As we are now (checks watch) about 3 days and 2 hours away from Super Bowl XLII, the hype from media day all but gone, the only thing remains is one football game. One football game. Sixty Minutes. That’s what it all comes down to. The draft, mini camps, off season conditioning, off season weight room, training camp, pre-season, 16 regular season games and a few playoff games: all of it comes down to just 60 minutes. This is the biggest stage a professional football player can be at, and when all is said and done, either the New York Giants or New England Patriots will have completed a successful season by winning it all.

Football is a demanding sport completely at every position, but none more than the position of quarterback. Quarterbacks are the field generals, the leaders of the offense and often the entire team. They’re the faces of the franchise, the guys in the commercials . On Sunday we’ll see two pocket passers in Eli Manning and Tom Brady. Neither can run particularly well, but each has excelled in the passing attack. Analysts across the country love to talk about Brady, and that hasn’t changed in the 2 weeks leading up to the big game. Sure, when you throw 50 touchdowns and go undefeated (and date Giselle), you’re going to get the media, and deservingly so. But what about the other guy? I haven’t seen or heard a story or press conference on Eli Manning all week. I’ve seen clips of Plaxico, Strahan, and even Lawrence Tynes…the kicker! I think people might want to pay attention to Eli a little bit more instead of the Patriots pursuit of perfection. Heck, may more attention to Eli than Brady, he’s been better in the playoffs.

That’s right, the guy who never loses (and to his credit, hasn’t so far this postseason), Tom Brady,  has been outdone by Manning during the playoff run. Manning has played 3 games as the Giants were a wild card team to Brady’s 2. But take a look at the numbers, and while numbers don’t tell the whole story, they sure help to give you an idea. That idea is that Eli Manning has been better than Tom Brady lately.

As mentioned, Eli played in the wild card round while Brady was out doing chores for his girlfriend. Let’s take a look at his numbers against a tough Tampa Bay defense, on the road albeit:

20/27  for 185 yds … 6.9 avg … 2 TD … 0 INT           

So, in a hostile environment at Tampa Bay, against a defense that has played consistently well all season, Manning completed 74% of his passes. While his average is only about 7 yards per completion, what’s more important is that he didn’t turn the ball over. No fumbles, no interceptions, just good, efficient football. The Giants controlled the clock, holding the ball on offense for 34 minutes, much thanks to Manning’s ability to lead his offense down the field on long drives resulting in 7 points. Oh yeah, and he completed a pass to 7 different receivers. That’s one heck of a game.

Let’s move onto the divisional round of the playoffs where Eli and the G-men traveled to the top NFC seed: the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, the number 1 seed Patriots over in the AFC would host the red hot Jaguars. Let’s take a look at the quarterbacks numbers:

Brady:  26/28 for 262 yds … 9.4 avg … 3 TD … 0 INT                 

Manning:  12/18 for 163 yds … 9.1 avg … 2 TD … 0 INT            

So, when you look at those lines you might be wondering, “Brady’s numbers are better, I’m not seeing the point.” Sure, Brady was better, but take a look at the games themselves. Jacksonville took away the deep threat all night long against Brady, putting 7 or 8 back in coverage almost every play. This allowed Brady to have 2 options: hand it off to Maroney or throw the short stuff. He effectively threw the short throws when needed; the screens, the slants, the check downs. But look at what Manning did. He went into Dallas, a road game again, against one of the top 10 defenses in the NFL and controlled the game again. His average yards per pass is right on line with Brady’s and didn’t throw an interception either. His running game wasn’t overwhelming, but efficient enough that he didn’t have to chuck it up every down.

Alright, well if you still aren’t buying this, lets take a look at the conference championship games. Manning was again on the road against a vaunted Packers defense while Brady was still in Foxborough playing the streaking Chargers. Here’s the lines:

Brady: 22/33 for 209 yds … 6.3 avg … 2 TD … 3 INT                 

Manning: 21/40 for 254  yds … 6.4 avg … 0 TD … 0 INT            

Now, this is the first time Eli was on the big, big stage in a conference championship while Brady had been multiple times. Brady, while throwing for 200 yards and 2 scores, wasn’t willing to take a hit to complete a pass, as I mentioned in a previous article last week. He threw 3 interceptions too. Manning, while not throwing a touchdown, didn’t make any mistakes at all, again. He also threw for over 254 yards in -3 degree weather against a stingy defense and completed passes to 7 different targets yet again. He understood the coverage and blitzes that came at him better than Brady did (0 INT to 3 INT).

What happens on Sunday is anyone’s guess. Manning’s string of good games could come to a sudden halt as the Patriots shut him down. Brady could throw for 300 yards and 4 scores…by the half. You just don’t know, that’s why they play the game. But when you look at what each face of the franchise has done, it’s tough to deny that Eli Manning has been just as good, if not better, against his opponents than Brady versus his foes. Take into account the weapons Brady has: his incredible o-line that doesn’t let defenders touch him, Welker, Moss, Stallworth, etc. Eli has a slow running back who can’t run east-west, a banged up o-line, and one dominant receiver in Plaxico. Given the challenges Manning faced on back to back to back Sunday road games, he should be getting more recognition than he is right now.

I guess we’ll see if he gets his due by playing another error-free game, starting in just about….3 days and 1 hour.

Hey J-Roll…you want to make that 95 wins?

Last winter, the littlest guy on the team made the biggest prediction: the Phillies would win the division. Thanks to a historic Mets collapse in September and consistent Phillies play, it came true. Now, after being swept by the Rockies in their first playoff appearance since 1993, J-Roll is anticipating October baseball again. He’s not being shy either. “We’ll win probably 100 games . . . 100 games will get us to the playoffs,” said the reigning MVP earlier this winter. The prediction raised some eyebrows, but given his prediction’s success last year coupled with his most valuable player award, nobody really argued. But 100 wins might be a little harder to get now for one big reason: the New York Mets acquired multiple Cy-Young winner Johan Santana from the Twins today. Oh boy.

So, what are the Mets getting in this trade, in which they gave up 4 prospects (and what are Phillies fans cringing at)? Well, a quick glance at a few articles circulating numerous sites can give you a bit of an idea of what Santana brings:

At Shea Stadium, Santana has a paltry 0.70 ERA

Since 2003, Santana has brought home 2 Cy-Young awards

Since 2003, Santana has 82 wins - best in baseball

Since 2003, Santana has a 2.92 ERA - best in baseball

Since 2003, Santana has 1,152 K’s - also, the best in baseball

In 2007, Santana had one of his worst years. 15-13 /3.33 ERA /.225 opp BA / 235 K - 52 BB / 219.0 IP

Oh yeah, and a gold glove last year too.

Those aren’t typos, in a down year for Johan Santana, he had a better  ERA than every single Phillies starter (Hamels comes closest with a 3.39). He pitched more innings than any Phillie, had more strikeouts than any Phillie, and had more wins than everyone but Hamels (both had 15). Now, we all know the Phillies pitching staff isn’t exactly..uh..’good’, but still, that’s pretty darn impressive.

So, where does Santana fit in with the Mets rotation? Well assuming he’s the number 1, here’s the possible Mets 5-man rotation:

Johan Santana (15-13, 3.33)

Pedro Martinez (3-1, 2.57)

John Maine (15-10, 3.91)

Oliver Perez (15-10, 3.56)

Orlando Hernandez (9-5, 3.72)

So  you have 2 future Hall of Famers in Santana and Pedro, a young ace in Maine, and 2 potentially very good pitchers in Perez and Hernandez. If you add all of the 5 ERA’s together, you get Adam Eaton’s ERA (just kidding…sort of).

Everyone in baseball knows what Santana brings to the game. He gives you at least 7 innings almost every start. He strikes you out, doesn’t walk anybody, and fields his position with great ease. So, after being the first team in MLB history to lose a 7 game lead with 17 games left to play (the infamous collapse last year), this news might ease the pain just a bit.

“If it’s true, obviously, you’re getting arguably the best pitcher in the game,” said all-star 3B David Wright. “For our younger pitchers to develop under a guy like Pedro, a guy like Johan, you can’t ask for any better situation” (ESPN)

This trade has not been finalized…yet. It’s almost set in stone and according to various reports should become official pending a positive physical of Santana and an extension agreement to his contract. That could happen very soon this week. So, the Mets pitching staff basically “traded” Glavine’s spot for one of, if not the best pitcher, in the entire league. What’s that mean for the Mets? Good starting pitching obviously. He brings a tremendous 1-2, even 1-2-3 punch with Pedro and Maine. His one weakness which was exposed last year more than ever was the home run ball, so we’ll have to see how that plays out (hopefully Burrell can continue his Met Killing with some long balls up at Shea). But even with the home runs given up, the Mets bolster their staff with a premier player; you don’t get that option every day. However, their bullpen is still suspect, and if you remember, was a huge reason that 7 game lead slipped away from them last year.

So, Phils fans, buckle up and get ready for another completely unpredictable season of Phillies baseball. The Phils and Mets rivalry gets started pretty early: try April 8, 9, and 10 up in New York. Oh and April 8th?: the Mets home opener. These teams play each other 19 times in 2008 as division opponents always do. Last year stirred the pot; this teams don’t like each other at all. If Santana, or when Santana gets dealt to New York, it should make for some pretty exciting games.

After turning it up before the all-star break, the Philadelphia Flyers sit atop the Atlantic Division with their arch nemesis New Jersey Devils. The orange and black have won 11 of their last 14 games and look to continue the hot streak tonight against the LA Kings. Hopefully the all-star break didn’t cool off Scott Hartnell who was been “en fuego” recently, having scored 8 points in the last 5 games. Hartnell was also the NHL’s third star of the week a couple weeks back. Things have been running well on all cylinders for the Flyers as of late all the way down to the last line of defense. Marty Biron played an excellent game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday, and Antero Niittymaki has been playing well enough to contend for the starting job for the past few weeks. Head coach John Stevens stands by his claims that the Flyers don’t have a goalie controversy but have a rare commodity in the NHL, a great 1-2 goalie tandem. So things couldn’t get any better for the Flyguys, right? I’m not so sure.

Despite heavy criticism among Flyers fans and the casual NHL follower alike, it seems the Flyers are the front runners in the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes. Some seem to think that it would be a mistake for the Flyers to persue Forsberg but what they fail to realize is that this time around the Flyers’ success won’t rely solely on his performance as it did last year. If for a second I put myself in John Stevens’ shoes I think the first two lines at center are filled, no question. Danny Briere and first-time all-star Mike Richards have done a phenomenal job so far this year and will stay at the number 1 and 2 slot for the rest of the season.

IF the Flyers can land Forsberg, and he is even remotely close to his potential, how great would it be to have him as the third line center? I would take Peter Forsberg at 80, 70, even 60% before i took Jim Dowd (no offense to another Flyer who has turned it up recently) at 110%. Forsberg will not demand top dollar for the rest of the season because he does seem to feel a little guilty of how the Flyers got shafted last year when he couldn’t find a skate that fit correctly with his menstrual cycle. Perhaps he will be inspired by Teemu Selanne signing a one-year deal to return to Anaheim this week. Forsberg wants to win another Stanley Cup and this could very well be his last chance if all goes well in Sweden. So if you’re the Flyers, why not take a chance on him? The team doesn’t have to give up a damn thing this time. Adding him to the Flyers (for a third time) could be the move that puts this team over the top. With the Flyers flying so high already, think of the heights they could soar to with one of the league’s best players.

I won’t continue to substitute “ph’s” for “f’s” like I did when the Phils made the post-season, but I am excited for the 2008 campaign to begin. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported earlier that the Phillies have signed free-agent third baseman Pedro Feliz to a two-year deal. This move brings in the sixth new Phillie this offseason, joining Geoff Jenkins, So Taguchi, Chad Durbin, Eric Bruntlett and Brad Lidge.

Feliz hit .253 with 20 homers and 72 RBIs last year with the San Francisco Giants. Feliz is also widely considered one of the best defensive third basemen in all of the majors. His addition to the club means we may not have to watch Wes Helms struggle in a Phillies uniform anymore.

Hopefully this can spark a trade for Helms who hit a whopping .246 last year with 5 whole home runs and an incredible 39 RBIs. Somehow the Florida Marlins appeared interested in Helms at the start of the off-season and GM Pat Gillick will undoubtedly try and dump him off to Florida or whoever else is in need of a paperweight at third base.

The terms of Feliz’s deal have not yet been released but he is a welcome addition to the club which had a big question mark at third base going into spring training. Although Feliz isn’t a big bat or a household name, he should fit in just fine in Philly. Another great move by Pat Gillick has me itching to get down to Clearwater to see the 2008 Phillies in action.

The ADD Show will cover Phillies spring training from their Florida facilities starting March 8.

If…

Yes, there’s a big glaring IF in the way of big blue capturing the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday. They’re 12 point dogs right now, and while most expect the final score to be closer than that, few expect them to pull out the win. However, I am here to give you an outline on why the Giants will win the 42nd big game.

(Note: As an Eagles fan this is the 2nd worst possible Super Bowl. The only way it could be worse is if Dallas were there. So, it’s going to be hard to watch, let alone write about it and think about it for the next week. I don’t like either team, either fan base, or anything about the Giants or Patriots. I just hope it’s not cold; I don’t want to see Coughlin’s face get as red/purple as a plum again, that was terrifying. Next year: Eagles v Colts)

Ok, so yea yea, New England is 18-0, have been on top of the league all year, have the MVP, etc. None of that matters now. It’s all about 60 minutes of football, 4 quarters; which with Super Bowl advertising/halftime (with rockin Tom Petty!…) will take about 5 hours. These teams faced off in week 17 with the Patriots winning by a mere field goal. Winning via blowout went out the window for the Patriots back starting with their game at home against the Eagles. Despite the loss, the Eagles showed teams that you are indeed allowed to touch Tom Brady and maybe even put him on the ground. They laid out the “game plan” for the rest of the season for teams to try and pull the upset. Nobody did it, but the Patriots looked more and more vulnerable as the season went on. They almost lost to the Ravens. But, to their credit, they found ways to win each and every game. Whether by the pass, the run, or their AARP defense, New England won games in the last few minutes of ball games. So, New York, on the biggest stage in the football world, how can you win? Well, it’s pretty easy, and here’s how they can do it:

1. Control the clock: The Patriots can score…a lot. They put up 50+ points on a number of teams and never looked off balance on the offensive side of the ball. If teams put 8 in coverage, they ran it with Maroney. If the corners played up on the receivers, the offensive line gave Brady enough time for a pump fake or two until Moss or Welker got open deep. If you double cover somebody, another receiver was always open. Basically, their offense is potent. You’re not going to get to Brady on every down, so the best defense is to keep them on the sidelines. The Giants need to win the time of possession battle in this game to win.

2. Finish drives with 7, not 3: This goes right along with the last part of controlling the clock. If you’re the Giants and take a 10 play drive, encompassing 10 minutes of a quarter, you need to score a touchdown instead of settling for 3. Odds are Brady and Co. are going to come on the field and march down your defenses throat in 1-2 minutes and score 7. The Patriots score touchdowns, not field goals. If you want to win, have a shootout type of score in mind; field goals are not an option.

3. Hit/Sack/Pressure Brady: First of all, did anyone see the play against San Diego in the Conference Championship when Brady had a defender coming right into his face and stepped back on one foot and slung the ball towards his receiver? The pass was incomplete and the announcers didn’t make much of it. But, as the replay clearly showed over and over, Brady had room to step into the throw; and if he had, he’s going to get that pass off nice and clean and complete it to the receiver. He was scared to get hit. Listen, we know you’re a football player Tom, but act like one. Your offensive line protects you enough, take a hit to make the play once in a while. That was annoying to watch. Ok, anyway, as I just said, the best part of the Patriots offense might be their o-line. Not only do they not allow sacks, but they give their quarterback all the time in the world to dissect the coverage or for Maroney to gash through a hole. The Giants racked up the most sacks in the league this year (thank you to Winston Justice) so one of these lines has to eventually give, right? Strahan, Osi and the rest of the Giants need to get Brady throwing off that back foot, scrambling, and putting his face in the ground early and often.

4. Limit Maroney: Everybody knows about the killer passing attack the Patriots have, but the country saw last week versus San Diego that their running game ain’t too shabby either. Maroney ripped the San Diego defense apart. He’s a big, strong, north/south runner, much like Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs of the Giants. He’s hard to bring down and in the 4th quarter, against a worn down defense, he finishes drives, and games. The Giants defense has to have a game plan intact that limits his ability to run the football. Have faith in your secondary because if you put 8 in coverage, Maroney will run wild on you.

5. Double Moss: Now, people might question the decision to double Randy Moss the whole game because that leaves the other receivers open. Well, that’s a chance the Giants have to take. Jabar Gaffney isn’t Randy Moss. Let him have the 8 yard, 12 yard catches when he’s open if that means Moss is shut down. We all know that when faced with man coverage, one on one, Moss will go faster and jump higher than any defender the Giants have. He’s too dangerous to leave alone.

6. Limit other WR’s: While you double Moss, you still have to worry about Stallworth, Gaffney, Watson, Welker, Maroney, Faulk, and more. Hell, Welker caught over 100 balls this year. But if you’re New York, you have to give them cushions towards the outside. Let them have a 4 yard gain and show that you can tackle them and make a play in the open field. If those guys start getting 20, 30, and 40 yard gains, your defense is going to be reeling. Limit the big plays.

7. Force Turnovers: Last week we saw that Brady is indeed human and can throw the occasional interception. This of course is coupled with getting pressure in his face as talked about earlier, but turnovers can come from anywhere on the field. Interceptions, fumbles in the run game or after a receiver has the ball, and on special teams too. When they turn it over, they get frustrated and Brady might start to force throws. Don’t try those chump arm tackles, wrap a player up and punch at the ball if you can.

8. Don’t turn it over: Every coach says to win a game you have to win the turnover battle. Even if you force turnovers, that won’t matter a bit if you give the ball right back. Manning has to be careful and patient with the ball. He has to play within himself and within this offense. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw need to put two hands on the ball when they feel contact. Simple things like switching the ball to your off hand can make or break the turnover battle. Play smart, play efficient, and don’t..turn…it over.

9. Eli plays the game of his life: When I say that I don’t necessarily mean a line like: 24/30 for 400 yards and 4 TD’s. Not at all. Eli is, maybe, capable of that, but that’s not what you’re going to be able to do against the Patriots defense, and it’s not how Eli has been successful as of late. In each of the three playoff games thus far, he has played a more conservative passing game than Giants fans are used to. Check downs, dump offs, hitting guys in the flat. Take what is given to you and don’t force anything. But in the Super Bowl, while continuing the smart play, he does have to make a few big plays. Two weeks of rest will help Burress get some speed back, and the Giants will need a few home run balls. He has to play smart but aggressive at the same time.

10. Get the Calls and Lucky Bounces: This isn’t something you can count on or game plan for, but on top of everything else, the Giants need to get lucky. If someone fumbles it, the ball needs to take a bounce to a Giants player. If there’s a close catch or play, the challenges need to be won by the Giants. If the refs make some questionable calls, it has to be against New England, preferably on a 3rd down when the Giants need to keep a drive going. Take anything and everything you can get.

Well, that about does it. As you can see, if the Giants execute each and every one of those steps to success, they will be Super Bowl Champions. The chances of that happening? Well, I guess we have to wait and see, but if they do everything on this list they have a very good shot at almost, possibly, maybe, coming close to winning. Have fun New York!

Aaron and Dave offer their thoughts on Superbowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. The Flyers are the talk of the town in Philadelphia, and is Roger Federer more dominant in his sport than Tiger Woods? Check it out on an all new episode of the ADD Show, Aaron and Dave Discuss.

Click here for the podcast page!

I catch as many NBA games as I can every week; my friends can attest to that. I watch every Sixers game of course, and all the games on TNT (how can I not watch Charles Barkley?). I also like to think I’m fairly good at predicting winners in most sports, including basketball. Off the top of my head, I remember calling the Tampa Bay Lightning winning it all a few years ago in the NHL. I remember calling the Patriots topping the heavy favored Rams in 2001 in football. I also remember calling the Sixers to finish first or second in the Atlantic last year. All of those came tru- …wait, the Sixers finished near the basement of the East? Hmm. You see, it turns out I can predict and project how teams will do during a season, except in the NBA. Let’s take a look at figure 1:

Figure 1 : Aaron’s NBA Division Predictions, October 29 2007

Atlantic Winner - New Jersey (Boston 2nd)

Central Winner - Chicago

Southeast Winner - Miami

I also have the Clippers ahead of the Lakers in the Pacific and Houston ahead of New Orleans in the Southwest.

I also ask you to take a look at figure 2.

Figure 2 : Aaron’s NBA Conference Predictions, October 29 2007

East: Top Seeds: Chicago, Miami, New Jersey (Boston 5th)

West: Lakers in the 8th seed, New Orleans not in the playoffs

As you may now see, I can’t predict the NBA. But give me another shot here. I got most of the West somewhat o.k., right? I’ll give you some real predictions after the All-Star break, but for now…let’s take a look at who’s been bad, who’s been good, who’s surprising, and who’s been downright disappointing. These are my NBA Mid-Season “Awards”:

Most Surprising Team in the East: Boston (33-7, 1st place Atlantic, 1st place East) . The Celtics are in a slump right now: they’ve lost 1 game in a row. Honestly though, when Boston got the aging greats in Garnett and Allen this past off season, people thought this team would be good. These couple of moves would put Boston right back in the East mix. But nobody, you’re lying if you say you did, nobody predicted them to be this damn good. I mean, at one point this team was 27-3. Let me rephrase that….27-3!!! That’s impossible isn’t it? How can a team with such a weak bench and 3 good players be so good? Well it turns out the role players have filled their roles better than imagined and the big 3 were even better than advertised. It’s almost disturbing how good they can play when they’re truly on.

Most Disappointing Team in the East: Miami (8-33, 5th Southeast, last in the East, losers of 15 in a row and counting) . How can you possibly pick anybody but them? Sure, this is an old team. Sure, Shaq isn’t the dominating player he once was. And sure, they have Ricky Davis (he’s like a plague to any team he goes to). But seriously Miami…8-33? Even with a banged up Shaq, it’s not like they don’t have the talent to win. Remember when Iverson carried the Sixers for years? Why isn’t Wade carrying the Heat? Iverson had role players around him that were o.k., Wade has Haslem, Williams, and so on and yet they continue to lose. This team can’t put anything together, it’s hard to watch. Heck, at least they’ll get a top-5 pick.

Most Surprising Team in the West: LA Lakers (27-13, 2nd Pacific) . Anyone remember the Lakers off season? Kobe wanted out. Odom had leg surgery. Bynum was being talked about in trades too. Lucky for LA, Kobe didn’t go to Chicago, and what a move by their scouting and coaching to keep Bynum: he’s turned into one of the best centers in the NBA this year. Last year the Lakers were a so-so team and it was Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. This year, even though Kobe still chucks it up a fair amount, his teammates scoring is up and so are their wins. Bynum is a force in the middle, Walton is really a nice asset from all around the floor, and they play tough team basketball. While it was just one game, you can really see the change this team has undergone when they went into San Antonio a little while ago and won impressively. Beating the Spurs is hard enough, but beating them on their home floor is even harder.

Most Disappointing Team in the West: Houston (23-19, 4th Southwest) . I’ll start off by saying that the Rockets do play in the hardest division in the Southwest. New Orleans (my runner-up for most surprising team), Dallas, and San Antonio are all in their division. Yikes. So, if you’re the Rockets, you want to get off to a fast start and immediately get into some playoff positioning. In the West, you have to keep winning because the teams are so much better than the cute lil Eastern Conference. Plus, Yao Ming is one of the best centers in the game and is proving it this year. They have a pretty decent roster, but besides Yao, nobody has showed up to play. They’re so up and down, unable to string together anything special, and have fallen into mediocrity in the West; something you can’t afford to do.

NBA MVP CANDIDATES: Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul

The lines:

Garnett: 19.5 ppg / 9.8 rpg / 3.8apg / 55% FG / 80% FT

Howard: 22.0 ppg / 14.9 rpg / 2.6 bpg / 60 % FG

Nash: 17.5 ppg / 3.5 rpg / 12.1 apg / 51 % FG (47 % 3pt) / 90 % FT

Bryant: 27.4ppg / 6.0 rpg /5.0 apg / 45 % FG / 85 % FT

Paul: 21.0 ppg / 3.8 rpg / 10.4 apg / 2.6 spg / 49 % FG / 89 FT

Now, each of the 5 players makes an extraordinary case for MVP so far. Garnett is averaging close to a double-double, shooting 55 percent from the floor, and is an unbelievable prescense on the defensive end. Plus, teams have to double team him which has freed up just about everyone else on the C’s. Howard is probably my favorite player to watch in the league. The guy controls the lane on offense and defense and as a 3rd year player has asserted his dominance as the leader of the front running Magic. He’s averaging 22 and 15 while shooting a blistering 60 percent from the floor. Every year Steve Nash is a candidate for MVP and for good reason; the Suns would be a completely different (and worse) team without him running the show. He’s a sure thing from the line and dishes out 12 dimes a game while scoring over 17. All that on a team loaded with stars. Bryant probably has the most typical numbers of the 5 players listed. He’s shooting 45 percent, scoring a lot, and little from other aspects of his game show up on the stat sheet. But that;s just why he’s a legit candidate, somehow, someway, he’s made the Lakers into a somewhat elite team in the West and is starting to play team basketball. Shocking. Finally, there’s Mr. Everything, Chris Paul. He’s averaging a double-double with 20 and 10, is among the league leaders in steals, and shoots 50 percent from the field and close to 90 from the stripe. The Hornets are 29-12 right now and he’s the reason why. This  young player has emerged into a true star and is really showing his stuff off for the league.

So, with all that said….my MVP would have to be…. Chris Paul. Again, all of these guys have changed the way their teams play, all for the better. But none more than Paul. A young player yea, but he plays like a veteran. On a Hornets team with some washed up veterans and young journeyman, he has led the way to the top so far. He does everything for that team, and he would get my vote for most valuable player.

A 240,000 square foot entertainment complex is in the works for the sports complex in South Philly. Although they won’t break ground until at least next year, the prospect of more retail and dining opportunities near the stadiums has the city a buzz. The artist’s rendering of the complex shows a hotel with residential condos in the space where the Spectrum currently sits. It is still uncertain however if the Spectrum will need to be torn down in order to go through with the plan.

Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider said they will continue to do a study on the area and see if it will be necessary to demolish the 41 year old stadium. “It’s my baby,” he said. The results of the study are to be expected in no longer than a month. The Spectrum was home to the Flyers and Sixers until the Wachovia Center was built in 1996. The Spectrum is still home to the AHL affiliate Phantoms, the Kixx soccer team along with various concerts.

The Cordish Group will develop the project which is expected to bring 3,000 - 4,000 new jobs to the city. The project will be privately funded and will not use the city’s money.

The Flyers are a team possessed these days picking up the slack for the walking wounded. Since November the Flyers had a few talented players in supporting roles take the load that the concussed Simon Gagne left behind for over 20 games. Joffery Lupul was well on his way to having a career year with 16 goals and 19 assists in 39 games, until Derian Hatcher laid out his biggest hit of the season; on his teammate. Lupul went down with a concussion and a bruised spinal cord and now once again different players are stepping up and continuing to spread the wealth on the Flyers offensive front.

Jim Dowd, yes, 39-year-old Jim Dowd, is on an offensive tear has five points in seven games in the new year. Scott Hartnell, the empty net master, now has two hat tricks in the span of nine days. One of the most important contributors however, is assistant captain Simon Gagne whose return to the lineup has not only brought up his personal statistics but that of the players around him. Gagne has had a point in every game since his return on January 10, and a struggling Danny Briere has notched five points in the same span.

Gagne’s return, the continued on-ice leadership by Mike Richards and the hot hand of Antero Niittymaki are all contributing factors to the Flyers streak since the ball dropped on 2007. The Flyers are white hot right now and are on their way back to the top of the Atlantic Division. The Flyers have won nine of their last 11. They trail the Penguins by only two points, but that could all change tonight when the orange and black face off against the Northeast leading Ottawa Senators.

Sid the Injured

Take a picture and put it in the scrapbook on the page labeled “Baby’s first injury.” Sidney Crosby inadvertently crashed into the boards behind the net where his foot awkwardly stopped the rest of his body, while looking quizzically at the referee to see why he didn’t draw a penalty. Crosby has a high ankle sprain and is listed as “out indefinitely”. As one of the biggest Flyers fans out there, I welcome this with open arms, but there are two minute downsides to Sid the Kid’s misfortune. On December 11 the Flyers whooped the Penguins 8-2 in probably the most exciting game of the season despite the blowout score. The energy in the building was electric and at game’s end you couldn’t help but wonder what the atmosphere would be like this Thursday when the two teams would meet again. I will be at the game on Thursday as well to root on the Fly Guys but I am at least a little dissapointed that I won’t be able to have a pre-game discussion with Crosby during warm-ups. I suppose I’ll just have to find the suite he’ll be sitting in.

Other than the exciting divisional matchup Crosby’s injury will hurt not only the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is almost certainly going to miss the All-Star Game on January 27 in Atlanta. Being the poster boy for the NHL and the leader in fan All-Star voting, he is one of the few reasons the casual sports fan has to watch the annual event that usually gets awful ratings.

Crosby played in the outdoor game on New Year’s Day which battled college football bowl games for ratings and was still the highest rated hockey game in over a decade. With his absense the 2008 All-Star Game is destined to be lost in the land of Nielsen TV ratings.

Just like a David Akers field goal the new podcast is up, and its good!

Aaron and Dave tackle the NFC and AFC Championship games. Also how are the Flyers continuing to fight their way to the top of the best division in hockey? And, is Sammy Dalembert becoming worth his money? All that and more on this episode of the ADD Show.

As promised in the podcast we said we’d link you to Dan Marino flipping out so here it is.