A CHANGE

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but there was a little change afoot and it took a little attitude adjustment.
You can still chime in or harp over or scream about my hockey reporting, since I still on occasion follow the Flyers like a leetch (that's a hockey spelling).
But my alleged full time mission now is as sports editor of the Daily Times.
So I welcome all input and suggestions on anything and everything sports in Delco and Philly and beyond.
Star scooper Anthony SanFilippo is the full time Flyers guy now and you can find his blog ... somewhere in these pages. But he's been busy breaking big-time news hereabouts lately.
We were first with the news that Comcast/Spectacor was mulling plans for an entertainment venue on a site where the Spectrum sits. And Wednesday morning we broke the story of a news conference Thursday to announce the state's pledge of $45 million in funds for the construction of a soccer stadium on the Chester riverfront.
Philly.com had it too -- um, late this afternoon and without credit to anyone else.
For other news items to fill you in first, please check in on Jon Campbell's high school wrestling blog, Chris Vito's always entertaining musings on the local school basketball scene, and rumor has it the venerable Terry Toohey has a blog, too.
Please check in and let us know your thoughts.Thanks.

a change

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but there was a little change afoot and it took a little attitude adjustment.
You can still chime in or harp over or scream about my hockey reporting, since I still on occasion follow the Flyers like a leetch (that's a hockey spelling). But my alleged full time mission now is as sports editor of the Daily Times.
So I welcome all input and suggestions on anything and everything sports in Delco and Philly and beyond.
Star scooper Anthony SanFilippo is the full time Flyers guy now and you can find his blog ... somewhere in these pages. But he's been busy breaking big-time news hereabouts lately.
We were first with the news that Comcast/Spectacor was mulling plans for an entertainment venue on a site where the Spectrum sits. And Wednesday morning we broke the story of a news conference Thursday to announce the state's pledge of $45 million in funds for the construction of a soccer stadium on the Chester riverfront.
Philly.com had it too -- um, late this afternoon and without credit to anyone else.
For other news items to fill you in first, please check in on Jon Campbell's high school wrestling blog, Chris Vito's always entertaining musings on the local school basketball scene, and rumor has it the venerable Terry Toohey has a blog, too.

Please check in and let us know your thoughts.
Thanks.

The shots keep coming and coming and coming....

So now even the Washington Capitals are outshooting the Flyers. Prior to Friday's 4-3 Washington win at Wachovia, the Capitals were one of the few teams out there -- as in, like, three -- in the previous 20 games to actually be outshot by the production poor Flyers.

Of course, they preach quality over quantity, which is why they can brag about being 12-7-2.
Fair enough. But there has to be a reason for slow starts and the way they get outshot on a nightly basis, as these two things seem to be tied in.

While the Flyers continue to say that being outshot is a small matter not worthy of basing a critique on, eventually, that little matter is going to wear a good man down -- as in good man Marty Biron, the good but not great goalie.

If he's actually going to play 65 or so games this season, and coach John Stevens certainly seems willing to let him try -- the Flyers are going to have to cut Biron a break by cutting down on the number of shots coming from the other guys ... and stepping it up themselves.

Gagne in ... or is he?

There's no question how important Simon Gagne is to the Flyers' offensive attack. Although Danny Briere looked much more alive in Washington Friday night with newly returned Scottie Upshall by his side, the Flyers' power play is much more dangerous with Gagne playing it on the wing and Briere firing passes from around and behind the net.

Today, Gagne forgot all about the concussion symptoms which have dogged him for more than a week (since Florida's Jay Bouwmeester gave him a nice bump) and practiced in full with the Flyers in Voorhees.

Afterward he said he "felt good out there," and said if that happy feeling continues he'll be able to play against the Rangers on a Monday night in New York. But Flyers coach John Stevens is expressing caution, saying some guys that have "symptoms" -- nobody uses that C Word around here -- can be cleared and pass baseline tests like Gagne did, only to practice and have the symptoms return.

So essentially, if Gagne gets to New York tomorrow morning feeling the same way he did this morning, he'll probably play, but on limited shifts. Upshall, whose regular role is now as Jeff Carter's off wing across from Sami Kapanen, should be double shifted on occasion.

Stanley Cup!?!? ... uh, hold on there.

Five games down, all spirits and hopes up.

At 4-1, with Danny Briere dominant and Marty Biron solid in net and even Randy Jones playing well, well, all's well with the Flyers again, right?

C'mon.

Please remember this is last season's worst team on the NHL planet. And while all the changes in the offseason definitely define this club as an almost entirely new team, things don't change that easily.

The Flyers will still have their problems. They are going to struggle once they face teams like Pittsburgh, Ottawa and, yes, the Rangers and Devils. This is a turnaround, but not yet an about face.

Five games can't decide that one way or another.

What the Flyers have done so far is buy themselves time. A good start was imperative for both coach John Stevens and all his newbie players. They're on their way to just that. Consistency will come later.

But it's a good start. Nothing more, nothing less.
Either way ... enjoy the ride. It's only just beginning.

And down goes Downie...

Was the 20-game suspension imposed on Flyers prospect Steve Downie worth it?

Damn right it was.

At least it was if the NHL really is making serious steps on cracking down on dangerous and illegal hits like the one Downie, the 20-year-old with a history of junior hockey suspensions, laid on Dean McAmmond in Ottawa last Tuesday.

Lining him up, almost stalking him, leaving his feet to drill him in the head ... this was essentially how NHL disciplinary dean Colin Campbell -- and several people he consulted while considering Downie's case -- saw the hit. It is almost a textbook example of what the league is moving to outlaw, and so Downie becomes an example for others to look at.

Forget those 3 or 4- game suspensions that used to be doled out for dangerous hits from behind into the boards and the like. Now they'll be closer to the 20 games that Downie received. Or at least they better be, because if not, if the league just slides back to the way things used to be ... the Flyers have a real case that Campbell wasn't really making a well thought out and considered decision, but just bowed to Canadian media pressure instead.

Up there north of the border, where hockey players rank as the Lindsay Lohans of the news day, Downie has been reviled. A wild man who thinks nothing of beating up junior hockey teammates, a bad seed ... forget the fact that he helped Team Canada win a World Junior championship.

Anyway, the reaction up there was unfair ... which is nothing new. But what is new is the huge crackdown that Judge Colie is now overseeing.

He made a huge statement with this first case with Downie.

Now we'll see what happens when someone else gets dragged before him for doing the same thing.

Live blog: Eagles (fighting for their lives already) vs. Redskins (who aren't as bad as the expert Eagle fans think) ... by Rob Parent

Here we are 90 minutes before the game at Lincoln Financial Field , all 555 ESPN media mugs are eating their free food and primping each others' clothes and hair, and the excitement is building outside ... shockingly, no signs of mass arrests out there yet.

Check in tonight for frequent live blog reports as the Eagles play their first home game of the season.