No more excuses for the Eagles, it is time to get it done

Here we go again, the Eagles own the best record in the NFC and have earned home field throughout the playoffs.  They are for the third consecutive season only two wins away from going to the Super Bowl.  They lost Terrell Owens in the Dallas game a couple weeks ago, and by the time they kickoff their playoffs, they would not have played a meaningful game in almost a month, but there is no reason this team cannot get to Jacksonville.

The Philadelphia Eagles are still the best team in the pathetic NFC and the only team that can beat the Eagles is the Eagles.  They have the talent to get it done even without T.O.  Andy Reid needs to put his team in the best position to win and the players have to go out and perform.  Easier said then done, but if the Eagles play up to their capabilities nobody in this conference can beat them.

The first game against the Vikings should not even scare them a little bit.  The Eagles have the best secondary in the NFL with Brian Dawkins, Michael Lewis, Lito Shepard and Sheldon Brown.  The Vikings will not be able to capitalize on their deep passing game like they did against the suspect Green Bay Packers defense.  The Vikings do not have a much of a defense to speak of either and there is no reason Donovan McNabb can not pick them a part all day, no to mention the headache that Brian Westbrook presents for the Vikings.  He is huge threat catching the ball out of the backfield and look for the Eagles to split him out wide a good deal too, to compensate for the absence of T.O.

The winner of the Atlanta/St. Louis is not going to come into the Linc either and present any real threat to the Eagles.  Throughout these playoffs the Eagles must play their game, by playing high-pressure defense as they do so well and utilize the skills of McNabb and the mismatch that is Westbrook on the offensive side. Reid cannot become conservative and needs allow the better team to go out there and win.  The Eagles even without T.O. are still the favorite and his injury is not a reason or an excuse not to win two straight games at home.

They are the best team in the NFC bar none and God help Reid's squad if they do not get it done this time.  The NFC title is there for the taking and this time around the Eagles need to reach out and grab it.  As for the Super Bowl, worry about that when they get there, as anything can happen in one game and do not rule out T.O. running out onto that field just yet.

MY PREDICTIONS:  NFC title game, Eagles over the Falcons/ AFC title game Patriots over the Steelers.

Super Bowl, overtime for the first time ever in this game and from there who knows???? .     

Most nationally over hyped stories of 2004

There were plenty of stories uplifting and tragic, good and bad in the 2004 year in sports, but there were a few that would just not go away.  Here is brief look at the top five most over hyped stories of 2004:

5. Peyton Manning and the entire Manning family:  Peyton Manning did have an unbelievable season as he chased down Dan Marino's record of touchdown passes in a single season, but enough already how he and his family is God's gift to football.  Manning (Peyton that is) just won his first playoff game ever last year and last time I checked he still has not played in a Super Bowl. Show me a little more success in the playoffs and then maybe we can start comparing him to likes or Marino and John Elway.  Eli had a great season with the Giants too, I bet his overrated pop, Archie wishes his son was in San Diego now.

4. T.O.'s promo before Monday Football with Nicolette Sheridan:  Who really cares (See last month's Kovack's Takes)?  It was all in good fun and nobody got hurt, well at least not then anyway.

3. The Kobe Bryant case:  The guy has always been a jerk and this should have come as no surprise to people that he was involved in something like this.  However there was way too much coverage of this case that didn't really seem much like a case anyway.  Any Kobe is too much Kobe, but this was over the top and in on the court he will never win another title without Shaquille O'Neal.

2. Janet Jackson exposed at the Super Bowl:  We all know it was not a wardrobe malfunction and for about a second everybody got a glimpse of her breast, but for all the complaining about it happening the television stations had no problems airing it 1200 times a day.  It was wrong, but an eight-year kid sees more watching cable TV and professional wrestling anyway.

1. The Boston Red Sox:  How did a team with such a big payroll become such a darling underdog story.  Let's not forget there were the favorites in all three series they were in including the one against the Yankees, were they put themselves down three games to none.  That comeback was great, but pardon me while I don't feel sorry for a city that has won two NFL championships in the past two years and practically bought the World Series title.  1918, this!

The Report Cards Are In: Which professional Philadelphia sports team scored high marks in 2004?

Philadelphia Eagles (Incomplete):  The regular season has been phenomenal, but been there done that, with the real season starting in January.  The only thing that matters for this team is how they perform come playoff time and anything short of a trip to the Super Bowl is unacceptable. 

How to improve in 2005:  There is only one-way and we all know what that is.

Philadelphia Phillies (D-)):  This team's performance passes by the slimmest of margins for 04 and I'm not really sure why.  They failed to make the playoffs again, and continue to stand pat while the other teams in the division get better.  Adding a stopgap in KennyLofton and John Lieber is not going to cut it.  And to top it off Ed Wade and the gang had the audacity to raise ticket prices.

How to improve in 2005:  Make the playoffs and the only way they can do that is by getting rid of Ed Wade, and the only way that is going to happen is ifthey sell the team.   It looks like it is going to be another long summer for fans of the Phils.

Philadelphia 76ers (C+):  They had a solid "F" in the first half of 04, but are heading in the right directionthis year with the solid play of Allen Iverson, drafting Andre Iguodala and bringing in a supposedly better coach in Jim O'Brien.

How to improve in 2005:  The same old story hold true here.  They need to get a number two score to compliment Iverson and O'Brien needs to find some sort of rotation after using multiple different lineups in the fist half of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers (F):  They lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals and they do not even have a sport right now.  There is not much else to be said.

How to improve in 2005:  Playing hockey and having an actual season would be a nice start.

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Have and questions or comments?Agree/Disagree?Send all responses to blkovack@yahoo.com.