Philly Front Office

Episode 18: All is Fine with Quentin Grimes Edition

Join me on a tour of our teams with an extra added stop at the end in hopes of preventing my podcast dismount awkwardness.
Our first stop is the Sixers and their seemingly never-ending contract negotiations with Quentin Grimes.  Fear not listeners, he has no where else to go.  That stinks for him, but it's good for the Sixers.  It is just a matter of time.
Next, gaze out upon your first place Phillies who, despite their place in the standings, make me want to rip my eyeballs out.  Why you ask?  Well, tonight's game in the house of horrors that is Oracle Park will be started not by Mick Abel or Andrew Painter, but by Taijuan Walker.  Wonderful.
Our third stop is the Flyers who have flown through their $20m budget and land roughly the same exact team as last season just without the annoying coach and with Trevor Zegras.  That's ok!
Lastly, we are 2 weeks from the start of Eagles Training Camp and 8 weeks from the start of the regular season where the Eagles are absolutely the favorites to repeat.
Did I say last stop?  I forgot, we are trying a soft landing here.  Each week we will discuss whatever date in Philly sports history we happen to be closest to.  First up...damnit...its the 57th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain getting traded to the Lakers.  Why do I even bother!

Episode 17: Front Office SZN Edition

The Flyers and Sixers are drafting and spending while the Phillies close in on the All-Star Break in first place.  Still no Eagles news, so we have to create some using the problems facing everyone else!
 - Sixers draft VJ Edgecombe but lose Guerschon Yabusele.  Quentin Grimes still in the wind
 - Flyers draft Porter Martone and wouldn't it be awesome if he flattened Cutter Gauthier one day?
 - Phillies must prepare to lose Mick Abel to make this team the contender it needs to be
 - Eagles should not think about trading Nolan Smith for TJ Watt
 

Episode 16: Double Draft Edition

We have not one but TWO drafts this week!
Starting Wednesday, the first round of the NBA draft kicks off at 8pm.  The Sixers are picking 3rd and, just like the rest of the league, could be making some moves.  We have already seen 4 big trades in the last ten days and things are heating up.  Expect the Draft to have some fireworks including a possible Spurs trade out of #2 for Giannis.  It just makes too much sense.
On Friday, the First round of the NHL draft kicks off with the Flyers picking at 6.  There are 4 possible guys ready to be picked in the 3-6 range and the Flyers will unfortunately have to pick up the scraps of that group.  They made a big trade for Trevor Zegras this week but still have a ton of draft ammo to either pick or move around.  The NHL Draft is going to be the Flyers show.
The FIRST PLACE PHILLIES just took 2 much needed games from the Mets and now face the Astros before going to Atlanta.  We look ahead to the trade deadline and who needs to lose.
As for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts wrote a children's book because of course he did!

Episode 15: The Phillies are BACK Edition

What fan bases is it appropriate to give a sarcastic GO BIRDS to?  Obviously, the Giants, Cowboys, and Commanders.  Definitely the Chiefs.  Is that it?
 
I go into the Phillies Towel Game Anniversary, The Rafael Devers Trade, the Pre-All-Star Break schedule, and what the playoff pitching staff could look like.
Then it's the Sixers and the 41st anniversary of the legendary 1984 draft, trade season, draft season, and how the Spurs are in a great but unfortunate spot.
The Flyers are coming up on some anniversaries themselves including the Eric Lindros draft and the Ilya Bryzgalov/Jeff Carter/Mike Richards mess.
Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Eagles!!!  Let's talk about next year's extensions for the Philly Bulldogs including Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, and even Kelee Ringo.

Episode 14: Youth Gone Wild Edition

The younglings are the focus around Philly sports right now. 
 - The Phillies are imploding and their only options at the moment are pilfering their farm teams.  Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter need to join Otto Kemp and Mick Abel in the majors as soon as possible. 
 - The Eagles have 13 draft picks and $28m in cap space ready to use on different cap casualties across the league
 - The Sixers are 2 weeks away from the NBA draft and are the focus of the league.  What they do at #3 shapes everyone else in the top 10.  IT should be exciting.
The Flyers have their draft immediately after the Sixers.  They have not one, not two, not three...but SEVEN picks in the top 48.  I am going to watch the NHL draft just to see the Flyers always on the clock and to listen to the NHL equivalent of Mel Kiper, whoever that is. 

Episode 13: 42 Years Without a Sixers Championship

On May 31, 1983 the Sixers won the championship, sweeping the Lakers.  In the 42 years since then, they have been to the championship once, the world's population has nearly doubled and there are now 50 states!  Also in that time I was born, my sister was born, and our mother left her car in Florida and told us to drive it up.  So that's what we did during this podcast.

Episode 12: Never Enough Eggplants

AJ and I run down the last week in Philly-ville while he gives his confidence level in all of our teams using the most relevant possible currency, eggplants.  5 eggplants and you got yourself a stew.

Episode 11: Armando Does Dallas...and New York!

Armando and I have been friends a long time despite him being a Cowboys fan. We got past that through a lot of Simpsons jokes and 2 Eagles Super Bowl championships. He's also a Spurs fan. Come to think of it, me having the Eagles and Sixers is a hell of a lot like him having the Spurs and Cowboys. We both know one of our teams will do everything right while the other will do everything wrong. Set your watch to it (a long with the haircut of Johnny Unitas).
We are talking Cowboys, tush pushing, Spurs trades, Sixers suckitude, and - oh yeah - he lives in NYC so we get a boots on the ground view of Knicks misery and Mets Juan Soto remorse.

Episode 10: Shame and Abel

After not a lot of news coming out of our teams last week, the Phillies decided to drop some bombs this weekend.  Jose Alvarado is suspended for 80 games and the playoffs after having us all convinced that his 102mph fastball was back naturally.  To make up for it, the Phillies mercifully placed Aaron Nola on the IL and brought up their prized prospect...MICK ABEL!!!  We all thought it might be Andrew Painter for a minute, but instead Mick Abel made his debut and absolutely shoved against Paul Skenes.  Those two guys and the 6 other viable Phillies starters might be the eventual answer to the depleted bullpen.  In the meantime though, we need to make a move.
The Eagles made some waves themselves in extended coach Nick Sirianni and being the subject of a rule change prompted by the softest team and fans in the league, the Packers.  The league will vote on the Tush Push ban this week.  Plus, the only thing left to do before training camp is extend Reed Blankenship
The Flyers have a new coach and might be looking to spend some money.  Mitch Marner anyone?  Hopefully that is not a replay of the ill fated Ilya Bryzgalov signing of 14 years ago.  Going to write about that one soon.
Lastly, in Sixers-ville, I can't help it.  I'M OPTIMISTIC!!!  Give me hope and Ace Bailey!

Episode 9: The Rise of the NBA Off Season

Not a ton of Eagles news and I don't want to do any Phillies bitching about Rob Thomson and Aaron Nola, so I dive into the NBA Off Season.  It is percolating like crazy right now.  Teams are at a crossroads, players are going to be on the move, and the state of Texas is loaded with draft picks and talent.  Finally...I am decently optimistic about the Sixers.