There were many years there where I thought that Sixers GM Billy King was the best manager of the four Philly sports. Andy Ried was continually missing the boat with first round draft picks (how’s Freddie Mitchell doing for ya); Bobby Clarke was still wearing the black eye of his vendetta with Eric Lindros and family; and Ed Wade was reaching new levels of ineptitude with his management of the “small-market” Phillies. Yes, at least one mover and shaker was making things happen, thank goodness for Billy King.

But time distorts, and forces us to look under some rocks that we hadn’t overturned before. Billy King was signing big name players because he was signing big dollar checks. He continuously overspent on mediocre talent which subsequently killed their trade potential as well as the team’s agility. Unable to move the dead weight, the team was forced to accept substandard expectations, and all the while Allen Iverson was not getting any younger or healthier.

I am going to miss having Iverson in Philly. He has been the icon of the Sixers for my entire adult life. I do not begrudge him moving on, he’s seeing the end of his career on the horizon and would like to see another shot at glory before he leaves the game. The Sixers are not only nowhere near giving him that ring, they are not even close to formulating a team that has playoff potential in the gawd-awful Eastern division.

The Baseball writer’s did right by giving the MVP to Ryan Howard. Howard had better numbers than anyone else in the game last year. Plus, as Ryan Howard streaked so did the fightin’ Phils. His tear through the second half of the season directly correlates with the Phillies playoff push. Albert Pujols made it a close race, but no matter how you look at it, Howard’s regular season was superior, and he deserved the award.

We would like to thank the Philadelphia Eagles for participating in the 2006 NFL season. You are welcome to pick up your “We weren’t already losing games we should have won, now we can hide behind this injury” tee-shirts as you leave the stadium.

This could be so much worse. If the Eagles were 8-1, as they should have been, then this injury would be catastrophic. As it was, the Eagles were having trouble getting the easy wins, and were riding the line between “about to turn it on” and “about to be eliminated”. The coach was on the hot seat the fans were struggling to stay confident. Now, all that is washed away. The season is a wash, and the best thing the Eagles fans can do now is root for the Redskins to get some wins, and give up the cellar, so the Eagles can get a better pick and an easier road for next year.