All that said, The Eagles needed to trade McNabb. This team is rebuilding even if they won’t admit it. To bring McNabb back to this young a team would be a problem.

Andy Reid has a proven ability to build a team from scratch. All we can do is trust that he can do it again, because if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t get better from here. Think about those Buffalo Bills – four Super Bowls and nothing since.

I’m not sure I believe this team is good enough to even hold their own next year. The Kevin Kolbs and Lesean McCoys haven’t shown me anything yet. Futhermore, outside of the the receiving corps, every other position on this team has holes: O-Line, D-Line, linebacker, secondary, all are problematic.

Next year won’t be pretty, and remember this – the Redskins are now better than the Eagles. Let’s hope that doesn’t last too long, because the fans of Philadelphia will run Kolb out of town at first sign of trouble.

Let’s also give credit to the Phillies offense – they did what they did against all of the teams prior to the Yankees. The Dodgers (twice), the Rockies, the Rays, and the Brewers – each series the Phillies won game one and in each series the Phillies offense made those teams pay. They outlasted C.C. Sabathia, got to the Yankees’ bullpen (a bullpen that seems to be more of a concern than the Phillies’ bullpen), and exposed them.

Onto Game 2. Wondering what we’ll see from Pedro. The dispassionate observers want a good series – I want the Phillies to destroy the Yankees. Let’s hope this is the beginning.

The Angels are a good team, and if they come back to win the series, they would have big momentum on their side. My choosing the Yankees has nothing to do with that though. I want the Yankees because beating them with make the rest of the league stand up and take notice. I have no doubt that the Phillies are the best team in the majors. We have what everyone else wants, even the Yankees. They have a couple of guys that were around in 2000, but most of them weren’t. The Phillies walk with a swagger and a confidence that reveals a true champion.

Bring on the Yankees. Let’s see if the Phils can bring “mystique and aura” down a peg.

Jimmy Rollins has always been my favorite player on the team – he plays the game with a swagger; he not only excels in the big moment, he looks forward to it and embraces it. I can’t say I knew Rollins was going to hit that game winning hit, but I wasn’t surprised. (My neighbors will probably tell you I was – but was jubilation and excitement – not surprise.)

These Phillies are something special.

About that 9th inning: the opposite of red light player is Jonathan Broxton. He pitches around Matt Stairs, a .194 hitter. Before this series Broxton stated that he was looking forward to getting Stairs again – and this was what he does? He’s throwing 101 MPH, and he pitches around a guy that has done nothing, nothing except embarrass Broxton. On the other extreme let’s give Brad Lidge a ton of credit. He comes in and keeps that game in check, giving the offense a chance to come back. Six closers have blown saves this postseason – not one of them is Lidge. Who’d have thunk?

As for Wednesday’s game – bring on Vincente Padilla. He is in no way Cliff Lee, someone who you fear seeing a second time in a series. I don’t think Padilla can repeat last Friday’s performance. Give me Padilla at Citizens Bank Park and we’ll see what happens.

If the 11-0 loss Sunday night was hard to forget for the Dodgers – how do they put tonight’s loss out of their heads?

At some point someone needs to represent the paying fan. 3.6 million fans supported the Phillies fans this year by buying tickets for this team. This is despite a recession, escalating unemployment rates, and an economy that doesn’t look to get better for some time. The Phillies sold more tickets that at any point in their history even though though Veterans Stadium held 17,000 more fans per game. Someone needs to represent us.

It’s never a good idea for businesses to entirely disregard the wishes of their customers. When times get tough, businesses rely on loyal customers to get them through. All it would have taken is just one evening game to satisfy most fans – but the fact that both games come during the work day on the east coast is a slap in the face.

Hopefully the MLB will hear their customers/fans on this and make changes going forward.

I keep hearing how the Phillies have to keep him as closer because they don’t have a better option. Wrong. Right now Lidge is the worst option. It’s time for the bullpen by committee. Maybe Ryan Madson can’t do it day in day out – but one day at a time Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee can select a pitcher based on the situation. When Romero and Myers are back – forget the “Bridge to Lidge” – that bridge goes nowhere. Here’s another crazy idea – how about Chan Ho Park?

The Phillies are too close to another World Series to let it slide away because of misplaced loyalty. We have enough time to figure something out and at least patch things together for the playoffs – but sticking our heads in the sand isn’t going to work. The worst thing we can do is nothing.

Thank goodness the Phillies have come back to their rightful spot as #1 in my sports heart.

That said.

There’s a lot of talk about how he shouldn’t be allowed back in the NFL, that he was given his chance and he blew it. Well that isn’t how this country works. I can see preventing him from taking jobs that are related to his offense – so he can’t work at a kennel or at a pet store, but the NFL is a sports league, and I think a lot of people forget that. Each NFL team is their own company and makes the decision on their own. It seems somehow un-American for people to be saying that the NFL should have prevented the teams from making this hiring decision. I don’t know if that is a country I want to be part of.

I think that people want him to pay and pay and pay again. That again is not how this country works. If you want that type of legal system, move to Iran – I think we all see how people are treated there.

I do wish someone else had signed him – I don’t want my team associated with a thug like him. We now have the most hated man in all of sports. It kind of sickens me, but that said – he’s done his time, I see no need to punish him further.

Add to the mix that Pedro Martinez struck out 11 in 6 innings and while he gave up 3 runs, looked like a guy that could help this team now. I don’t know how you do it, but if there is a 5 man rotation, it should be Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and Pedro Martinez.

Another thing – I really think if the Blue Jays had said they’d take either Happ or Kyle Drabek instead of both, that deal could have been made. They must be kicking themselves.

I don’t envy Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Rich Dubee – but they better get this right.

This past weekend’s games with Giants were demoralizing for many, not for me. The Giants played well in San Francisco, in a series that at the end of the day, doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot. The Giants are a good team, but what they’re not is playoff tested, and they can’t hit their way out of a wet paper bag. The other thing to remember is that unless the Phillies falter over the next month, their road will be easier than the one the Giants face to get to the playoffs. The Phils need to play strong down the stretch to make sure that they can set up their rotation going into the playoffs.

Folks – the season only just beginning. You won’t remember what happened prior to today, you’ll remember what happens between now and October 4th.

Take deep breaths, buckle your seat belts – it’s going to be  a bumpy ride.

That said…

There is a little less than 48 hours left in the trade deadline an the Phillies have some major tradable pieces to go out and strengthen the bullpen. Hell, Cito Gaston even joked that the Phillies could still get Halladay – they still have the pieces to get him.

Cliff Lee is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has been pitching really well, and is half the price of Halladay. Everyone in this city has been going crazy demanding only one player thinking that this was a guarantee of the World Series but remember this – the Brewers got C.C. Sabathia last year and the Cubs got Rich Harden and neither team made it past the first round. Roy Halladay guaranteed nothing.

Outstanding questions:

• Who is the odd man out of the rotation? Pedro Martinez or Happ?
• The Phillies picked up Ben Francisco, a right handed batting outfielder, so who’s out? John Mayberry Jr or Eric Bruntlett?
• Are there other trades in the offing?

It’s a great time to be a Phillies fan. Not only are we buyers, but we’re buying five star properties and have minor league prospects that other teams covet. Gotta love it. Great job Rueben.