Poor Richard's Scorecard

For Villanova and Temple--Along With the Rest of Sports-Loving America--the Wait Is Just About Over

IN A few hours we'll be among the very best two days in sports, the opening round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Thirty-two games in about as many hours, with, one hopes, upsets galore, unlikely heroism, and excellent play. For the local boys, it's a chance to get their feet wet against lower-seeded opponents and move into the second round over the weekend.

Monday Review: Villanova, Temple Get Marching Orders, Thankfully Allowing us To Forget About the Sixers and Flyers

THE FLYERS and 76ers were relegated to "in other news" status over the weekend, as the unveiling of the NCAA men's basketball tournament brackets--and, specifically, the respective seedings and opponents of Villanova and Temple--took center stage. Both hoops teams were surprised by their place in the bracket, though the news was far better for the former than the latter.

Phodder: 'Who's the Teacher?,' Coming Soon to a Philadelphia Classroom

Pardon me for not getting overly excited about the Phillies' new draftees; the window on these guys is so long and the requisite breaks so numerous that it's simply easier to wait and see. ... Oh, goody: Philadelphia will host six of the next nine Army-Navy games, ensuring that even if the Eagles are lousy, crappy football will continue to be played at Lincoln Financial Field in December for years to come. ... Pity Pennsylvania's poor, poor Democratic establishment, scared shitless that Congressman Joe Sestak might actually wage a senatorial primary campaign against new D Arlen Specter. It's called democracy, guys: We don't anoint our leaders, we elect them. ... Because, y'know, Philadelphia doesn't have its share of meatheads roaming the streets, Tony Danza is said to be interested in teaching school here as part of a reality television show. No, really. ... The Eagles now have 5.3 million more reasons not to bench Donovan McMabb over the next two seasons. Hope Kevin Kolb doesn't get too many calluses holding that clipboard. | PRS

Phodder, a collection of brief thoughts regarding some of the week's happenings in and around Philadelphia, appears Saturdays in Poor Richard's Scorecard.

André Dupont, Call Your Agent

It's been a good week for old guys in Philadelphia sports. The Phillies gave two guaranteed years to a 46-year-old pitcher and three guaranteed years to a 36-year-old outfielder, 35-year-old Brian Dawkins set an Eagles record for most games played and was named to the Pro Bowl, and Penn State inked Joe Paterno to a three-year contract extension less than a week before he turns eighty-freakin'-two. Rumor has it that the 76ers are scouting Darryl Dawkins. | PRS

The Meaningless Spectacle of December Games in the Wachovia Center

The Flyers have shaken off a rough start and are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers are scuffling a bit but not so far down that they can't reasonably harbor playoff aspirations. Yet their respective seasons are so, so long, and so damn many teams make the postseason in each sport that it's about impossible to invest any emotional capital in either squad.

I enjoy hockey well enough to watch an individual Flyres game for the sheer pleasure of it, but cannot discern any long-term meaning or satisfaction; it's merely a discrete event with little connection to the meaningful games in the springtime. As for the Sixers, pro hoops is such an ugly thing to see that I all but refuse to involve myself until the games count. The bad shooting, nonexistent defense, and indifferent play are just so opposite the precision and passion of the college game that I have no choice but to wait for the playoffs. The prospect of a Philadelphia-Charlotte tilt, say, in mid-December is simply too painful to contemplate.

Where Have You Gone, Cole Hamels?

That comforting civic warmth that blanketed the region during and after the Phillies' amazing playoff run has dissipated awfully quickly. Real life careened back into our collective consciousness with speed and force. The Nutter administration announced a series of crippling budget cuts designed to keep Philadelphia afloat until the nationwide economic crisis eases, though given the state of the city's finances, it's not hard to envision those cuts taking on some kind of permanence. And on Monday, a Philadelphia police sergeant on his way to a robbery was killed in a car accident allegedly caused by a drunk-driving, lifelong loser.

Turning to our teams for solace does us no good these days. The Flyers and Sixers are inconsistent, and, besides, it's far too early in the long slogs of their respective seasons to invest anything more than marginal interest. College hoops have started, but, again, November games hardly resonate the way February and March tilts do; and then there's the fact that it is hated Villanova that seems likely to carry the city's flag this season. And the Eagles are an absolute mess, a team with no identity and no future.

As my friend Bill asked in a Facebook comment the other day, when do pitches and catchers report? | PRS