Philly Spotlight Q&A with Marc Farzetta

Marc Farzetta, Host/Update Anchor at Sportsradio 94WIP in Philadelphia, was kind enough to join the Sports With Balls team for a quick Q&A session.

The Phillies are down in Clearwater preparing for another season, the Flyers and Sixers  are inching closer to the postseason, and the Eagles are getting ready for a big off-season.

Marc provides some insight into the current events in Philly sports.

Sports with Balls question in italics.

Marc’s response in bold.

Do you believe DeSean Jackson will be back with the Eagles next season?
Yes, he will be back. This is a Super Bowl or Bust year (to use an overused phrase!). No
Super Bowl Appearance and Andy Reid will not return for a 15th Season as the Eagles Head
Coach. DeSean and Michael Vick already have the chemistry built. DeSean will be tagged
and kept because Reid won’t want to risk someone coming in and being a bust. I would love
to see the Eagles sign him to a 3-year 27 Million dollar deal, but doubt that would happen.

DeSean Jackson - back for 2012?

Who is the top team in Philadelphia right now? Eagles? Phillies? Flyers? Sixers?
No question about it: Phillies. They have given the fans the parade and not acted the least bit arrogant about it. The Eagles? No parade, but still a healthy helping of arrogance. Flyers and Sixers need some major changes to compete with either.

Phillies won the hearts of Philadelphia with the '08 parade

NCAA Basketball Top Ten Recap

10. Baylor (24-5) (Beat Texas 77-72, beat Oklahoma 70-60)

Quincy Acy had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Texas.

9. Murray State (28-1) (Beat Tennessee State 80-62, beat Tennessee Tech 69-64)

Isaiah Canaan had 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in a win over Tennessee Tech.

8. Missouri (25-4) (Lost to Kansas State 78-68, lost to Kansas 87-86)

Ricardo Ratliffe had 22 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime loss to Kansas.

7. Marquette (24-5) (Beat Rutgers 82-65, beat West Virginia 61-60)

Jae Crowder had 26 points and 4 rebounds in a close win over West Virginia.

6. North Carolina (25-4) (Beat NC State 86-74, beat Virginia 54-51)

John Henson had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Virginia.

5. Michigan State (24-5) (Beat Minnesota 66-61, beat Nebraska 62-34)

Draymond Green had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over Minnesota.

4. Kansas (24-5) (Beat Texas A&M 66-58, beat Missouri 87-86)

Thomas Robinson had 28 points and 12 rebounds and a game saving block in a close win over Missouri.

3. Duke (25-4) (Beat Florida State 74-66, beat Virginia Tech 70-65)

Austin Rivers had 23 points and 4 rebounds in win over Virginia Tech.

2. Syracuse (29-1) (Beat South Florida 56-48, beat UConn 71-69)

Kris Joseph had 21 points and 7 rebounds in a close win over UConn.

1. Kentucky (28-1) (Beat Mississippi State 73-64, beat Vanderbilt 83-74)

Anthony Davis had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in a win over Vanderbilt.

NBA All Star Weekend Highlights

Celebrity Game: East 86, West 54

At 5'2, Kevin Hart took home the Celebrity Game MVP.

Rising Stars Challenge: Team Chuck 146, Team Shaq 133

Kyrie Irving went 8-8 from 3 point range, scoring 34 points to take home the MVP.

Shooting  Stars Competition: Team New York beats Team Houston

The team of Allan Houston, Cappie Pondexter and Landry Fields took home the Shooting Skills title.

Skills Challenge: Tony Parker beat Rajon Rondo

Tony Parker proved to be the most skilled point guard on Saturday night.

Three Point Contest: Kevin Love beat Kevin Durant

Kevin Love is quite the dual threat taking home the 3 point championship.

Dunk Contest: Jeremy Evans beat  Paul George, Chase Budinger and Derrick Williams.

Evans dunked two balls at once to win the fans vote.

All Star Game: West 152, East 149

Kobe Bryant broke Michael Jordan's all time All Star scoring record with 271 points in the games history.

Dwyane Wade had only the third triple double in All Star history with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Kevin Durant had 36 points and took home the MVP.

NBA Power Rankings

1. Miami Heat 27-7- DWade had a triple double in the All-Star and still wasn’t even the best player on the court.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder 27-7 Durant won his first MVP in Sunday’s defense slugfest.

3. Chicago Cubs 27-8- Derrick Rose had 14 points in his starting role and Luol Deng only played six minutes.

4.  San Antonio Spurs 24-10- They’ve lost once the entire month of February.

5. Los Angeles Clippers 20-11- Paul had 12 assists, while Blake finished with 22 in the West 3 point win on Sunday.

6. Dallas Mavericks 21-13- Dirk has averaged 28 in the last four games, but the Mavericks have only gone 2-2.

7. Houston Rockets 20-14- Have won four out of five games, Kevin McHale is certainly in the running for Coach of the Year.

8. Orlando Magic 22-13- Now the Dwight Howards rumors begin….

9. Philadelphia 76ers 20-14- Limped into the All-Star on a five game losing streak, Oklahoma City and Chicago this week on tap.

10. Los Angeles Lakers 20-14- A players’ only meeting after a win?  Kobe took a shot in the nose in the All-Star Game, getting evaluated today.

11.  Indiana Pacers 21-12- Four game winning streak heading into the All-Star Game, but all of the wins were against the bottom feeders of the league.

12. Atlanta Hawks 20-14- A below average month for the Hawks, beating the Warriors will get them to 7-8.

13. Memphis Grizzlies 19-15- Have gone 7-2 in their last 9 and have got back on track after a disastrous start.

14.  Portland Trailblazers 18-16- a 40 point win over the Spurs is a great way to head into the break.

15. Denver Nuggets 18-17- Have lost five out of six, having a tough go with Ganillari out of the lineup.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves 17-17- Kevin Love won the three point contest on Saturday, edging out some guy named Durant.  If the Wolves finish above .500, Love should garner the MVP votes.

17. New York Knicks 17-18- We’ll find out what the Knicks are made of soon. Their next nine games are Boston, Dallas, Spurs, Bucks, Sixers, Bulls, Trailblazers, and the Pacers twice.

18. Boston Celtics 15-17- Pierce was just as awful in the All-Star Game as his team has been in their past five games.

19.  Utah Jazz 15-17- The Jazz wish this month would just end, 3-10 so far with two more games left.

20.  Cleveland Cavs 13-18- Kyrie Irving was fabulous in the Rising Stars game and Cavs fans are excited about his future.

21. Golden State Warriors 13-17- Warriors have some very impressive wins at home, Miami, Chicago and the Clippers.

22. Phoenix Suns 14-20- It’s getting a point where it might wise to move Steve Nash.

23. Milwaukee Bucks 13-20- Have fallen off the map, losing six out of seven, still only 2 and half games back of a playoff spot.

24. Detroit Pistons 11-24- Their record is poor, but they’ve had a winning month with two games left.

25.  Sacramento Kings 11-22- One would think the big win over the Thunder would be a turning point…nope. They’ve won one game since.

26. Toronto Raptors 10-23- Not a great year for the Toronto sports fans, at least they have Jose Bautista.

27. New Jersey Nets 10-25- Unless Williams and Lopez make magic, Williams could be out the door in the summer.

28.  New Orleans Hornets 8-25- The Chris Kaman will be in full force now as we get closer to the All-Star Break.

29.  Washington Wizards 7-26- Well, At least the Nationals will be decent.

30. Charlotte Bobcats 4-28- They can’t score.  86 points per game won’t get the job done.

Sports with Balls – Highlights

The Sports with Balls Blog has been live for approximately eight months. As we push towards out 400th post I figured I’d take a few moments to highlight some of our most successful articles.

Warren’s Highlights:

John Lannan needs a hug

The Diamondbacks are good, their announcers not so much.

Written in the Stars……

Jim Thome Signs With Phillies

RIP Danys Baez’ Phillies Career

The Most Exciting Night in Baseball History.

Warren’s All-Hate Team

Davey Johnson is a clown.

HK

Updated: Lakers acquire Chris Paul, Maybe not.

Marathon game ends on an awful call.

Chris Paul is finally traded!

 

Bill’s Highlights:

Ultimate SwBS Staff SuperTerrific Super Bowl Party!

2011 Sports with Balls Show NFC Predictions

2011 Sports with Balls Show AFC Predictions

Sports ADD

SwBS 2011 World Series Picks

Keystone State Memories

Scott’s Highlights:

In A World of Mascots, Who Reigns Supreme?

Scotty B’s All Ugly NBA Team

Springfield Spotlight

No No’s at the Ball Park

Francona Era Over in Boston

Uniforms: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Boston Massacre

 

Mike’s Highlights:

Seinfeld Sports Legacy

Sports with Balls Super Bowl XLVI Running Thoughts

Who stole Terry Francona’s Jersey?

Arthur Rhodes finally gets World Series Ring

Von Hayes Tribute

Bo Knows

Miami Marlins uniforms revealed

Cheap Hits

Astros General Manager Ed Wade Fired

Matt Stairs Phillies Legend Retires

 

Matt’s Highlights:

Gary Carter (1954-2012)

A Look Back at Carlos Beltran’s Time With the Mets

Did Sports With Balls Curse the Mets?

What Happened To the Baseball All-Star Game?

 

Cheap Hits

Title says it all, just looking for a few quick hits to the blog.  Thanks for viewing the “Sports with Balls Blog”! Please check back soon!

Brooke Adams - Impact Wrestling

Alex Morgan - Soccer Player in Body Paint

Kate Upton - Model

Blake Lively - Actress

Amber Heard - Actress/Model

Carrie Underwood - Country Artist

Alyssa Milano - Actress

Alex Morgan is an athlete and Alyssa Milano is a baseball fan, therefore this qualifies as a sports post…..hopefully you’ve enjoyed.

Trying to Buy Jewlery Doesn’t Always Work Out

The Detroit Tigers certainly made an offseason splash in signing Prince Fielder for $214,000,000(yes 6 zeroes) over 9 years.  While a lineup with Fielder and Miguel Cabrera is certainly fearsome for White Sox and Indians fans the Tigers have issues to figure out that might not be solvable with their current roster.  15 years ago I bought a girl a ring – nothing spectacular and certainly not engagement quality but to me at the time it probably represented more  then the close to one million times larger the Tigers just signed up for.  Go ahead and try this nonsense when you’re young and dumb.  It works just the same when you’re old and desperate for a title.

Just like I had a defensive jealousy about me the Tigers have a second base issue in Brandon Inge’s candidacy for the spot. While the city is divided into great guy/horrible hitter camps the bottom line is going to be determined by the guy can recognize enough of his own issues to at least contribute. It becomes dificult to balance whether he really cares or just says the right things when he shows up after most of the team for Spring Training. Just like the girl sulks off to the minors to cool off from you and you start to learn the game of being young and able to pick up the oppo sex again she’ll slap you across the face at work Brandon Inge will break you off and come back with a game winning homer just to show you he’s back in.  Before you know it you’re in the same situation again – hanging onto something that just isn’t there. I like Brandon Inge I don’t dislike my ex but seeing either one of them leaves me feeling like I was punched in a special location.

A note to the young turks out there – don’t go changing yourself either.  Whether she wants you to wear argyle socks or to shave more often just be where you can be the best you.  Whatever cologne she sticks you with isn’t yours. She just marked her territory – no matter how good you think you smell – you smell like hers. The Tigers moving Miguel Cabrera isn’t exactly putting Brooks Robinson on 3rd and it isn’t putting Mark Reynolds there either.  Let’s admit that it likely isn’t putting the best Cabrera on the field either.  You can’t help but love what Cabrera brings to the plate and he transitioned to first base well enough to avoid being a liability in the field. Moving him back to third to find a slot for Fielder is a risk with huge stakes.  If it works I will be the first to throw back a celebratory shot, light a victory cigar, and call Dave Dombrowski a genius but if it fails they have a lot of shuffling to do and like the eventual result of a relationship split Jim Leyland is going to smoke 3 packs of Camel unfiltered.  I guarantee this.  In fact 3 packs might be a step down for the skipper.

And if it does blow up in their faces long term the fan base will go thru the painful steps of rage, sadness, hope, and eventual acceptance.  We’ll look back fondly on what didn’t work and what could’ve been and remember that it made us better long term so long as we don’t get it wrong again.

Sometimes you have to realize you don’t need the enigmatic first emotional option.  No matter how great it seemed you look back and realize that ALCS win wasn’t getting it over the wall.  Sometimes you find your championship comes from a Derek Jeter-esque Welsh Terrier, a ManRam-esque Airedale, and someone unexpected and extraordinary putting it all together for you.  Sometimes you wait for the ring to develop – just like you wait out your prospects.  The Tigers have made a bid for immediate returns and despite a potential murder’s row they’re likely to be judging the final result on the basis of someone unexpected who comes thru – I’m rooting for Brennan Boesch.  After all my lucky # is 26 and it seemed to work out for me despite a rebuilding process after the emotion of trying to buy that first ring wore off.

NBA Power Rankings

1. Miami Heat 25-7- Recently had a back to back to back and went 3-0, winning each game by double digits.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder 25-7- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook became the first duo of teammates to score 40 points in a game since  MJ and Pippen in 1996.

3. San Antonio Spurs 22-9- 10 game winning streak for the old team that won’t win a championship according to the experts.

The injury bug hits Manu again. He’ll miss two more weeks with a strained oblique strain.

4. Chicago Bulls 26-8- Derrick Rose finally returns and they dominate the Atlanta Hawks.

5. Dallas Mavericks 21-12- Fell victim to the Linsanity on Sunday, but have won 7 out of 8.

6. LA Clippers 19-10- Weird game against the Spurs. Chris Paul turnover leads to a game tying three and then they lose in OT.

7. Philadelphia 76ers 20-12- That was an awful call to end the game.  That still isn’t a foul on Kevin Love.

8. Orlando Magic 21-12- When they don’t make their threes and Dwight doesn’t feel like playing, you have games like Sunday against Miami.

9. Houston Rockets 19-14-

Kyle Lowry is having a break out year, averaging 15 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds a game.

 10. Memphis Grizzlies 18-15- Have won 6 out of 8 with Philadelphia and Dallas coming up on a short home stand.

11. Los Angeles Lakers 18-13-Brutal stretch with Dallas, Oklahoma City and Minnesota coming up.

12.  Atlanta Hawks 19-13- A brutal stretch against Miami, LA, Phoenix, Portland and Chicago has gone 1-4 so far.  Knicks and Magic still left on tap before Golden State to end the month.

13.Indiana Pacers 19-12- Wins against New Jersey and Charlotte come after losing five in a row.

14.  Portland Trail Blazers 17-15- It’s been an up and down month for Portland. Wins over Denver and Atlanta are nullified by losses  to Washington and Sacramento.

15.  Denver Nuggets 17-15- Were apart of history Sunday…not in a good way.  The Nuggets were the first team to give up a 50 point, 40 point, and triple-double to a trio of teammates in NBA history in their loss to the Thunder.

16.  Minnesota TWolves 16-16- Rubio and Love are making it fun to be Timberwolves fan again.

17. New York Knicks 16-17-

That's all you need. LINSANITY 2012

 18. Utah Jazz 15-16- Continue to fall back to Earth with only three wins this month.

19. Boston Celtics 15-16- Just when you thought they figured it out, a 4 game losing streak including two losses to the Pistons makes you wonder.

20. Cleveland Cavs 12-17- Kyrie continues to marvel, averaging 18 points, 5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.

21. Phoenix Suns 13-19- Steve Nash’s assists in his last four games, 16,17,14,11.

22. Milwaukee Bucks 13-19- Brandon Jennings doesn’t want to be there and that’s not good news for Bucks fans.

23. Golden State Warriors 11-17- At least the Run TMC bobbleheads will keep fans interested for a little while.

24.Detroit Pistons 11-22- Have had a really good month, going 7-3, including two wins over Boston.

25. Sacramento Kings 10-21- Since that impressive win over OKC on National TV, the Kings have lost 5 straight including losses to Detroit and Cleveland.

26. New Jersey Nets 10-24- At least Brook Lopez is back….

27. Toronto Raptors 9-23- Jose Calderon is in the top 5 in assists…and that’s about all I got.

28. New Orleans Hornets 7-24- Have actually won three out of four.

29. Washington Wizards 7-25- A lost cause….

30. Charlotte Bobcats 4-27- Could go down as one of the worst in NBA history.

NCAA Basketball Top Ten Recap

10. Marquette (22-5) (Beat UConn 79-64)

Jae Crowder had 29 points and 12 rebounds in a win over UConn.

9. Ohio State (22-5) (Beat Minnesota 78-68, lost to Michigan 56-51)

Jared Sullinger had 23 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Minnesota.

8. Georgetown (20-5) (Beat Providence 63-53)

Hollis Thompson had 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Providence.

7. North Carolina (23-4) (Beat Miami 73-64, beat Clemson 74-52)

Harrison Barnes had 24 points and 7 rebounds in a win over Clemson.

6. Michigan State (22-5) (Beat Wisconsin 69-55, beat Purdue 76-62)

Draymond Green had 20 points and 10 rebounds in win over Wisconsin.

5. Kansas (22-5) (Beat Kansas State 59-53, beat Texas Tech 83-50)

Jeff Withey had 18 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Kansas State.

4. Duke (23-4) (Beat NC State 78-73, beat Boston College 75-50)

Seth Curry had 26 points and 4 rebounds in a win over NC State.

3. Missouri (25-2) (Beat Oklahoma State 83-65, beat Texas A&M 71-62)

Kim English had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in a win over Texas A&M.

2. Syracuse (27-1) (Beat Louisville 52-51, beat Rutgers 74-64)

Fab Melo had 11 points and 6 rebounds in a close win over Louisville.

1. Kentucky (26-1) (Beat Ole Miss 77-62)

Terrence Jones had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Ole Miss.

Spring Draws Close

As camps open across Major League Baseball this weekend it is a sure sign that spring is near.  Baseball fans across the country are filled with excitement and anticipation as the new season inches closer.  The excitement of the new season is in the unknown.  What will the story lines of the 2012 season be?  Who will rise & fall?  Can it match the excitement of what we witnessed last year?

The 2011 regular season ended with a bang…epic comebacks, the brutal collapse of two teams, unlikely heroes……

The 2011 post season provided fans with 38 out of a possible 41 playoff games, concluding with an exciting 7-game World Series.

David Freese World Series Game 6

2011 Season by the numbers

Potential 2012 story lines:

King Albert heads west

The Angels were the big winners at the winter meetings with the addition of Albert Pujols & CJ Wilson, will it be enough to over take the Rangers in the AL West?

Miguel Cabrera will get an extra boost with Prince on board

Can anyone compete with the powerful Tigers (Miguel Cabrera/Prince Fielder/Justin Verlander) in the AL Central?

Papelbon, Francona and other have moved on

Will the Red Sox be able to bounce back from a killer September in a competitive AL East?

The Diamondbacks shocked the Giants in 2011

Who is the team to watch in the NL West?  The defending division champion Diamondbacks added talent but the Giants continue to thrive with young talented pitching.

The additions of Ryan Madson & Mat Latos along with a Joey Votto could mean a dangerous Reds squad

Do big loses by the Cardinals & Brewers make the Reds the favorite for the bounce back year in the NL Central?

Halladay-Lee-Hamels is still the top trio of starter in baseball

The NL East looks to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.  Do the aging Phillies still hold the advantage or is it time for the Nationals, Marlins & Braves to rise?

What will the 2012 season hold?  That is to be decided from April-October 2012. As camps open so does the seasons journey…