Random Thoughts

by John Kincade

TITANS LOOK LIKE A HARDER OPPONENT THAN THEY ARE

The Titans roll into South Philly with a (7-4) record and a back in Derrick Henry that strikes fear in their opponents. Yes, the Eagles should respect Henry and his considerable skill set but don’t fear the Titans. Let’s dive a little deeper into their actual results.

The (7-4) Titans have faced 6 teams with losing records. They have beaten all of them. That leaves you with the 5 games they faced a winning team, I’ll do the math…they are (1-4). The best victory they have on their resume is a win over the Commanders.  They lost to the Giants, lost to the Bills, lost to the Chiefs and lost to the Bengals. See what they have in common? The teams that most resemble the Eagles all managed to beat Tennessee. The Titans are a lot of empty calories. If the Eagles play their game, good luck Titans!

THIS SOCCER “CASUAL” LOVED THE USA VICTORY OVER IRAN

It was edge of your seat action and ended with Team USA in the Round of 16 vs The Netherlands on Saturday. Unless soccer wraps itself in Philadelphia Union gear I’m not getting to the TV very often. The World Cup is so entertaining when you see the sport played by the best talents in the world. Two goals in 3 matches leaves this novice wanting a lot more. Two shutouts in the last 2 matches is very impressive. The part of the event that most interests me is the sense of community that events like this foster. It’s fun seeing people come together over an event they might not normally pay attention to. The local PJ’s was rocking on a Tuesday afternoon. That’s fun. Kegs and Eggs on Saturday morning at 9am for the Round of 16 matchup! Who’s in?

THE 76ers SURVIVING AND THRIVING THROUGH THIS INJURY STRETCH

Count me among those who have found this recent 76ers stretch an amazing surprise. I didn’t see any of this coming. When Harden went down it was trouble, then they lost Tyrese Maxey. The injury to Joel Embiid compounded the pain. How would the team survive this brutal stretch? How about Shake Milton busting onto the scene much like Maxey did last season? B-Ball Paul shows flashes of what he could turn into. Melton steps up and contributes more than he was going to be counted on for. The broadest shoulders were those of Tobias Harris. He has shown great confidence in his offensive game and kept the younger players calm and relaxed. Doc Rivers takes a lot of critique, I’m definitely guilty at times, but this has been a run of great coaching.

FILE THIS AWAY FOR LATER

The delay of between 16-18 days of Bryce Harper having his elbow surgery doesn’t seem like a big deal. It just might be a huge difference in whether the team wins the NL East, gets a top wild card or slips into the post season altogether. An earlier surgery would have had Harper back for the June matchups at home vs the Braves and the Mets. Missing an extra two weeks seems like an issue we will be revisiting.