Good morning and welcome to day 36 without a championship in Philadelphia. Charlie and the Olympian
We've been touting the genius as well as the Tao (yes, the Tao!) of Phils skipper Charlie Manuel for four years now. In fact, we were so far out in front of the pack in lauding Charlie, that we have lapped everyone else. In fact, I still have copies of the nasty e-mails I received when I wrote something at the end of the 2005 season suggesting that the Phillies should give Charlie a contract extension pronto.
Needless to say it hasn't been easy for Charlie or his supporters in Philadelphia. Actually, it was April 18, 2007 when talking head Keith Olbermann told Dan Patrick of The Dan Patrick Show that Charlie's days were numbered.
To wit:
"I’m a little worried about the Phillies," Olbermann said. "What I saw there looked like chaos to me and I don’t know if it’s going to go well.
“I think Charlie Manuel is going to get fired. I think the Phillies have woefully mismanaged their pitching staff. They have starters who should be relieving and relievers who should be starting and it’s a mess. The batting order is a mistake. Pat Burrell was not the guy to bat behind Ryan Howard and it’s going to ruin Ryan Howard this season and it’s even going to hurt Chase Utley ahead of him because they’re going to pitch around Howard and Utley isn’t going to have a chance to steal bases. Wes Helms at third base might be a good hitter, but they are just now noticing that he might not be the most mobile infielder. There are a lot of problems and I’m not really sure if Charlie Manuel is a good manager.”
Man, was he ever wrong on that one.
Needless to say, winning the World Series has a way of making folks take notice of a guy. It also forces a lot of people to re-evaluate some things, though it's rare that these re-evaluators will ever admit making a boneheaded, knee-jerk reaction based largely on a bit of regional xenophobia.
Be that as it is, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci really stepped up and gave Charlie some big kudos. Actually, it was better than that. Verducci nominated Manuel for the magazine's prestigious "Sportsman of the Year" Award against the likes of president-elect Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, Bill Russell and Usain Bolt, amongst others. Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins also received a nomination for the award won by record-breaking gold medal winner, Michael Phelps.
Charlie's newfound celebrity isn't quite to the level of most of his fellow nominees, but the acknowledgment from SI feels like the cherry on the top of a very interesting year.
Quoth Verducci:
Charlie Manuel never won a gold medal or a manager of the year award. Never has he been called a "genius" or an "innovator." Corporate America would not prefer his kind of elocution for motivational speeches. (When asked about his famous run-in with a Philadelphia radio host, Manuel said, "I don't want to hash it.") There is nothing fancy about the guy. And that is why Manuel is my choice for Sportsman of the Year. He is a proxy for all those baseball lifers who love what they do. He also is proof that success does not require a good and honest man to change.
Manuel's story is remarkably without ego or privilege. In the western Virginia hills Manuel grew up poor and he grew up fast, especially from that day his father, Charles Sr., left a suicide note to the teenage "Fook," as his mother called him, to take care of his mama and his 10 siblings. Charlie did so by forsaking a possible college basketball scholarship to take a $20,000 bonus from the Minnesota Twins. Manuel hit .198 in 242 major league games before leaving for a prolific playing career in Japan. When Manuel, upon being hired by the Phillies to manage, was asked in a questionnaire to identify his funniest baseball moment, he replied, "My entire career as a player in the states."
Hey, who knows... maybe when ol' Charlie hits Vegas next week for the baseball winter meetings he'll find his name in all the celebrity gossip rags with Phelps. It could happen, right?
In the meantime, Charlie has a speaking gig set up in Charlottesville, Va. for Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, closer Brad Lidge showed up to visit his old alma mater in South Bend, Ind. last week, and got a little face time on the Notre Dame football network, a.k.a., NBC.
Taxpayer Stadium looking good
As the hot-stove season is about to begin in earnest this weekend, bringing some new additions to a lot of big-league clubs, the hated New York Mets' new digs are coming along nicely.
Now all they need to do is come up with a name for the joint...
Let's chat...
A day after becoming a dad to twins, Donovan McNabb skipped the paternity leave and showed up at the NovaCare complex for practice yesterday. The Eagles' QB even took some to time to talk with the press about a whole bunch of topics. However, before the topic could turn to diapers, rashes, immunizations and midnight feedings, McNabb revealed that he wants to have a sit-down with the team's brass...
Sounds like someone might get whacked.
Anyway, we're not sure about the names or what type of cigars McNabb passed out, but we're pleased to hear everyone is healthy and happy.
Happy and healthy aren't the best adjectives to describe star-crossed Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress these days after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh with a gun in a nightclub. On the "phew" side for Burress, the defending Super Bowl champs left the door open for a possible return. But the thing about that is it's just not going to happen this year since the team suspended the receiver for the rest of the year without pay.
Here's the beef
Man... aside from the sellout crowd, the 76ers probably aren't too excited about Kobe Bryant's return to his hometown. That's because Kobe wrecked the Sixers with 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting in 36 minutes during the 114-102 victory. Interestingly, Bryant says he usually shows up in Philadelphia intent on visiting old spots and eating an authentic cheesesteak, however, this trip he said he was more focused on work and pushing the Lakers' record to 15-2.
As if the big game wasn't enough, Kobe and Bartram High alum and Philly hoops legend Earl Monroe shared a moment last night.
Man... talk about some talent. They called Monroe "The Pearl" and "Black Jesus," but what he really was on the playgrounds in Philly back in the day was "The Truth."
A rough night got slightly rougher for the Sixers, who lost Elton Brand late in the game with a tweaked hamstring. Before the game, GM Ed Stefanski told reporters that he isn't second-guessing the decision to sign Brand despite the 8-11 start.
Holy Toledo? Though Joe Paterno's head coaching future is very much up in the air after Penn State plays in the Rose Bowl, the legendary coach's son might in line for the head coaching gig at Toledo, according to reports.
Who knows, if things don't work out at State, perhaps Jay Paterno could hire his dad for the staff?
"I don’t have any weapons. I don’t own any weapons unless you call a couple of Louisville sluggers and aluminum baseball bats some of my weapons, but if you come into my house I am going to turn into Barry Bonds on you."
- Donovan McNabb