February 17th, 2009 by sarah
America’s Finest City sure didn’t host America’s Finest Baseball team in 2008. If anything, the Padres looked like a group of clumsy junior high kids picked last for an intramural game. They finished 7 games back in the NL West… and not even from first place, but 7 games worse than the 4th place San Francisco Giants! Much like his team, Padres owner John Moores’ marriage also fell apart last year, a deal is in the works for Jeff Moorad to purchase the team. After the deal is finalized, CEO Sandy Alderson will step down from the organization. Moores had originally been expected to anty up $15M into the organization this year but now there will no doubt be a decline in the payroll budget for a team that could really use a few deep-pocketed big players. The only good news in this ambiguous situation is regarding Peavy. While he’s not off the chopping block yet, he will most likely not be so actively shopped around like he was during the off season. So what does this year hold for us Friar Fans?
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February 10th, 2009 by sarah
The history of Philadelphia is often noted for its stake as the nation’s first capital and home to numerous signers of the Declaration of Independence, but no other city has such a lengthy relationship with that divine combination of yeast, malt (barley), hops, and water than the City of Brotherly Love. There’s even a neighborhood appropriately named Brewerytown! Sure- antiquated and misunderstood blue laws put restrictions on alcohol intake, making it difficult to even buy single bottles in Pennsylvania, and the Prohibition movement in the 1920’s all but eliminated most of Philadelphia’s beer producers, but microbreweries are popping up almost monthly in the city and its suburbs, and they aren’t making pale yellow swill, but delicious, award-winning craft beers. Unfortunately, I hardly ever venture into the city since I loathe the drive along crowded 2 lane highways, the public transportation is not very efficient, and save for a few neighborhoods, it’s not the best city to walk around. But I sucked it up- there were a few bars and breweries I convinced myself were worth a visit into the city.
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February 2nd, 2009 by sarah
Ok, I’ll admit it. I didn’t care much if I missed watching the Super Bowl this year. I had no allegiance to either team, although I suppose I was kinda hoping the Cardinals would take it, just because the Steelers ended my beloved Chargers drive for the AFC Championship. But I still couldn’t bring myself to admit they deserved the ring. But face it- the Steelers are not unfamiliar to this pressure; they have 5 Super Bowl rings already. They’re huge and physical and if Roethlisberger could keep his nerves in check, they’d probably be unstoppable. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to admit they deserved a ring either. So I flipped on the game pretty much for the commercials.
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