4 and 5 Birds

Would the real Philadelphia Eagles please stand up…Well, in case you have been living under a rock for the past 2 months the Eagles are 4-5. This record has many Eagles fans scratching their heads, because this team was a “Super Bowl Contender” and Chip Kelly is an “amazing coach.” This team to be frank simply does not have it. They aren’t contenders nor do they show any glimmer of potential. The good news for those die-hard fans that don’t think with the minds, but their heart the Eagles are still in it. The Eagles can still make the playoffs because of their terrible division, which they currently rank 3^rd in. But, in reality if Dallas never were affected by injuries they would likely have the comfortable lead in the division.

Now, I will admit Sam Bradford’s play had improved since the first game, as well as the run game. However, the team still lacks skills in major areas like their pass game as well as well consistency with their defensive backs. When looking for reasons why the Eagles have struggled, I think one aspect is clear and that is Chip Kelly. The difference between Kelly and Reid is that Reid was football man. Reid understood the game, and trusted his colleagues. I am not saying that Kelly is not qualified to coach, he understands the game. However, he wants overall control, he wants to make changes that should not occur. As soon as Kelly wanted to be in charge of Player Development, things have gone downhill. This is where the problem lies. The fact that Kelly went 10-6 with players that weren’t “his” proves that he is not as good at evaluating talent as thought. The fact that Chip Kelly cannot win with his “guys” proves that this.

The Eagles may be good eventually, and Chip Kelly may turn out to be a wonderful coach in the NFL. However, it looks like this may not be his time. The Eagles have struggled mightily this season, and have proved time and time again that they do not have what it takes to compete. It looks as though we are looking at another disappointing Eagles team and other disappointing Philadelphia team.  

-Brett

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Oh What A Night 3-0 and 1,000Pts!

St. Joe’s put on a show tonight destroying Buffalo 89-67, and it was a true team effort. Not only did Hawks fans get to see an unbelievable win, but they also got to see DeAndre Bembry reach 1,000pts! This team has really put in together to start the season and deserves the success that they have had. The Hawks start 3-0 for the first time since 2009, and with the way they are scoring it looks as though more success is to follow.

The team started in unbelievable fashion scoring 21pts and holding Buffalo to only 5 in the first 11minutes. St. Joe’s success continued at that pace scoring basket after basket, as well as playing strong defense. Miles helped carry the team throughout, scoring 24pts and could have had even more. Not only did Miles play well but we saw guys like Newkirk and Demery truly step up. If we see consistency like we did tonight there is no doubt in any fans mind that this team can continue to be a juggernaut in the A-10, and could even win it all.

Though the team’s defense was shaky to start, they really kept it together holding Buffalo to only 67pts. Coach Martelli is still surprised with how well his defense has played, as well as the ability this team has to score. Martelli’s main goal coming into this season was to have a team that can score. As all fans know this has been one of SJU’s biggest problems and it looks like it is finally solved. DeAndre Bembry is the main reason for this, and that is because of his distributing of the ball rather than scoring. With DeAndre in charge of this offense it will continue to blossom throughout the season.

Starting the season 3-0 makes the upcoming game against the University of Florida much easier. It makes the team very comfortable to go away and still have the ability to win. As Coach Martelli said during his press conference "I know nothing about them... But I'll be well informed by 7am tomorrow.” Coach Martelli believes the team will be 100% prepared for this upcoming game, and feels comfortable that the team will compete.    

-Brett 

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Back in Hagan!

Going into the Hawks season opener, there were not many fans thinking that this game would finish with a combined 163 total points. That was the case in the Hawks victory over the Drexel Dragons, 82-81. Even Phil Martelli mentioned himself how he would have expected the total of both teams being 82. The final score does not do the Hawks justice. They consistently maintained an 8 point lead for most of the game. There smallest lead was the final score.

St. Joe’s was able to rack up 82 points because they were attacking the basket rather than sitting back. They put a lot of pressure on Drexel early in the game. There seems to be the best chemistry when Zeke and Bembry are on the court. They played with intensity in the first half that left them tired in the second. However, in the second they were able to find their captain, Bembry, under the basket. With Drexel holding on to the game late, Checco Olivia hit a three to put a dagger in the game. Saint Joseph’s started the game leading 11-2 and they kept Drexel frustrated and emotional throughout the entire game.

The big issue for the Hawks is defense. They were leaving Drexel outside the arc, and were not guarding inside of the basket. In the second half Shavar Newkirk was subbed out for Kimble due to his poor defense. James Demery mostly defended around the perimeter of the arc last year, while against Drexel he was under the basket. The biggest takeaway from this game is that every player got minutes while coming away with a victory.

The freshmen, Checco Olivia stepped up big time. He could easily be considered the MVP of the game. When Checco was told he was starting, he was not fazed by it. Throughout the game he looked like he was having fun. Martelli described him as zany. He had tremendous post passes to Bembry. While the Italian freshman had 12 points, 3 blocks, and 4 assists he still needs to improve on his rebounding.

There were scouts in Hagan, which everyone would assume they were there to watch DeAndre Bembry. DeAndre led the team with 23 points, most of which he made look easy. Surprisingly, he was not on the court for the most amount of time. Isaiah Miles was on the court for a minute longer than Bembry. Last year Bembry played the most minutes out of everyone in college basketball with and average of 39.

The Hawks will face Niagara at 5PM in Hagan to start their Hall of Fame Tip-off tournament.

-Pants

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So it Begins...

Purpose of Non-Conference Games

College basketball has started and our St. Joe’s Hawks will tip-off their season against Drexel Dragons tonight, Friday November 13th. Even though the Hawks did not beat the Dragons by much last year, some are saying that it is a preseason warm-up. However, SJU also lost to Fairleigh Dickinson last year to start their season. Of course a game that everyone has circled is Villanova, but don’t you dare call it the Holy War or else some cranky history professor will cry about it in the Philly Inquirer. The Hawks are catching a break this year since they are playing against Ivy League schools.

Hall of Fame Tip-Off

The Hawks will get a chance to showcase their athleticism against Niagara, Buffalo, Florida, and Old Dominion/Purdue. Florida and Old Dominion/Purdue will be played at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

Starting 5

To start the season, the starting five will be WG Bembry, PG Newkirk, WG Brown, F Miles, and F Olivia. In case you are not aware, Coach Martelli has never really stuck with the tradition starting 5 with a center, shooting guard, and small forward. He simply puts the best 5 players out on the court.

Phil has received quite a bit of criticism for not playing his freshmen enough during the season. This year with Pierfrancesco Olivia starting, there is speculation that it is only because of Papa Ndao’s lingering issues. No matter who is part of the starting five, it is the total minutes that will explain which player plays more of a pivotal role on the team. During the non-conference games, Martelli’s bench normally gets more action than during the regular season. However, hopefully this season proves that he can trust more of his bench throughout the entire season. 

Aaron Brown is a player that gives it his all on every play, which is what probably earned him the starting role. There are players like Javon Bauman, DeAndre Bembry, Isaiah Miles, and Papa Ndao that know have won the A-10 championship, and have seen what it takes to win. Going into the season St. Joe’s Hawks are predicted to end their season ranked 7th in the conference.

-Pants

Non-Conference 2015-16 SCHEDULE

Friday November 13 - DREXEL - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday November 15 - NIAGARA - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday November 18 - BUFFALO - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday November 21 - vs. Florida - 2:30 p.m.

Sunday November 22 - vs. Old Dominion/Purdue - 12/5:30 p.m.

Tuesday December 1 - VILLANOVA - 7:00 p.m.

Friday December 4 - at Columbia - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 8 - PRINCETON - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday December 13 - at Temple - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday December 19 - ILLINOIS STATE - 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 22 - vs. Virginia Tech - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 29 - MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE - 7:00 p.m.

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Say NO to Kaepernick!

Now that Colin Kaepernick is no longer the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers, the question on everyone’s mind is where will he go? This is now leading many Eagles fans jumping on the bandwagon and screaming that he should eventually play for the Birds. However, now that the trade deadline is over it means that no move will be made this season for Kaepernick to join the Eagles. But, once the off-season hits get ready for the screaming to start once again! Below I have listed 5 reasons why Kaepernick is a bad fit for the Eagles.

 Does not have passing skills

It is time to be honest; Kaepernick does not have the skills to be an NFL QB. When he takes the field he tries to base his game off moving rather than throwing the football. Though on paper he may seem as though he is an NFL passer, in reality he is not. He adds nothing to the offense of a team. In my opinion, for a guy that has really never broken the top 10 in NFL QB category he would just be another Bradford that can move.

 

 Attitude

In reality Kaepernick does not have the NFL QB attitude. As many reporters have said, he seems to have the c'est la vie attitude of not really caring much about anything. He seems to like what comes along with the fame of being an NFL QB more then actually playing the game. This seems to be what many are saying is his problem is he lacks intensity. He seems to always want to be by himself and he is not a true team player either.

 

 Not a winner

Lets be honest he is not a winner. Now I know everyone will start screaming about how he lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012-13 season. But, he really didn’t. The defense of the 49ers lead the team to victory, and the team wasn’t Kaepernick’s to start. It was Alex Smith’s team, and they would have still seen success any way with Smith or Kaepernick. Since becoming the overall starter he has not won his division, finishing 2^nd and 3^rd consecutively. Proving that his production has gone down.          

 

 Mental

There is no doubt that a strong point Kaepernick has is that he can lead near comebacks in games… That is right I said near comebacks, because that is what they are. No matter what the situation or what the 49ers were down by, it has seemed Kaepernick has always made an end of the game push. However, in those close games he seems to make mental mistakes. Rather then flat out choking, as in throwing a timely interception or fumbling the ball. Kaepernick does other things that make you want to pull out your hair. He will sometimes let too much time come off the clock or even forget to go out of bounds.  

 HE LOOKS LIKE SQUIDWARD TENTACLES 

He looks like the character from Spongerbob! That should be reason enough that he shouldn’t be a starter for the Eagles!

-Brett

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Sixers Stink Again?!?!?!

If you have watched any Sixers games this season, it looks as though we are seeing just a continuation of last year. Though we are seeing the emergence of new players like Jahlil Okafor, it looks like this season may already be over. The team to be frank does not have it. At this point in time they don’t have the NBA skills to put a winning product on the court. Even though the young talent may be there, they have to play the waiting game. However, this does not mean they can’t be competitive. If the Sixers need to improve anywhere, it would be to play competitively every single game of the season. Even if the team loses their games if they compete it will be a success.

The Sixers as everyone knows started the season at 0-6. Losing their second game in blow out fashion against the Jazz. For any Sixers fan this may feel like “the same thing different year. “ The team may struggle early because of the learning curve. Fans must remember that the starting lineup only has 6 years of professional experience. You must be patient, considering we have only seen one blow out in the first 6 games, I would call it a success so far.

If you had an opportunity to watch this team take on the Cavs, you would have realized that this team could compete. The young team proved that they can go up against some of the best players in the league, and score. Even though they took the losses, I would consider these games successful. They provided me with an opportunity of how the team would play against real competition. In reality the season is still early, but if they play every game like they did against the Cavs I will be happy. As long as the team progresses each and everyday, they will continue to show us potential. The young core of Noel and Okafor has proven to the world that the Sixers will be a force in the near future. Just wait, don’t give up!

-Brett

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