The Winless Winter of 2006-07 - The Quest for Ping Pong Balls for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Sixers
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by user Christof
Today is December 18, 2006. The Philadelphia Flyers currently sit with a record of 8-20-4, while the Philadelphia Sixers currently hold a record of 5-18. At this rate, the Sixers and Flyers may win 30 games COMBINED this winter. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
The NHL base its standings on points. Each team gets 2 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. Therefore, the Flyers have 20 points. The good news is that only the St. Louis Blues have as few points as the Flyers. The bad news is that the NHL has a draft lottery and the 2007 draft class lacks star power. The worse news is that the Flyers are years away from contending for the Stanley Cup again. The Flyers organization was built on a ice hokcey strategy that i out of date. Gone are the days of the clutching and grabbing and mugging. In its place, speed and agility reign supreme. The Flyers have a lot of the former, and very little of the latter. They also have salary cap issues because of long-term deals for over-the-hill defensemen.
The Flyers, this season, has seen its GM resign because he was burn-out, though I think the burn-out came about when he realized how bad this team was going to be, its first head coach fired, who was then hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets, and had it first captain retire because of concussion issues, and its new captain sidelined by first foot ligaments that have been stretched beyond use, and now, a concussion.
All of this simply spells disaster, which this season has been, for the Flyers. Sadly, the worse of it is yet to hit.
Now lets talk about the Sixers. The team started off to a fast 3-0 start. Since then, they have gone 2-18, yes, 2-18! This includes a now current 11 game losing streak. The good news is that the Sixers are in line to get either salary relief or young players / draft picks in the soon-to-be-made Allen Iverson trade. Also, the 2007 Draft will likely feature one Greg Odem, who is expected to be the next great center in the NBA. The bad news is that the Memphis Grizzles still have a worse record than the Sixers, and Billy King remains the GM of the club. Who knows, the Sixers may win the draft lottery, and then watch Billy King trade the picks away, maybe for some magic basketballs.
Oh yeah, a comment must be made about Allen Iverson. He was to the Sixers what Eric Lindros was to the Flyers - the player who was going to bring a championship to town, but in the end, failed, and failed miserably. It is true that Iverson is a great individual basketball player. Unfortunately, basketball is a team sport, and A.I. was never much of a teammate or leader. And we are not simply talking about practice here. So, thanks for a memory or two during your time here in the City of Brotherly Love, but we won't miss you too much. And for the team that gets you, to the fans, do not expect a changed Iverson. Expect the same old, same old. And that will mean great stats, but no rings.
And as the long cold winter begins to set in here in Philadelphia, we do have some hope, even though the winless Sixers and Flyers will make it seem like winter will never end. The Philadelphia Eagles have risen from the dead, and are likely to make the NFC playoffs. Who knows, the NFC is terrible this year. Any team can make it to the Super Bowl from the NFC. And after watching the St. Louis Cardinals beat a superior [{Detroit Tigers]] in the World Series, you got to believe anything is possible. And no matter what the Eagles will ultimately do, the Philadelphia Phillies are only weeks away from spring training. With the return of National League MVP Ryan Howard and All-Star second baseman Chase Utley, with an improved starting rotation, it is possible that there could be some magic down in South Philadelphia come the summer and fall of 2007! But before the potential joy of that season, we Philadelphia sports fan must endure the remainder of this winless winter!
