mike Smith had a very rough night and only turned away 24 of the 30 shots that he faced.

After a rough start to the second half of the year, it was nice to see them bounce back with a blowout win. However, getting outshot by a bad team and allowing nine power plays is very unnerving for the prospects of a playoff run. They still need to figure out how to correct both of those major flaws.

There’s no rest for the weary as the Flyers return to the ice tonight when they hit the road to take on the St. Louis Blues.

Let’s Go Flyers!

Now onto the Sixers, who were kind of lucky that they didn’t blow their game against Washington last night because they didn’t play particularly well except in the first quarter where they took a 32-17 lead before allowing the Wizards to cut it to only 4 points heading into the fourth quarter. However, the Sixers did enough in the final frame to preserve a 104-94 win.

Andre Iguodala once again paced the Sixers with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Willie Green finally played well and gave me a reason to mention him again by scoring a season-high 20 points and dishing out 5 assists. Thaddeus Young was also pretty solid with 18 points and 9 boards, while Andre Miller did a little bit of everything (6 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds). Louis Williams continued to provide a scoring punch off the bench with 14 points to go along with 7 assists and 2 blocks. Elton Brand also came off the bench for the fourth consecutive game. Brand had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Marreese Speights (8 points and 2 boards), Reggie Evans (3 points and 7 rebounds), and Royal Ivey (6 points) all played limited minutes, but still were nice contributors. On the injury front, Samuel Dalembert sprained his ankle late in the first half, but still wound up playing tonight against New Jersey.

Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with a monster 25 point, 15 rebound performance. Caron Butler also had a solid night with 20 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Dominic McGuire scored a career-high 16 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Off the bench, Javaris Crittenton played his best game of the season was Washington’s only real contributor off the bench. Crittenton poured in a season-high 15 points while collecting 7 dimes, 4 boards, and 2 swipes. Other than that, the Wiz didn’t really get much from anyone else on their roster.

With the win the Sixers moved one game above .500 for the first time since November 23rd. The Sixers will look to improve their record to two games above .500 for the first time all season when they host the New Jersey Nets. It should be a good one.

Go Sixers!

It only took 30 minutes and 203 chicken wings to make “Super Squibb,” a.k.a Jonathan Squibb to the rest of the world, a Philadelphia legend. The 23-year-old Berlin, New Jersey resident entered Wing Bowl 17 with 9-1 odds of winning the event, which were 14th best out of the 27-eater field. By the end of the 30-minute competition, Super Squibb had run away with the crown. For his tremendous eating exploits, Super Squibb won a 2009 Mini Clubman, a $7,500 diamond Wing Bowl 17 championship ring, and most importantly, a crown decorated with miniature chickens. Not a bad haul for eating insane amounts of chicken wings on the Friday morning before the Super Bowl.

It’s also incredible that Squibb took home the title after originally failing to qualify. He originally failed to complete his qualifying stunt of eating six pounds of cottage cheese because he was asked to come in immediately due to time slot logistics instead of having the usual one week to prepare. Fortunately, Squibb was given another shot to pursue greatness, and with the one week preparation time, he finished off six pounds of cottage cheese in under 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The rest is history.

For those of you that unfortunately have never experienced Wing Bowl, think of it as Mardi Gras, but with a bunch of guys eating chicken wings, 20,000 Philadelphia Eagles fans and countless strippers. It’s debauchery at its finest. The eating portion of the even consists of two 14-minute segments followed by a two-minute final sprint with the scores carrying over to each round. After the first 14-minute round, the contestant pool is whittled down to the top 10 eaters. After the second 14-minute round, only the top five eaters advance. Then there is a two-minute lightning round and whoever has eaten the most wings is the champion. Additionally, contestants are disqualified if they vomit. If you heave, you leave. Unlike the previous five Wing Bowls, which featured professional eaters, Wing Bowl 17 was only open to amateur eaters from the Philadelphia-area. Personally, I thought this year’s installment was the most entertaining Wing Bowl since Wing Bowl 13.

After the first round, the race was extremely tight. Super Squibb led with 103 wings, but Hank the Tank was a close second with 100 wings, with Not Rich (98 wings), Officer Beast (90 wings), and Frank De Fraud also in striking distance. However, pre-competition favorites Damaging Doug, Gentleman Jerry, Chicken Caesar, Dan the Prop, Pot Pie the Sailor Man, Arson Arnie, and The Eating Machine all failed to advance. Hank the Tank was the only competitor that Angelo Cataldi and Co. expected to reach the second 14 minute period.

However, Super Squibb blew away the competition with a phenomenal second round that ran his total up to 195 wings and essentially secured the Wing Bowl title. His closest challenger, Not Rich, had only devoured 173 wings. Hank the Tank (145 wings), Da Disposal (141 wings), and Cadillac Corrigan (129 wings) had no shot of catching Not Rich, let alone making any sort of run at Super Squibb. The highlight of round 2 was when both Obi Wing and Officer Beast both puked and were subsequently eliminated from competition.

After the final two minutes, Super Squibb had secured his place in history. He had inhaled 203 wings, which was 23 more than Not Rich, 50 more than both Hank the Tank and Da Disposal, and 71 more than Cadillac Corrigan. If there was a Mount Rushmore plus one for Wing Bowl, Super Squibb’s performance would put him up there in the company of legends like five-time Wing Bowl champion (Wing Bowls 7, 9, 10, 11, 13) and Wing Bowl Hall of Famer Bill “El Wingador” Simmons, three-time champion (Wing Bowls 14, 15, 16) Joey Chestnut, two-time champion (Wing Bowls 2 and 3) Kevin “Heavy Keavy” O’Donnell, and the winner of the first Wing Bowl Carmen “The Beast From the East” Cordero.

While it wasn’t the closest finish, it was more exciting than watching Joey Chestnut cruise to three straight dominating wins where nobody else even had a shot. Super Squibb also became the fourth man ever to break the 200 wing plateau. Chestnut (241), Patrick Bertoletti (227), and five-time Wing Bowl champion and Wing Bowl Hall of Famer Bill “El Wingador” Simmons (205) each eclipsed the magical mark at Wing Bowl 16. I’m definitely looking forward to the next year’s showdown between Chestnut and Squibb. Although, as good as Squibb is, I’m not sure if he’ll be able to hang with Chestnut or even Bertoletti.

However, it’s not all about the eating. Wing Bowl is also known for its pagentry. Each contestant has his own float and entourage than accompany him on a lap around the rink prior to taking the stage for competition. Like every year, some floats stand out more than others. One eater, Below Me, had a relatively simple float that consisted of him sitting at a table with two Wingettes (a.k.a. strippers) and a sign above him that said “Below Me.” What made his entrance fantastic was the fact that there were inflatable women attached to the sign and that he and his entourage threw the sex toys into the crowd. Then there was the Eating Machine, who came in on top of a giant box with two strippers and a midget. He then proceeded to pop out of the box wearing only underwear, which he subsequently took off. As a result, the only thing that kept the Eating Machine modest was a strategically placed sock. There was also a contestant named the Acidic Jew, who was dressed as a Hasidic Jew and came out reading prayers. The contestant who won the award for best float and entourage was Gentleman Jerry. His float was dedicated to the Spectrum and also featured all of the great Philadelphia teams. Gentleman Jerry, who has now won the award for best float and entourage three times, was also dressed as Kate Smith while riding a replica of the Spectrum. Only in Philadelphia.

There were also a few celebrity sightings at Wing Bowl 17. Eagles’ fullback Kyle Eckel and former Middleweight champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins were hanging out in the Pink Vodka Box. New Orleans Saints offensive lineman and Philadelphia native Jahri Evans and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery (i.e. the judge who presided over the constitutionally questionable court that was convened in the basement of Veterans Stadium during Philadelphia Eagles games) were also in attendance. Toastee from VH1’s “Flavor of Love 2″ and “I Love Money” was a Wingette. Finally, the Phillies’ World Series Trophy was in the house and probably received the loudest applause, excluding the occasions that various women flashed the mostly male crowd.

At this point, it seems apparent that a new era of consumption at Wing Bowl is upon us. From here on out, it’s pretty clear that if you want to win Wing Bowl, you’re going to need to polish off at least 200 wings. Gluttony is very much alive and well in the City of Brotherly Love.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, Tracy McGrady drilled a three-pointer that gave the Houston Rockets a 14-point lead and appeared to be the final nail in the Sixers’ coffin. However, for some reason, the players didn’t get that memo. Louis Williams sparked Philly’s turnaround when when he connected with rookie Marreese Speights for an alley-oop dunk that led to a quick 6-0 run. Just like that, the Sixers were back in the game. Andre Iguodala was cold-blooded down the stretch, drilling two crucial jumpers in the final 2:15 of the game, including the game-winner, and Samuel Dalembert blocked McGrady’s potential game-tying shot as the Sixers escaped Houston with a 95-93 win.

Iguodala paced the offense for Philly with 20 points and 3 rebounds, while Andre Miller had a steady night with 16 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Dalembert, who had 6 points, 14 boards and 3 steals, was decent despite being matched up one-on-one with Yao Ming for much of the night. The Sixers also received major contributions off the bench, led by Williams poured in 17 points with 6 dimes, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Elton Brand had his best performance since returning from a dislocated right shoulder, scoring 14 points and hauling in 7 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. Brand served as the MC for Philly’s block party by accounting for 6 of the team’s 14 swats. Dalembert recorded four blocks, while Iguodala, Miller, Speights, and Royal Ivey each had one.

McGrady led the Rockets with a game-high 24 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block. Luis Scola picked up a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. Yao was pretty well neutralized by Sammy D and only had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Rafer “Skip to my Lou” Alston contributed 8 points and 9 dimes, while Ron Artest and Carl Landry each scored 9 points off the bench.

With the win, the Sixers are 9-2 in their last 11 games after going 1-6 during a seven-game stretch from late December to early January. Philly has won four straight games over Houston for the first time since their five-game win streak from 1982-1985. It was pretty impressive that the Sixers actually out-rebounded Houston 48-40 and out-blocked the Rockets 14-2. I’m sure that both of those stat differentials were a big reason that Philly was able to overcome a dreadful 1-for-12 shooting night from beyond the arc.

The Sixers will tip-off a seven-game home stand tomorrow night when the host the worst team in the NBA, also known as the 9-36 Washington Wizards. Philly has won the two prior meetings between the teams, including a 104-89 win on December 13th and a 109-103 win on December 19th.

Go Sixers!

For about a week or so, the Flyers kept talking about how important it was for them to get off to a good start to the second half of the season. Last year, the Flyers struggled mightily after the break, which included a February stretch of ten consecutive defeats, and wound up making the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. This year, things were supposed to be different. Unfortunately, it looks like there could be another second half swoon in store for the Flyers. Philly outplayed Florida for much of the night, but that wound up being negated by several penalties, including a controversial call against Kimmo Timonen that resulted in Mike Richards’ potential game-tying goal being disallowed. As a result, an inferior Florida Panthers team scored a 3-2 win and the Flyers slipped farther behind both the Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey Devils and the second-place New York Rangers.

Philly struck first in the opening period when Simon Gagne netted his 20th goal of the season, but Florida’s Bryan McCabe provided the equalizer less than four minutes later to tie the game at 1-1 after one. The Panthers took the lead in the second when rookie Michael Frolik notched his 10th goal and David Booth’s power play goal roughly four minutes later gave Florida a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. Philly cut their deficit in half early in the third period when Claude Giroux lit the lamp for the first time in his NHL career and swung the momentum in the Flyers’ favor. Shortly thereafter, Richards’s goal was disallowed on a very sketchy interference call on Timonen. The Finnish defenseman backed into Keith Ballard, who should receive an Oscar nomination for his dive, just as Randy Jones was setting up Richards for a one-timer. The result was no goal and two minutes in the sin bin for Kimmo. The Flyers had numerous chances throughout the third, including a power play for the final 1:23 of the game, but they could never score the tying goal as Florida held on for a 3-2 victory.

Martin Biron was average in net, making 24 saves. His counterpart Tomas Vokoun turned away 33 of Philly’s 35 shots. Well, it really should have only been 32 saves. The refs should get credit for one of those stops since they’re the only people who could have prevented Richards’s one-timer from rattling the cage.

Another disheartening fact about the Flyers is their terrible penalty differential. While the Flyers have had 174 power play opportunities this year, they have been shorthanded a league-leading 238 times for a differential of 64. Against Florida, the Fly Guys had three power plays, but were shorthanded five times. Something has got to change if the Flyers want to be serious Stanley Cup contenders. Committing tons of penalties is not going to help Philly get another parade down Broad Street.

The Flyers will hopefully pick up their first points of the second half on Friday when they travel to Tampa Bay. The Lightning have won two of the previous three regular season meetings, including a 4-1 win in Tampa on January 15th. With any luck, the Flyers will be able to earn a split in their season series against the Lightning, which is still kind of pathetic since Tampa is far from a playoff-caliber team.

Let’s Go Flyers!

For the first 24 minutes of their game against the New Orleans Hornets, the Sixers played some pretty good basketball. It was the other 24 minutes of the game that left something to be desired. Philly led 47-40 at halftime, but the second half was all about the Hornets, who out-scored the Sixers 61-39, as they cruised to a 101-86 victory. New Orleans looked like a different team in the second half. They started the third quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 50-47 lead, and led almost the entire way after that. Despite the fact that Tyson Chandler and David West were out with injuries, Nawlins essentially dominated the Sixers. You’d think that the Sixers would be able to take advantage of N.O.’s injuries, but the Hornets made up for their lack of size in the front court by sniping 14 treys. It would have been nice if Philly could have picked up this win, but whaddaya gonna do?

Chris Paul was essentially a one-man show for the Hornets, scoring a game-high 27 points to go along with 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and 7 steals. The best point guard on the planet flirted with a quadruple-double, but only wound up with a measly triple-double. In fact, Paul led the Hornets in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. Pretty good for a six-footer. Peja Stojakovic poured in 26 points on six three-pointers, while Rasual Butler and James Posey each chipped in 13 points.

For the Sixers, Thaddeus Young led the team with 22 points. The Andres continue to do it all for the team with Iguodala contributing 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a block, while Miller added 19 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Samuel Dalembert had a decent game with 8 points, 12 boards, and 2 blocks, but he is still definitely an underachiever. While most of the bench was utterly useless, Louis Williams had a nice night with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block. The only other Sixer to score off the bench was Reggie Evans, who netted four points. Elton Brand, Royal Ivey, and Marreese Speights combined for 0 points in about 33 total minutes of game time. That’s definitely the opposite of efficient.

The Sixers stay in the Southwest Division tomorrow night when they travel to the Houston Rockets. Philly actually got the better of an undermanned Houston team about three weeks ago, but the Rockets should be at full strength for the re-match. Hopefully, another win is in the forecast for the Sixers.

Go Sixers!