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New Eagles season officially begins...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

The Eagles get a 2-week jump on most of their competition on Monday morning, April 1, as the league allows a brand new head coach to assemble his team earlier than most---call it a mulligan--- and begin "discussions" with his veteran players. They also get an extra minicamp series of team practice from April 16-18, which technically is "voluntary" but you know as a player you'd better be there.

Maybe it's less of a head start than a "catch-up" opportunity for Chip Kelly and the Eagles--- but here's hoping Kelly and his staff make the most of it.

Here's how the rest of OTA's and minicamps are scheduled:

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
First Day: April 1
"Bonus" Voluntary Minicamp: April 16-18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 13-15, May 20-22, May 28-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6

One player who won't be at the team meeting on April 1 is Darryl Tapp. He just signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins for the veteran's minimum at his position.

 

 

 

 


Tapp was one of my fave Eagles, and one of Broz' Boys from Virginia Tech, but this move doesn't surprise me. It makes sense that he signed with the Redskins where he can fill a role and be closer to his home.

It's a bit of a shame because Tapp is a good guy who voluntarily took a $2.25 million cut in pay to stay with the Eagles last season.

Tapp still has game, but technically he is a defensive end in a 4-3 set. Whatever the new Eagles defense turns out to be, it will require a prototypical big run-stopping kind of DE on a 3-man front. Tapp is more of a pass-rushing DE who also has to set the edge on the outside.

Mike Jones of the Washington Post broke the story on Tapp this past Thursday. He wrote:

"A seven-year veteran out of Virginia Tech, Tapp spent the first four seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks and played the last three years in Philadelphia. Last season he appeared in 13 games, recording 17 tackles and half a sack."

"At 6-foot-1, 270 pounds, Tapp doesn’t fit the mold of the bigger-bodied 3-4 defensive end, so he likely will have to switch to outside linebacker in Washington’s system. The Redskins have Pro Bowl bookends Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan as their starters at right and left outside linebacker, respectively, so Tapp likely would be used as a reserve."

He could be an insurance policy for the Redskins, who were without Orakpo for most of  last season, and likely will be without backup outside linebacker Rob Jackson for the first four games of the 2013 season. Jackson was suspended after he tested positive for a banned substance.

Shortly before news of his deal with Washington broke, Tapp, a 28-year-old Portsmouth, Va., native, tweeted: “some times [you] just gotta go home.”

Of course all of this analysis begs the question why Tapp could not have also switched to outside LB for the Birds? My guess is they just don't want to pay him for a reserve role when they have guys like Trent Cole and Brandon Graham and Vin Curry in the same transitional position.

The curious case of Momah the Magnificent...

Most of you already know that the Eagles just executed what amounts to an extra draft pick by signing a free agent who was undrafted from 2011...

After spending the 2012 season out of football, 6-7 wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah worked out earlier this month with 11 of his former teammates and apparently did enough to impress the Eagles, who announced Saturday that they had signed the 235-pound Momah to a three-year contract.

Due to two (2) ACL tears, Momah only accumulated 39 catches in his college career to go with 629 yards and six touchdowns -- he also played some defensive end while at BC -- but the Eagles evidently have seen potential in him, making Momah the 13th receiver on their roster.

I don't want to get too excited about this prospect.  "IF HE ANY GOOD" Momah can stick around as a PS8 project.  But New Orleans was ready to make him an offer, too. That tells me sumlin. It also explains why Momah got a 3-year contract instead of the more traditional 2-year deal. I'm sure the guaranteed money is minimal, probably in the $45,000 range, as Momah will basically be paid to attend minicamps and training camp.

But what intrigues me about Momah (besides his character and willpower to persist through setback) is what his size and speed (4.42 in the '40) translates to on film. As a passing target he fills a different dimension.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


Hard not to root for the guy...and the Eagles..when you see that kind of size and height differential in a receiver, especially in a league where most linebackers and defensive backs are on average 5-10 in height.

This is a case where Chip Kelly looked at him, Howie Roseman looked at him, and Momah's old defensive coach from BC Bill McGovern (now Eagles OLB coordinator) looked at him... If all three signed off on Momah and his bill of health, then who am I to doubt the chances of this kid?

Here's a link to some nice film study of Eagles' new OLB Connor Barwin....

Jimmy Kempski is all over Connor Barwin in this nice little pictorial analysis:  http://blogs.mcall.com/eagles/2013/03/charting-all-of-connor-barwins-2011-sacks.html

Barwin had 11.5 sacks for the Texans. In 2012, he had 3. The dip in production can be explained any number of different ways. For example, did the Texans ask him to play differently? Was he required to bump the TE before getting into his pass rush? Was he dropping into coverage more often? Kempski gives you the answer---warning--there are a LOT of still photos!

Trout Season is here!

It's always a sign of hope and rebirth for me when Trout Season arrives in Pennsylvania and Maryland...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Ian Resig, 8, of Camp Hill, shows off his catch from Clarks Creek. (Anne Danahy/PennLive.com)

I was over in Camp Hill, PA. this weekend for the annual opening of Trout Season. It didn’t take long for the first catch of the day – along with the first tangled line - among the young fishermen lining the 7/10-of-a-mile stretch of Clarks Creek which is reserved for kids and for folks with disabilities.

I didn't catch anything further downstream where the adults were casting their lines. And it was colder than usual this time of year. But I had a blast watching kids making their first catch...Look at the pride in that boy's face. The palomino trout's not too happy about the situation, though...but he perked up when the boy released him. 

Palomino trout and any river trout over 10 inches is legal take-home eating fish in Pennsylvania. Hmmm, wonder if Brizer has a good trout recipe?

 

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We will miss Stanley Havili...just not his big plays...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

This is one of those spring cleaning days, and a quick review of seemingly small-impact Eagles developments is in order...

I for one will miss Stanley Havili. He's a smart high-character guy who has a ton of football ability. I think he will blossom in a system that wants a traditional blocking fullback who can also carry the ball and catch outlet passes.

 

 

 

 


He didn't leave us with too many "big plays" to miss, however, because he got buried in the Eagles offensive system last year. Even though I remember his name being called a lot in the 15 games in which he played, it was an illusion in my head that he was getting more and more involved in the offense. Probably most of those "Havili" calls I heard were for a good block or a play on special teams.

Howie Roseman and the Eagles acquired defensive end Clifton Geathers on Thursday from the Colts in exchange for Havili.

Havili played in 232 offensive snaps last season with the Eagles. He appeared in 15 games with two starts and had just six carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. Havili also caught seven passes for 43 yards.

It seemed like more to me because I fell in love with his potential. But the Eagles' seventh-round pick in 2011 out of USC didn't figure to fit into Chip Kelly's new offense. The belief is that Kelly will run a lot of four-receiver sets and even use running backs LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in the backfield together.  The newly acquired James Casey also played fullback last season and is expected to serve in an H-back-type capacity.

J. Woods is probably taking gas over this trade, as he was dreaming of the Eagles going to more of a traditional stacked running set with a power blocking fullback in the mix. Well, that's not going to happen this season in Philly.

It will be another reason to watch the Colts on TV this fall to see how they incorporate Havili into Andrew Luck's offense. Indy's GM Ryan Grigson worked with Howie Roseman here in Philly when Havili was drafted, and Grigson knows exactly what he's getting with this trade.

Grigson didn't have to give up much for Havili, either.

 

 

 

 


Geathers (6-7, 325) played in eight games last season for the Colts, recording five tackles and a sack. He logged just 152 snaps.  The 25-year-old Geathers has already bounced around the league. A sixth-round draft pick by the Browns in 2010, he's played for the Browns, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cowboys and Colts in his first three years in the league.

Geathers comes from a football family. His brother Robert is on the Bengals and his father and uncle also were NFL players.

Geathers projects as a five-technique defensive end in the Eagles' new 3-4 defense. Currently the Eagles have Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton slotted as starters at end. They had been on the lookout for additional bodies at the position in free agency, but failed to land both Desmond Bryant and Ricky Jean-Francois.

Big "camp body"... my guess is he will stick around for roster depth...if he is motivated to know his role and work hard enough to impress his new coaches.

Meanwhile the quest continues to evaluate the best defensive end prospects in the upcoming Draft.

With Florida's Sharrif Floyd already on their private workout schedule, the Eagles have reportedly set a date with Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, a genetic-freak type defensive end from Utah. Ziggy, 6-5, 271 lbs, is projected to be a top-ten pick this year. It is not known when Ansah will be coming to the NovaCare Complex for the workout, but when he does, it will not be the first time the Eagles will have seen him up close.

 

 

 

 


Ziggy is from royal blood...

Jerry Azzinaro, the Eagles' defensive line coach, attended BYU's Pro-Day earlier this month. The fact that Azzinaro went would seem to indicate that the Eagles view Ansah as a defensive lineman, and not a linebacker in their new 3-4 defense. Ansah had one of the more remarkable stories at the NFL combine when he ran a 4.56 40-yard dash without even training. His combination of size and potential makes him one of the top prospects in the draft.

The problem with Ziggy is that he's still a raw talent and new to the sport.

While he did record 4.5 sacks last season at Utah to go along with 62 tackles, it was his first full season as a starter on a football team. Ansah arrived at BYU in 2008, and after two failed attempts to make the basketball team, he decided to give football a try. According to NFL.com, Ansah was originally worried about the contact in the game because his body, as he described it, is a "delicate flower."

This is a term we have often heard our prolific poster PPW use in describing his own body, too.

Due to his lack of experience, drafting Ziggy with the No. 4 overall pick would have to be considered a pretty big risk by the Eagles. It could also be fair to wonder how much passion he has for a game that he just started to play two years ago. While it is a nice story that Ansah decided to study for his classes instead of prepare for the combine, you have to wonder if that is a major red flag re. his motivation to excel in the NFL. I hate to think that way, as I believe it is extremely advantageous to have bona-fide scholar-athletes on a roster.

I'm a little more worried about the "delicate flower" thingie...

Oh great--- new uniform numbers to memorize...

Just when you think you know every number on the roster, they change it...

Dennis Dixon - 3
Most Recent #3: Mike Kafka
Notable #3: Mark Moseley (won '82 NFL MVP with Redskins)

G.J. Kinne - 4
Most Recent #4: Kevin Kolb
Notable #4: Mike McMahon

Donnie Jones - 8
Most Recent #8: Chas Henry
Notable #8: Brad Goebel/Luis Zendejas

Arrelious Benn - 17
Most Recent #17: Lenny Calicchio
Notable #17: Harold Carmichael

Kenny Phillips - 21
Most Recent #21: David Sims
Notable #21: Eric Allen/Bobby Taylor

Patrick Chung - 23
Most Recent #23: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Notable #23: Troy Vincent

Bradley Fletcher - 24
Most Recent #24: Nnamdi Asomugha
Notable #24: Sheldon Brown

Cary Williams - 26
Most Recent #26: Jaiquawm Jarrett
Notable #26: Lito Sheppard

David Sims - 43
Most Recent #43: Leonard Weaver
Notable #43: Roynell Young

Jason Phillips - 52
Most Recent #52: Brian Rolle
Notable #52: Wayne Robinson

Brandon Graham - 55
Most Recent #55: Darryl Tapp
Notable #55: Maxie Baughan

James Casey - 85
Most Recent #85: Darnerien McCants
Notable #85: Ron Johnson/Na Brown

Isaac Sopoaga - 97
Most Recent #97: Cullen Jenkins
Notable #97: Darwin Walker

Connor Barwin - 98
Most Recent #98: Mike Patterson
Notable #98: Mike Ditka

Have a peaceful and safe Passover and Easter....

 

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Mystique of "One Draft Away" for Eagles...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

It's getting more tempting every day, this notion that the Eagles are really just one good draft away from reclaiming the crown in the NFC East.

Give credit to new head coach Kelly and to the Eagles front office for a lot of the good feelings they've created around this team. The organizational mood is upbeat. The hirings of assistant coaches and the acquisitions of high-value free agents have been smooth transactions.

But "one good draft" turning the tide in 2013 ? It's possible, it's believable, but it better be one hella good draft to sustain the mystique.

The reality is it usually takes about 3 seasons for a good draft class to assert its full impact upon a team's power rating in a division.

But some gifted individual players can and do make immediate impact upon their position groups in their rookie seasons. We see examples of this every year. It's just very rare to experience 3, 4, 5 or 6 rookies from the same class turning an entire team around---especially a team that was 4-12 last year.

But I'm not here to curb anyone's enthusiasm. Dan Graziano and Matt Williamson of ESPN.com in fact are encouraging discussion among Eagles fans about the mystique of being "one good draft away".

Williamson has a post up in which he identifies five NFL teams that could be one good draft away Insider from contention, and among those five is the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt cites improvements in the secondary, ample existing talent in the defensive front seven and the fact that it doesn't take that great a W-L record to win the NFC East these days as reasons Philadelphia could turn things around quickly:

"While there is much change going on in Philadelphia, they have fantastic draft assets and really not many glaring needs considering where their draft position is. The Eagles should truly be able to often select the best player on their board rather than picking for positional needs. There isn't a powerhouse in the NFC East, and if the draft goes well -- which it really should -- the Eagles might just finish the 2013 season atop their division."

Graziano then brings things a little more down to earth with his worries over the QB situation and the novelty of Kelly's offense being too difficult for his team to master in its very first year of installation.

But I like the part where Williamson believes the Eagles can go for the best players available rather than reach for positional needs. This plays right into JB-Sage-Lion's "Cornerstone Draft Theory" and GK Brizer's "mBPA Theory".

It also means Star Lotulelei is very much in play if the Eagles stick with their Top 4 pick position.

 

 

 

 

 


In the middle of the Eagles' defense, Utah's Star Lotulelei would be a mobile, athletic 311-pounder who could play at nose tackle and/or defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. Lotulelei was not able to work out at the NFL combine because of a fatigue/dehydration-related heart condition, but downplayed those concerns last week with a big performance at his Pro Day.

That's the kind of big impact player you wish and hope could be an immediate force in 2013. The guy reminds me of Haloti Ngata back in 2006 when Ngata was a rookie. Ngata immediately made his team better. My point is, if the Eagles can land just one "Haloti Ngata" caliber player in the 2013 Draft, they will be a big step closer to taking back the NFC East.

But asking for multiple hits of the quality I'm describing is pure greed and wishful thinking.

The primal derivation of the Deacon Jones Head Slap...

I hope this footage shows up okay here. I apologize if you have already seen it.

Penguin slap

I'm going to be tired of watching this ancient football tactic someday...but not for awhile.

 

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Eagles player salaries for 2013...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

It's tax time in America, and what better opportunity to figure out the Eagles' current payroll tax liabilities...

Who's now the highest paid player on the Eagles? And with the biggest tax liability?...

If you answered Jason Peters, you are correct!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Contract Terms Avg. Salary Guaranteed Free Agent
Jason Peters at Tackle 6 yr/$60,657,000 $10,109,500 $25,000,000 2015
Trent Cole at Defensive End 6 yr/$59,300,000 $9,883,333 $14,500,000 2018
DeMeco Ryans at Linebacker 6 yr/$48,000,000 $8,000,000 $21,750,000 2016
DeSean Jackson at Wide Receiver 5 yr/$47,000,000 $9,400,000 $15,000,000 2017
LeSean McCoy at Running Back 6 yr/$45,615,000 $7,602,500 $20,765,000 2018
Connor Barwin at Defensive End 6 yr/$36,000,000 $6,000,000 $8,000,000 2019
Brent Celek at Tight End 8 yr/$34,010,000 $4,251,250 $11,000,000 2017
Todd Herremans at Tackle 5 yr/$27,100,000 $5,420,000 $11,000,000 2017
Evan Mathis at Guard 5 yr/$25,000,000 $5,000,000 $7,000,000 2017
Brandon Graham at Defensive End 5 yr/$21,925,000 $4,385,000 $14,000,000 2015
Cary Williams at Cornerback 3 yr/$17,000,000 $5,666,667 $5,750,000 2016
Jeremy Maclin at Wide Receiver 5 yr/$15,500,000 $3,100,000 $9,500,000 2014
Jason Avant at Wide Receiver 5 yr/$14,750,000 $2,950,000 $8,000,000 2015
James Casey at Tight End 3 yr/$12,000,000 $4,000,000 $4,015,000 2016
Isaac Sopoaga at Defensive Tackle 3 yr/$11,000,000 $3,666,667 $3,750,000 2016
Fletcher Cox at Defensive Tackle 4 yr/$10,240,653 $2,560,163 $10,240,653 2016
Patrick Chung at Safety 3 yr/$10,000,000 $3,333,333 $4,000,000 2016
Darryl Tapp at Defensive End 3 yr/$9,000,000 $3,000,000 $0 2013
Danny Watkins at Guard 4 yr/$7,935,950 $1,983,988 $6,600,000 2015
Michael Vick at Quarterback 1 yr/$7,000,000 $7,000,000 $0 2014
Bradley Fletcher at Cornerback 2 yr/$5,250,000 $2,625,000 $0 2015
Nate Allen at Safety 4 yr/$5,044,000 $1,261,000 $3,100,000 2014
Arrelious Benn at Wide Receiver 4 yr/$4,640,000 $1,160,000 $2,850,000 2014
Mychal Kendricks at Linebacker 4 yr/$4,290,000 $1,072,500 $2,604,344 2016
Curtis Marsh at Cornerback 4 yr/$3,239,160 $809,790 $543,520 2015
Vinny Curry at Defensive End 4 yr/$3,230,000 $807,500 $1,584,692 2016
Nick Foles at Quarterback 4 yr/$2,768,520 $692,130 $543,520 2016
Antonio Dixon at Defensive Tackle 3 yr/$2,675,000 $891,667 $0 2015
Brandon Boykin at Cornerback 4 yr/$2,505,000 $626,250 $405,468 2016
Alex Henery at Kicker 4 yr/$2,490,115 $622,529 $420,108 2015
Dion Lewis at Running Back 4 yr/$2,486,880 $621,720 $188,880 2015
Casey Matthews at Linebacker 4 yr/$2,479,864 $619,966 $434,864 2015
Dennis Kelly at Tackle 4 yr/$2,288,800 $572,200 $47,220 2016
Clay Harbor at Tight End 4 yr/$2,242,900 $560,725 $452,900 2014
Marvin McNutt at Wide Receiver 4 yr/$2,198,892 $549,723 $98,896 2016
Bryce Brown at Running Back 4 yr/$2,150,000 $537,500 $50,880 2016
Jason Kelce at Center 4 yr/$2,137,432 $534,358 $97,432 2015
Kenny Phillips at Safety 1 yr/$2,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 2014
Riley Cooper at Wide Receiver 4 yr/$1,961,478 $490,370 $171,478 2014
Jamar Chaney at Linebacker 4 yr/$1,850,250 $462,563 $60,250 2014
Kurt Coleman at Safety 4 yr/$1,833,000 $458,250 $43,368 2014
Ronald Johnson at Wide Receiver 4 yr/$1,820,000 $455,000 $0 2015
Marcus Dowtin at Linebacker 3 yr/$1,710,000 $570,000 $0 2016
Ronnie Cameron at Defensive Tackle 3 yr/$1,710,000 $570,000 $0 2016
Greg Salas at Wide Receiver 3 yr/$1,665,000 $555,000 $0 2015
Matt Kopa at Tackle 3 yr/$1,665,000 $555,000 $0 2015
Matt Reynolds at Tackle 3 yr/$1,485,000 $495,000 $0 2016
Derek Carrier at Tight End 3 yr/$1,485,000 $495,000 $0 2016
Chris McCoy at Linebacker 3 yr/$1,485,000 $495,000 $0 2016
Eddie Whitley at Center 3 yr/$1,485,000 $495,000 $0 2016
B.J Cunningham at Wide Receiver 3 yr/$1,485,000 $495,000 $0 2016
Jason Phillips at Linebacker 2 yr/$1,460,000 $730,000 $0 2015
Allen Barbre at Guard 2 yr/$1,445,000 $722,500 $0 2015
Dennis Dixon at Quarterback 2 yr/$1,445,000 $722,500 $25,000 2015
Emil Igwenagu at Tight End 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $0 2015
Stanley Havili at Fullback 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $0 2015
Chris Polk at Running Back 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $10,000 2015
Ryan Rau at Linebacker 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $0 2015
Dallas Reynolds at Guard 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $0 2015
Nate Menkin at Guard 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $0 2015
Damaris Johnson at Wide Receiver 3 yr/$1,440,000 $480,000 $17,000 2015
Evan Moore at Tight End 2 yr/$1,415,000 $707,500 $0 2014
Trent Edwards at Quarterback 2 yr/$1,415,000 $707,500 $0 2014
Cedric Thornton at Defensive Tackle 3 yr/$1,395,000 $465,000 $0 2014
Nick Miller at Wide Receiver 2 yr/$1,360,000 $680,000 $0 2015
Everette Brown at Defensive End 2 yr/$1,360,000 $680,000 $0 2015
Phillip Hunt at Defensive Tackle 3 yr/$1,340,000 $446,667 $35,000 2014
Matt Tennant at Center 2 yr/$1,170,000 $585,000 $0 2014
Brandon Hughes at Cornerback 2 yr/$1,170,000 $585,000 $0 2014
Derek Landri at Defensive Tackle 1 yr/$1,100,000 $1,100,000 $500,000 2013
Chris Hawkins at Cornerback 2 yr/$1,050,000 $525,000 $0 2015
Ed Wang at Tackle 2 yr/$1,050,000 $525,000 $0 2015
Demarco Sampson at Wide Receiver 2 yr/$1,050,000 $525,000 $0 2015
Trevard Lindley at Cornerback 2 yr/$1,050,000 $525,000 $0 2015
Julian Vandervelde at Guard 2 yr/$1,050,000 $525,000 $0 2015
Colt Anderson at Cornerback 1 yr/$1,000,000 $1,000,000 $300,000 2014
G.J. Kinne at Quarterback 2 yr/$900,000 $450,000 $0 2015
David Sims at Safety 2 yr/$870,000 $435,000 $0 2014
Jake Scott at Guard 1 yr/$825,000 $825,000 $0 2013
Akeem Jordan at Linebacker 2 yr/$735,000 $367,500 $0 2013
Nnamdi Asomugha at Cornerback - $0 $0 -
Jon Dorenbos at Long Snapper 4 yr/TBD $950,000 $0 2017
Donnie Jones at Punter 1 yr/TBD $850,000 $0 2014

As always, keep your eye on the "Guaranteed Money" column... it's all that really matters when you're doing an NFL budget...

 

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Brizer's IBO International Beer Challenge to Philly Fans...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

Did you know that you can hydrate after a strenuous athletic workout just as well with a pint of beer as with a pint of water?

Studies exist to prove this statement true--- as long as the alcohol content of the beer is no higher than 5%.

Actually, my first encounter with the concept of beer as a sports hydration aid was in my teens, when Dick (don't call me Richie) Allen revealed how he regularly chugged a beer in the 5th inning and between doubleheaders when the Phillies played on hot summer days .

So it is fitting we give the Eagles Eye seal of approval to GK Brizer's recent attempt to elevate the beer tastes of Eagles fans to the highest level.

 

 

 

 


The idea is to vote for your favorite international brew and your most esteemed international brewery. The purpose of this article is to get out the vote.

"The updated numbers still have a dead heat betwixt CHIMAY (blue) and DT," said Brizer. "GUINNESS is still in front as best Brewery. Methinks a lot of quaffers are ashamed of their beer expertise,.and have chosen to abstain,...which is WEAK!!!!,..and paffetic. Yur GK is disappointed,...I don't like to be disappointed. VOTE or DEAF,..to the malcontents!"

THE FINALISTS:

1. Dos Equis- Canada/Latin America

 

 

 

 



2. Spaten- Germany

 

 

 

 



3. Chimay (Blue) - Belgium

 

 

 

 



4. Hoegaarden- Belgium

 

 

 

 



5. Guinness- British Isles

 

 

 

 



6. Sam Smith- British Isles

 

 

 

 



7. Sierra Nevada- USA

 

 

 

 

 

8. Sam Adams- USA

 

 

 

 


 

(Wild Cards)-- 9. Fullers ( England)

 

 

 

 


 

10. (DT) Delirium Tremens ( Belgium)

 

 

 

 

 

Note: DT is the sole beer "flavor" produced under its brand name..and thusly its brewery cannot be included in the "Best Brewery" portion of the contest.---ruling per GK Brizer.

SO there you have your "Final 10" IBO contestants. As Brizer explains:

"....the BORED picked the brews/breweries. No question,..there are great beers,.not on the list,...and my guess,.few have tried them. THE IBO was set up as a reasonable consensus contest,..with a limited audience and judges. We did the best,.we could,..as our lives are done IN WATERMELON SUGAR."

Vote for your favorite brew and brewery in the Livefyre comments down below. Brizer will retrieve and tally your ballots.

By the way, this International Beer evaluation is a great training exercise for the upcoming MACH 10/ EAGLES NFL DRAFT Challenge. And to be socially and politically correct, here's a proper disclaimer:

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Eagles sign a good punter---but he can't tackle...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

The good news is we won't be spending a late draft pick on a punter....

The bad news is we've got another punter who can't tackle...

Donnie Jones, who played for the Houston Texans last season, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles.

"Donnie Jones is a guy that we have admired over the last several years,” said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. “He has one of the strongest legs in the entire NFL and we’re excited we had a chance to sign him. We watched a lot of tape on him and he’s coming off a very good season with Houston. We feel he’ll add a good element to our special teams units.”

Yeah, okay... but Howie does not care about my pet peeve about punters who can't tackle---or worse, punters who fall down on purpose when being blocked.

That's why I held on to the Aussie punter Sav Rocca for so long--- the man sought out contact, and nearly always wrestled his man down to the turf when he was last man standing. And he's still doing it for the Redskins...

 

 

 

 

 


Donnie Jones is a left-footed punter who gets distance...He is in his 8th year out of LSU, 6-2, 220, and was drafted in the 7th round in 2004 by Seattle...

I find it ironic that the Eagles replaced veteran Mat McBriar (a notoriously poor tackler and block-shedder) with Donnie Jones----an equally lousy post-punt defender.

This is not meant to take away from Jones' leg. The guy is in the prime of his life and he can still boom 'em.

Punting is an extreme sport in itself. I need to remember that. Nobody expects an extreme sport specialist in snowboarding, for example, to also excel as a goalie in ice hockey...

I get that.

I simply feel that in football at the highest level, you should acknowledge that your punter is a part of the defense once the ball leaves his foot--- and that as such, he has a professional obligation to be at least serviceable in some aspects of pursuit and tackling.

Mat McBriar was the worst defensive punter in that regard that I can remember from Eagles history, going all the way back to when King Hill (backup QB) was doing the punting for the Eagles in the '60's...

McBriar at times last season looked like a toddler at Atlantic City running away in desperation from his first ocean wave...

Punters who can't (or won't) tackle can cost you a key series...or a game.

Here's the thing about Donnie Jones that bothers me:

He injured his leg "trying" to tackle Pats receiver Wes Welker in a Monday night game last December. Jones has a fairly simple explanation for it, which he has provided to teammates inclined to give him grief---

“I told those guys, I said, ‘Look, you guys are NFL football players, I’m not,’” Jones said, via CSNHouston.com.  “So when I get a little bruise or something, it is what it is.  I know my role.  But it’s all in good fun.”

Jones’ remarks give credence to the beliefs of those who view punters and kickers as a step below the folks who don’t kick the ball to make a living. 

“Yeah, I mean I’m not an actual NFL ‘football’ player,” Jones said.  “I mean, come on.  We know our roles.  I had the same type thing in 2008.  I had to push DeSean Jackson out of bounds.  Somehow I chased him down, don’t know how I did it, and I fell and my knee blew up.  Every now and then you get one.  We’re punters and kickers.  We’re a different breed.”

No, Donnie, you don't have to be a different breed. You can perk up and become a real part of a real defense.

Why is punting or kicking exclusive to not being able to play another position on the field? Somewhere out there, Ray Guy or Chris Kluwe may be nodding their heads in agreement.

Preaching to the choir, Donnie... I once watched him let Patrick Peterson run right by him without even making a half-hearted attempt at stopping him. Good punter, poor football player...

Maybe I'm being too harsh, and too old-school here. This is the age of the specialist. No question Donnie Jones can boot a football 70 yards high in the air. That itself is worth a roster spot, assuming desired direction of said boomer. And hang time. And Jones can pooch the punt inside close dimensions, too.

Jones specializes in the big bomb from deep in his own territory. Problem is, that kind of kick often results in a big return potential for the opposing team. I'm not saying Jones intentionally outkicks his coverage downfield, I'm just saying the gift he has for distance creates an unintended offensive opportunity for the receiving team to set up return lanes. This is okay for the Eagles as long as the punter himself can function as the 11th man on defense or at the very least the "closer"---last man defending just in case...

Look, Donnie Jones averaged over 47 yards per punt for the Houston Texans last season. That's pretty impressive when you don't discount for game situations and such. I appreciate his distance and his talent.

I am simply more willing to hire a guy who can average 40 yards a punt---and tackle. I don't want my kickers and punters to be a different breed...I want them to be football players.

 

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Eagles kicking the tires on LB Jarvis Jones...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

Jarvis Jones' disappointing Pro-Day audition may be working in favor of his falling to the Eagles in a trade-back scenario of the draft...or at least that is a possibility the Eagles are preparing for.

Once thought to be a Top Five pick, Georgia LB Jarvis Jones has seen his draft stock slip after a poor showing at his Pro-Day workout. The Eagles are apparently going to give him a closer look to see if he still belongs.

Following a Pro-Day workout that those in attendance described as disappointing, Jones revealed he has a private workout planned with the Eagles coming up. In addition to the Eagles, Jones said he will also be working out with the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After not working out at the Combine earlier this year, Jones turned in a 4.9 40-yard time. His performance was equally disappointing in the vertical jump (30.5 inches), broad jump (9 feet, 3 inches) and bench press (20 repetitions of 225 pounds).

"I could have done a lot of things better, but at the end of the day, I went out there and I competed," Jones said following his workout according to David Ching of ESPN.

The fact that the Eagles are working out Jones should surprise no one- he could fill a major need on a defense in the middle of a transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Jones might not be the superior athlete of the 2012 class, but he has put up some impressive numbers. The 6-2, 245 LB linebacker has amassed 155 tackles- 45 of which were for a loss- and 28 sacks in his two seasons at Georgia.

Another reason for concern surrounding Jones is a diagnosis he received back in 2010. After suffering a stinger in a game against USC, Jones was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, something he says should not affect his draft status.

"I know what I need to know and I know what people are telling me," Jones said. "I'm cleared, I'm healthy. It's a done deal now."

With the draft just weeks away, the direction the Eagles will go is still very much up in the air. They have been linked to nearly every Top-10 prospect, from quarterback Geno Smith of West Virginia to offensive lineman Eric Fisher of Central Michigan. Given the number of question marks they have on defense, however, you have to think they might prefer to go defense with their first or second pick if they think the value is there.

It's somewhat unusual to view a linebacker as a potential 1st or 2nd-round pick by the Eagles... but with the advent of a new 3-4 or hybrid system on defense, a linebacker with the ability to rush the passer or penetrate the backfield at this level is a very valuable commodity.

The strong turnout from the NFLat Jarvis Jones' Pro-Day also included head coaches Mike Smith of Atlanta, Rex Ryan of the Jets and Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh.

Temperatures were in the mid-30s when players were timed on Georgia’s artificial turf practice field. Linebacker Alec Ogletree, another possible first-round pick, was clocked in the '40 at 4.63 seconds.

“I think I missed a step,” Jones said. “I don’t know if I overstepped or understepped, but it felt weird.”

He says he hopes to be judged in the draft by his record as one of the nation’s top pass-rushers. He had 28 sacks in two seasons at Georgia, including 14 1/2 in 2012.

“I’m a football player,” Jones said. “It’s about football, right? I’m a football player. That’s what I do. At the end of the day, you get those drills — I’m not saying they ain’t worth nothing — but you get those drills, running the 40 and all that stuff. You could get someone off the street who can run a 4.3, but they can’t play football. That’s easy.”

Atlanta head coach Mike Smith said the players’ 40-yard times in the NFL combine and the Pro-Day are only one part of their evaluations by NFL teams.

“I think you’ve got to not just evaluate the sprints and stuff,” Smith said. “You want to watch their individual workouts that they do in terms of position skills. Those are the things that they run at the combine and you’ve got the measures on them. This was another opportunity to watch them doing some different drills that they didn’t do at the combine.”

Georgia expects to set a school record with at least nine players selected in next month’s NFL draft, and most are defensive players. There were 18 players, including 12 on defense, in Thursday’s Pro-Day drills.

Smith said Georgia, coming off a 12-2 season under coach Mark Richt, has an unusually deep pool of draft prospects. Smith said he’s not accustomed to seeing so many defensive prospects at any school.

“It’s not the norm, that’s for sure,” Smith said. “Coach Richt and his staff have done a great job putting together some really good players and this year is probably the best that I’ve seen in the five years that I’ve been coming over.”

Other defensive players who worked out for scouts were DB Sanders Commings, DT Kwame Geathers, safeties Bacarri Rambo and Shawn Williams, cornerback Branden Smith, defensive linemen Abry Jones and Cornelius Washington, and linebackers Christian Robinson and Michael Gilliard.

Wide receiver Tavarres King and RB Richard Samuel are Georgia’s most prominent offensive players in the draft.

Branden Smith ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds, easily the best time of the day. His broad jump of 10-8 also was the day’s best.

Jarvis Jones can expect his stock to drop. NFL scouts were prepared for a reasonably poor Pro-Day workout as they were forewarned Jones has a reputation for not testing well. Jones stock may have dropped but the dude can play defensive football. If he falls to the Eagles late in the 1st (tradeback scenario) or early in the 2nd, I think it's a no-brainer. If you hit on Jarvis Jones, you could be set at your pass-rush LB position for years to come.

 

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Tony Granieri (ESPN's MNF Spotter) reviews the Eagles QB spectrum...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

I'm privileged to call Tony Granieri a friend. He does the spotting from the booth for Monday Night Football. He also happens to be a native Eagles fan.

Tony provides us with a look at the Eagles current QB situation under Chip Kelly's new system. It's definitely a work in progress.

On the Eagles roster as we speak are the following quarterbacks: Mike Vick, Nick Foles, Trent Edwards, Dennis Dixon, and G.J. Kinne...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Granieri at their New Jersey home...

The Eagles are doing their homework and due diligence on quarterbacks coming out of the Class of 2012... but the real answer at QB for 2013 is probably already on the roster.

The Eagles scouting staff and Chip Kelly accompanied by owner Jeff Lurie have already attended Geno Smith's Pro Day and spent a lot of time with Smith.  They've also hosted Arizona QB Matt Scott, a former backup to Foles who turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Next up, Kelly confirmed recently, is a private workout with Florida State's E.J. Manuel.

The thing about Chip Kelly is he states over and over how he is willing to adapt to whomever emerges as the best overall athlete who happens to play quarterback and is on his roster come Opening Day. After a few months of such consistent coachspeak, I'm beginning to believe him.

Here's Chip Kelly on having success with a variety of quarterbacks: “What we did [at Oregon] is, we adapted, depending on who our quarterback was. If you’ve got a good coaching staff, that’s what you do. The best example in the NFL is John Fox. A year ago he had Tim Tebow, and went to the playoffs. Now he has Peyton Manning and runs an entirely different offense and went to the playoffs. When you’re good, you adapt to whom you have.”

I'm starting to trust Kelly's sincerity in regard to his QB manifesto as stated above.

This kind of trust is challenged by Tony Granieri's inquisitive mind. Granieri feels Kelly knows exactly what he wants and needs at QB at the NFL level, and will settle for nothing less.

Here's Granieri's take:

"I've already dissected the Chip Kelly hiring from every possible angle and what it will mean for the Eagles moving forward. My take: this is a brilliant coaching mind responsible for the most progressive offensive system since the days of Bill Walsh and his West Coast horizontal passing game. There aren't many similarities between the two coaches or how their particular systems are run but there is one constant. Both require a great decision-maker at the QB position."

"Kelly needs to identify who that person is and mold his offense around the skill set of his newest QB. Will it be Mike Vick and a read-option centric game plan? Could it be Nick Foles and more of a traditional spread system? Maybe it's an incoming prospect of the 2013 NFL Draft. At this point, it's guesswork. Nonetheless, it can be helpful to understand the strengths of each possibility and offer some handicapping on who will wind up under center for the Eagles on Week One. Here is The Spotter's View on the most important decision of Chip Kelly's career."

The Case for Michael Vick

A common misconception about Kelly's system is that it requires a running QB to be successful. This isn't the case. The ideal candidate would be a QB who demonstrates good decision-making skills, who is a distributor first but also has the ability to run. He doesn't want a running QB who can throw. He wants a passer that can run.

Vick has both skills and would likely benefit playing in Kelly's system which simplifies the QBs reads because of the offensive advantages created through pace. People look at Vick's last two seasons - which have been abhorrent - and think to themselves, he's past his prime. He can't do it anymore. He's a turnover machine and he's incapable of staying healthy. They wouldn't be wrong.

However, it wouldn't be fair to discuss those shortcomings without understanding the monumental change that Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg and Howard Mudd implemented in Philadelphia. Vick was exceptional in 2010 playing behind Jaun Castillo's offensive line. In 2011 and 2012, he was awful playing behind Mudd's front-five. Why?

It's believed that Vick never got accustomed to the pre-snap phase of calling out protection plans at the line of scrimmage - a requirement in Mudd's pass pro. This was Mudd's plan in Indianapolis where OC Jeff Saturday and QB Peyton Manning ran it to perfection. But Vick struggled with it and was hindered further by the injury to starting center Jason Kelce. That is a relationship - between QB and Center - that needs to operate with certainty for the pass protection to hold up. It didn't over these last two years in Philly because Vick was uncomfortable handling it and his relationship with the center position was in flux. The result: playing under constant duress, making poor decisions because of pressure and turning the ball over in crucial spots.

With Mudd gone and his unorthodox teachings no longer an issue, the thinking is that Vick could play with more confidence. Kelly's system would take away that pre-snap phase and simplify his responsibilities at the line. This would allow Vick to utilize his tremendous physical tools and focus on making the right decisions post-snap.

The upside here is intriguing as Vick possesses one of the league's strongest arms and is still a dangerous runner capable of excelling in a read-option scheme. With less responsibility at the line, he very well could return to his near-MVP level of 2010.  Vick could be a great fit in Kelly's scheme. His experience as an option QB at Virginia Tech and during his Atlanta days are also of note.

The Case for Nick Foles

Having played in a spread system as a distributor during his college days at Arizona, Foles has some valuable experience that would surely help him in Kelly's system. He isn't the perfect fit athletically but he is a big, strong kid with a great understanding of the game. Here's what Kelly said about Foles after Oregon defeated Arizona in September of 2011:

“I’ll tell you what; I’m glad Nick Foles is graduating, I catch myself watching him in awe sometimes. … Nick is a hell of a football player. That kid’s a warrior. He’s as good as anyone in the country.”

Empty platitude or an honest opinion on Foles? That's the question. Kelly would have no way of knowing that two years later he'd be coaching Foles and have the responsibility of deciding his NFL fate. But that's where we are. If in fact Kelly meant what he said, it would seem that Foles has a real chance at the starting job. He's young, he's very coachable, his experience as a distributor is valuable and he's shown good decision-making skills in the handful of starts we've seen him.

He's not going to be featured in a read-option based scheme but Kelly has said that he would adjust his play-calling to the strengths of his QB. So in a Foles-centric offense, that would be more of a spread attack. Bubble screens, rocket screens, tons of quick game out of the gun, inside zone plays and a focus on distributing the ball to his weapons in space. The downside: without at least the threat to run, the QB in Kelly's system isn't maximized in terms of production.

The Case for WVU QB Geno Smith

Smith possesses the perfect combination of athleticism and passing ability. He looks a lot like Darron Thomas from Kelly's days at Oregon and has the experience of playing in a similar spread system from his days in Morgantown. Perhaps the second-most innovate coach at the college level was the mountaineers Dana Holgorsen. Smith ran his system smoothly and was fantastic at times in 2012. Anyone who throws 8 TD in one game and posts 600+ passing yards obviously can make plays. Take a look:

At WVU, Smith operated mostly out of the shotgun set - something he'd do a lot of in Kelly's system. He also did a great job of getting the ball into his playmaker's hands showing great decision-making skills in the process. At one point, Smith was believed to be the top pick in the NFL Draft before a mid-season losing streak halted the momentum of his meteoric rise.

He's still a rare talent though and would seem to be a perfect fit for Kelly in Philadelphia. The question is where and how can the Eagles land Smith? He's not considered a top-5 pick (the Eagles pick at #4) and there's no guarantee he'll make it to #36 (where the Eagles pick in Round 2). GM Howie Roseman would need to be creative and find a wiling trade partner, preferably a team with a pick in them middle of the first round. In terms of fitting into Kelly's system and being the right guy to maximize the QB position's production within this offense, Smith makes a lot of sense.

The Case for Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib

This kid's name has suddenly appeared at the top of the QB prospects entering the 2013 NFL Draft. Nassib enjoyed a pretty solid season for The Orange and shows the ability to throw on the run - a skill needed in Kelly's system. He's done a nice job running some of the read-option stuff that we've seen take the NFL by storm this season and he's a fifth year senior. So maturity and decision-making skills seem like they'd be a strength for Nassib. Many believe this kid - in a weak QB class - might be taken as high as the first round come April. I don't see it.

After watching five of his games on YouTube, two glaring flaws are apparent. One - Nassib holds onto the football for far too long and takes too many sacks as a result of this bad habit. He also misses open receivers which leads me to believe accuracy will be even more of an issue at the NFL level where passing windows will be much smaller. Nassib is more of an athlete than Foles but he isn't on the same level of Smith. His game just has too many flaws.

He flashes some play-making ability at times and I really like his skills throwing on the move but accuracy is a major concern. Still.....in a weak QB class there remains an outside chance that Nassib winds up in Philadelphia to compete for the job. A very small chance but still....

The Case for Miami (OH) QB Zac Dysert

Unless you feverishly follow college football, there's a very good chance that you've never heard of Zac Dysert. But that doesn't mean the QB of the Miami (OH) Redhawks isn't a special player. Because, in my opinion, he is. Dysert is an emotional player with good size, a strong arm and that "it" factor that all great QBs seem to have. He's shown great touch on his deep balls and rarely misses an open receiver. As a runner, he's not real elusive but he does have the speed to be a threat. He's also got good size and has shown the ability to take a big hit without it resulting in injury.

I think Dysert also fits the mold of a Chip Kelly "guy". Someone who has flown a little under the radar, who comes from the obscurity of a small school and maybe doesn't have the hype of a Smith or of USC's Matt Barkley. Based on his time at UNH and Oregon, it would seem Kelly has an affinity for taking an unknown QB as his starter. Dysert fits that mold as he's currently ranked 8th in the 2013 class of passers. I really like this kid and think he has a chance to be successful at the next level. The major question: being that Dysert played in the MAC against inferior defensive talent, it's difficult to definitively say his skill set would transition to the highest level of football. Kelly has a great track record of evaluating talent though....so if Dysert winds up in Philly, I wouldn't second guess it.

The Case for Florida State QB EJ Manuel

I love this kid's poise and his humility. He's arguably the best QB in terms of intangibles in this year's class. Manuel is a stand-up guy, a great leader and he's shown the maturity to handle the spotlight of being the face of a program. He's drawn rave reviews from his coaches at FSU and from everyone in the media whose gotten a chance to know him. From that perspective, I think Manuel has some real potential.

On the field, Manuel is no slouch either. He's got a huge arm, he's very athletic and has experience operating an offense that is run primarily out of the shotgun formation. I like his ball-handling skills in the shotgun play-action game as well. This kid has the right mindset, the physical tools and the overall skill set to be successful in Kelly's scheme.

The concerns: his footwork isn't great, he's got a little bit of a long delivery and he can be streaky. He's projected as a 4th round pick. Obviously, it's difficult to predict which way Kelly will go when making this decision but Manuel is a kid who might warrant some consideration.

The Case for QB Dennis Dixon

Dixon led Kelly's attack at the University of Oregon and finished 5th in the Heisman voting following the 2007 season. His experience and intricate knowledge of Kelly's scheme is an advantage Dixon possesses over every other possible QB candidate the Eagles may consider for next season. It's a long shot that Kelly would bank his future on a former 5th round pick who has been buried on the Steelers and  Ravens practice squads BUT....Dixon did have some success as a starter with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 posting a 2-0 record while completing nearly 70% of his throws.

I wouldn't be surprised if Kelly decided to carry his former QB as a backup. His experience might be valuable in teaching this system to the other signal callers in Philly and his familiarity with Kelly can't be considered a bad thing. As far as Dixon earning the starting job with the Eagles, that would shock me.

The Case for a QB Not on This List

Kelly has always found a guy off the radar to play QB in his system. He's really shown a history of doing that both at UNH and at Oregon. I've tried to lay out the best possible options for Kelly in the list above but that doesn't mean the Eagles starting QB can't be someone we haven't yet discussed. Kelly has even said "There's nobody ruled out at this point" referring to who will start for the Eagles in 2013.

You can catch all of Tony Granieri's speculative analysis of the NFL at The Spotters View...

 

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Eagles fans need to get in shape...

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

I took a long hard look at myself yesterday. And I didn't like what I saw...

I told you about my little escapade with learning (finally) how to throw a football with the proper pronation of the wrist. Now it's the day after---and every muscle and fat deposit in my body is screaming for mercy.

It was a long winter in the mid-Atlantic---not especially arctic from a snowfall standpoint, but just a seemingly unending series of dark days filled with howling winds and cold rains.

The perfect storm for sitting around and drinking and eating too much...

Now it's time to pay the Piper--- and by that I do not mean paying RumpledForeskin, or whoever the genius poster is behind that miserable little thorn of a character that infects our Bored below...

I emerge into a Philadelphia spring as an out-of-shape tub of goo...

So it's time to get with the program of two of our esteemed Bored members who are ALWAYS in shape year-round--- Sunbutts and Brozer.

Sunbutts specializes in the KettleBell...while Brozer rocks the RollerBlade Revolution...

First up: Sunbutts and his KETTLEBELL WORKOUT....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The King of Wealth Management and acknowledged Wall Street trader Sunbutts stays in shape at his Sarasota villa by rocking out on the kettlebells.

You are a busy man (or woman)...You’re swamped at work, you’re swamped at home with the kids and you never have time for yourself, let alone getting to the gym. Those 1 hr – 1 ½ hr workouts that you used to do are a distant memory.

The time of  pre-scheduled workouts and long training sessions is OVER. It is time to get back to real world, hard-core training that is effective and can be done on a busy schedule.

Enter Sunbutts and the kettlebell.

So, what is a kettlebell and why is it so effective? As Sunbutts says, imagine a cannonball with a handle.

Kettlebells are unique in that no other implement can be used for such a vast array of exercises. Kettlebells will help you develop:

  • A solid strength foundation
  • Greater flexibility (and strength through that increased range of motion)
  • Accelerated recovery
  • Increased grip strength
  • Balanced musculature, which will eliminate weaknesses
  • Increased power and explosiveness
  • CRAZY conditioning
  • Jacked muscle mass

Because kettlebells are so versatile and portable, you can take them with you to the gym or anywhere that has a small open spot.

That is why kettlebells are such a great training device.  You can keep them in the trunk of your car and you can get a workout wherever you’re at; in a park, in the parking lot or in your yard.

The Sunbutts Kettlebell Workout

We are going to link several kettlebell exercises together with little to no rest, so that we can get the benefits of a high intensity workout in little time. We are going to build muscle, lose fat AND get some great conditioning all at the same time. We will structure our workout as a strength building circuit:

Workout Structure

1. Lower Body Exercise

2. Upper Body Exercise

3. Full Body Exercise

4. Bodyweight Exercise

5.  Core Exercise

We will move between each exercise with little to no rest – maximum 30 seconds.  This will keep the intensity high, shorten the workout and build muscle fast! Think of it as a Chip Kelly practice...add music if you wish!

As you get stronger and better conditioned, you can complete the routine more than once, up to three times if you want.

Sample Workout

1.  Kettlebell Pullthroughs, 15 reps, 30 seconds rest

2. Beyond the Range Push-ups, 20 reps, 30 seconds rest

3.  Kettlebell Clean & Press, 12 reps each arm, 30 seconds rest

4. Lunge and Reach, 15 reps, 30 seconds rest

5. Russian Kettlebell Twists, 15 reps

6. DONE

You can repeat the workout if you still have some “gas” in the tank or some extra time.

Kettlebell Exercises

Kettlebell Pullthroughs (lower body)

How to Perform: Position your feet in a slightly wider than shoulder width stance.  Grab the two kettlebells and get them moving in a pendulum motion.  As the kettlebells move back between the legs, you have to bend the knees and absorb the momentum before reversing the movement with a powerful hip extension.

Benefits: Strengthen posterior chain and build explosiveness in the legs.

Beyond the Range Push-ups (upper body)

How to Perform: Perform a normal push-up while holding on top of the kettlebells.  Really squeeze the handles to make sure the kb’s stay in place.  Squeeze the glutes and remain rigid in a straight line position while you lower (eccentric) and drive (concentric) throughout the movement.

Benefits: Strengthening the shoulders, chest and triceps in a full range of motion (ROM)

Kettlebell Clean & Press (full body)

How to Perform: Perform a one arm kettlebell swing to get the kettlebell into a racked position. Once in place, drive the kb overhead and lock it out.  Return the weight to the racked position and back down into the swing.  Repeat.

Benefits: Strengthening the entire body including the legs, core, shoulders and back.

Russian Kettlebell Twists (core exercise)

How to Perform: Sit upright with your knees bent and legs together.  Grab the kettlebell and rotate it back and forth touching the ground on your left and right sides.

Benefits: Strengthening the core, shoulders, biceps and upper back.

There’s nothing more manly than throwing around chunks of iron.  So get some kettlebells and get to work, anywhere and at anytime.  Change up the routine and throw in some more bodyweight exercises for variety or if you need to build up to use kettlebells. And here's a final Moonbeam tip--- GROW UP !!!

BROZER ADDS A CARDIO-TWIST with ROLLERBLADING....

Next up is Broz, who stays in constantly good shape by rollerblading any chance he gets...

 

 

 

 

 

As Broz reminds us, Sunbutts-like monotony can send even the most avid exerciser into a burn-out phase. Changing your routine to incorporate exercises such as Rollerblading will help keep you interested in your workouts. If you are afraid that replacing your treadmill or kettlebell time with this fun activity will decrease the amount of benefits you receive, think again. Rollerblading exercise is loaded with positive benefits.

Cardiovascular Endurance

Rollerblading offers cardiovascular endurance benefits comparable to running when the intensity and volume of the training programs are equal. A study published in "Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise" measured maximal oxygen uptake of college-aged runners and skaters before and after a nine-week training program. Participants performed their respective exercises three days per week for 20 to 40 minutes per session at an intensity of 80 to 90 percent of their maximal heart rate. Both training groups had similar improvements in maximum oxygen consumption.

And that's what Broz is about---  maximum oxygen consumption.

Muscular Endurance

According to the Inline Skating Resource Center, Rollerblading is more beneficial in building muscle than running or cycling. Rollerblading develops the entire upper leg muscles, rear end, hips, lower back, arms and shoulders. Moreover, the balance and coordination required to remain upright recruit a larger number of muscle fibers than most other activities, thereby developing muscular strength and endurance throughout a greater range of motion.

Low-Impact

If you are looking for a low-impact aerobic exercise, Rollerblading may be your best choice. The foot-to-ground impact is minimal, creating limited stress on your joints. Replacing one or two cardio sessions each week with Rollerblading may increase the number of healthy years you get out of your knees.

Weight Control

A 2008 study referenced in "Clinical Psychiatry News" found that overweight teens who participated three to four times per week in wheeled exercise such as Rollerblading were 85 percent more likely to be a normal weight in adulthood than overweight teens who did not perform wheeled exercise. An examination of jogging and walking did not find any relationship between overweight adolescence and normal weight in adulthood, suggesting that wheeled exercises have greater long-term benefits.

Fun

One of the greatest benefits of Rollerblading is the fun and laughter that it creates. And certainly Broz knows something about fun and laughter. Strapping on a pair of Rollerblades with a friend and attempting the sport will leave you both with sore abs from the laughing you will do at yourself and each other. Make certain to wear all safety gear, including helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards, as you are likely to take a few falls until you master the skill.

Remember, "FUN" is the one thing Sunbutts' money can't buy....

And in fact, the only non-fun or difficult thing about Rollerblading for Broz was having to tell his parents that he was gay...

 

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I've been throwing a football the wrong way my whole life!!

Written by Thomas Jackson on .

You know it's a slow news day in Eagles Land when I literally searched for inspiration by throwing a football around with my neighbor's kids. Then it hit me!---no, not the ball...well, yes, sort of...

I was never trained as a QB in throwing the football. It's a position I never played. But every kid plays throw and catch with a football. It's the Amurrikin way. And every kid wants to go deep.

I always wondered why I could throw a baseball farther than anybody, but I could barely throw a football on a straight line for more than 25 yards, and I could barely throw a long arc ball more than 40 yards.

I simply wrote it off to a need for a better grip and more practice--- I was never going to play QB anyway.

Then my neighbor's kid, who's attended junior QB camps and wants to try out for our local high school team, spotted something in my delivery.

"You're grip is okay, Mr. Jackson...but you're pronating your wrist in the wrong direction at release."

WHaaa?! Pronating my wrist the wrong way? In other words, I've been trying to throw a spiral with a slider motion of the wrist instead of a screwball motion?

Apparently so. Who knew? In other words, at the point of release, if you are a right-hander, your thumb should rotate to the left and end up pointing straight down to the ground.

The kid showed me. I tried it. Suddenly I had a tighter spiral and more distance on a straight line throw. And after a few tries, I was getting 50 yards of air under the ball instead of 40.

The kid made a few adjustments to my grip, too. Here's the "ideal" grip:

 

 

 

 


I asked the kid to tell me more. He referred me to his Quarterback Camp coach---Jeff Trickey, who runs Jeff Trickey Quarterback Camps.

"If people have proper instruction, they can be shown and taught how to hold and load it," said Trickey,  "If they step directly toward their target at the point of their release, it's a natural movement."

The key is to make sure the middle finger and the thumb are placed right below the white ring on the football (or where the white ring would be on an NFL ball)--- almost even with one another. The smaller fingers then grip the seams and the index finger gives the hand some stability behind the ball.

Once the grip is sound, the art of throwing a good spiral is a total body experience. There are a number of different parts to keep in mind, but getting the hang of it is a quick process for those around the game of football.

"Your front shoulder and upper torso should be just slightly open so you can see the back side of the defense," Trickey said. "Your front shoulder leads, and the front foot has to drive to the point of reception."

The point of reception is not necessarily where the receiver is, but rather where he's going to be. In a game situation, the two often are different. But if you're just playing catch with someone to get the hang of throwing a spiral, step toward your partner and fling it.

Keep the hand on the outside of the ball as you're going through the throwing motion. Releasing the ball properly is tough for a rookie, but keep in mind the follow through: rotate the thumb toward the opposite thigh, and make sure the inside of the index finger is the last piece of you touching the ball as you release it. Emphasize your whole body working together smoothly.

The end result, with the right technique and some hard work, is a beautiful spiral you've been pursuing for a long time.

That rotation of the thumb (due to pronation of the wrist) in a counter-intuitive direction (towards the inner thigh) is the secret. Yeah, I know, that's what she said...
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GUEST EDITORIAL from LEHIGH VALLEY EXPRESS-TIMES...
"EAGLES TRAINING CAMP WON'T BE THE SAME"...

Convenience, logistics, medical facilities, weight rooms, an indoor football field, oversized beds to help 350-pound men rest their bones at night...

Call it the schlep factor — the official reason the Philadelphia Eagles are ending their 17-year training camp relationship with Lehigh University and hereafter will spend the dog days of July and August closer to home, at the NovaCare Complex in South Philly.

Football fans get it. That’s why Philadelphia Eagles President Don Smolenski and new head coach Chip Kelly weren’t raked over the coals by the Lehigh Valley faithful when the announcement was made Friday.

This decision is all about distance — and from a business standpoint, about consolidating operations that might make high-priced athletes happier and perhaps, just perhaps, result in an intangible uptick that helps the Birds during the regular season.

The fans get it, but make no mistake — a grand tradition of hometown familiarity is being lost here. There's an economic impact, but it's not just about the 10 to 20 percent bump that Bethlehem and Hellertown motels, bars and restaurants experienced during the three-week training camp.

Go ahead and laugh, but it seemed only fitting that a team decked out in midnight green would start each season in the verdant shadow of South Mountain. The setting at Lehigh was intimate, fan-friendly, intense, sometimes unpredictable in terms of weather and player dust-ups … and free. What else is there in professional sports — especially pro football, which charges season ticket holders for seat licenses and preseason games — that comes with the word “gratis”? As in, thank you for coming out and supporting us.

The distance factor will be a benefit for the Eagles organization but also for Philadelphia-area fans, who won’t have to make the turnpike or Route 309 commute to see preseason practices. But the distance will increase dramatically between player and observer when the Eagles conduct four or five public practices at Lincoln Financial Field this summer. Because of the limitations of the NovaCare Complex, practices there will be an invitation-only affair for a privileged few.

Again, the fans get it.

An entire generation of young Eagles fans has grown into adulthood with stories to tell: Donovan McNabb signed my shirt! We sat next to Hugh Douglas at Starters Pub. Merrill Reese looks different in person. We were there for the craziness in 2004, when Terrell Owens turned camp into the epicenter of the sports-celebrity universe.

It was energizing and relaxing at the same time. That was Andy Reid’s take on it, too. The former head coach loved the get-away atmosphere in Bethlehem, and he was no doubt the last link to this relationship.

Even with the Eagles’ flight, the Lehigh Valley is doing just fine by Philadelphia sports teams. The IronPigs are arguably the best Triple-A experience in baseball. The Phantoms, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Flyers, are scheduled to move into their new Allentown arena in 2014.

But it sure would have been fun to observe the dawn of the Chip Kelly era up close and personal.

Lehigh University will find another sports camp tenant. The Tally Ho and other local hot spots will still be grilling burgers and manning the taps. Plenty of Lehigh Valley fans will trek to the Linc for an Eagles practice and make a day of it — with maybe 50,000 other people sweating in a big bowl in a big city.

Not the same. Not by a long shot.

 

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