UPDATE: Is the Embiid jogging video an ad? 100% yes…BUT MAYBE NOT?

UPDATE: Well well well, what do we have here? Another video emerging this afternoon of Joel Embiid playing tennis? Weird….so he was running in the first one, and now he’s playing tennis? Boy…I wonder if there is some kind of company out there that may make something for athletes to wear when they’re playing different sports….something to cover their feet so they don’t get blisters? Maybe a cross training type of footwear for athletes?

DON’T EVER DOUBT ME. Read our original post below.

——-

You poor gullible saps. You’re all getting played, and you’re all getting played HARD.

You’ve likely seen the video taken by a Lyft driver last night of Joel Embiid jogging along Pine Street near Rittenhouse, but if you haven’t here it is:

The video has already made the rounds on Twitter, YouTube and Reddit. Wow, Joel Embiid jogging on the streets of Philadelphia…he’s just like us!

Open your eyes, people. Free your mind and the truth about JoJo will follow.

It’s an ad for Lyft! Come on… how obvious can it be? If the Ed Wood-esque acting (A man of his size and stature would tend to jog like that at night by himself! Cut, print, perfect, let’s move on!) doesn’t tip you off, then surely the idea of Embiid jogging by himself at night in a pair of 76ers shorts should…it’s staged. It’s an advertisement.

I’M ON TO YOU LYFT. The video is just a little too perfect for my liking. The driver just happens to have his dash cam on? He got a Lyft request at that exact same moment that sent him on the same direction as Embiid,? UH HUH, SURE.

Oh, and what’s this? Lyft has started to unveil a new ad campaign featuring A-List celebrities like Tilda Swinton, Jordan Peele, and Jeff Bridges?

And what is their new slogan? “It matters how you get there.” Remind you a little bit of THE PROCESS, doesn’t it? It certainly matters how the 76ers got to their bright future, does it not? THE AD WRITES ITSELF.

However, I will admit that my theory does have a few kinks…namely that I talked to the Lyft driver (Evanbg994 on reddit and @evanbowengaddy on Twitter) and he assured me it was NOT an advertisement for Lyft.

Just what a Lyft employee would say, if you ask me.

You can see our riveting conversation after the jump.

(more…)

Is the Philadelphia media failing Markelle Fultz?

If you watched the Blue/White 76ers scrimmage yesterday from the Palestra than you’re likely trying to come to terms with some unpleasant facts. The highly coveted #1 overall pick was anything but Sunday afternoon. Where were the head turning highlights we expect from a franchise changing prospect that Bryan Colangelo had to give up a boatload to draft? All we saw yesterday was a few mid-range jumpers, some technically sound passes, and an affable attitude from one of the supposed “top talents” on the roster.

Where were the rim rattling dunks? The no-look passes? The triple doubles? The buzzer beaters and the killer attitude? Is this what the 76ers gave up a boatload of picks for? Those picks could have possibly been used to draft the NEXT Markelle Fultz. They’re valuable assets.

Instead we saw someone who wasn’t giving 100% out there. I didn’t see him set any jaw-rattling screens or take any violent charges to give his squad a leg up. We didn’t see any of those.

Instead we saw Fultz help Ben Simmons up from the floor after the two collided at mid court halfway through the scrimmage. Are you going to do that in a game that counts, Markelle? Help up an opponent in the heat of battle?

My JV basketball coach always told us that “You play like your practice.” He was a wise man and I’m sure he was shaking his head in disgust at what he saw yesterday.

Fultz evidently does not yet have what it takes to succeed in this city, so why isn’t the media letting him know it?

Instead of hearing it from the front page of the Inquirer sports section, this young man is being trumped up as a franchise savior by the Philadelphia media.  In years past they’d be nitpicking this young man to death for “not showing enough” in his first appearance in front of the hometown heavies.

It’s called tough love and it helped shape so many of this city’s past greats into the legends they became.

Donovan McNabb. Charles Barkley. Eric Lindros. Mike Schmidt. Ask them and they’ll tell you that the reporters, journalists, and sports talk hosts in this city are 100% what made them into the hall of fame players they became, not their natural talent. They had to learn how to play in this city, and it made them better athletes, and more importantly, better men.

But not Fultz. Suddenly this town has kid gloves when it comes to handling the #1 overall pick.

Take this, for instance. Last week during media day Fultz spent an inordinate amount of time neglecting his media duties, choosing to eat Chick-Fil-A instead. Last I heard, Chick-Fil-A isn’t exactly part of a balanced diet for a highly-tuned athlete. Do you think Chip Kelly would have stood for this if he were still around? Say what you will about his tenure, but those Eagles were in tip-top condition.

But what does the media do? Does the hard-nailed Philadelphia sports media take the young Fultz to task and teach him a valuable lesson? Nope. It enables the youngsters obsession with fast food and makes a joke of it.

Where is the Philadelphia sports media I used to know that would nitpick every decision he makes and attribute it to his play on the court? Where are the sports talk hosts that would criticize everything a player did 24 hours a day, and then claim the athlete “doesn’t know what Philadelphia is about” when he dared to question the media’s negative portrayal of him?

It’s gone, and it’s instead replaced with this:

(more…)

Should Doug Pederson be criticized for not getting his best offensive option more involved?

The best coaches in the NFL play to their players’ strengths and hide their players’ weaknesses. A coach doesn’t mold his team in his vision, but he molds his vision to his team.

A coach like Bill Belichick sees what his players do well, puts them in a position that plays to their strengths, and limits their exposure to hide their deficiencies.

It’s an indomitable fact. This is what successful coaches do and how good teams win. So, why is Doug Pederson refusing to showcase the best offensive option the Eagles have and limiting their explosive scoring potential?

Yes, the Eagles won, but it’s more of a concern that Pederson can’t see the forest for the trees.

It makes no sense. Is he being stubborn? Does he not see what he has in front of him? Either way, it’s a huge concern moving forward in the season.

(more…)

Bryan Colangelo has an obvious tell. Does it spell doom for the 76ers?

Bryan Colangelo has an obvious tell, and it spells doom for the 76ers. Can you spot it? What’s the key difference between these two pictures?

At first glance, they look similar. Hell, he’s even wearing the same blue blazer and white button-down combination…but look at the collars. The picture on the left is Colangelo from this morning’s media day session where he stammered his way through an “update” on Joel Embiid’s health. Sure, he’s not ready for 5-on-5 yet, but is on track for their “intended goal” to participate in the regular season.

The picture on the right is when he was able to introduce the Sixers #1 overall pick Markelle Fultz to the media.

Now, notice the collars in both pictures….the collar on the right is tickling his jawbone, it’s exuberant, full of life, peacocking its way into the hearts and minds of the fans everywhere.

Look at the collar on the left. Definitely doesn’t come close to his jawbone. It’s wilted, limp, almost sallow. It’s sickly, unconfident, decidedly un-starched.

The conclusion? Colangelo’s collar height and collar vivacity, its “joie de vivre,” if you will, is his tell.

The collar on the right is his good news collar. Coincidence that he wore it while showcasing his greatest triumph as yet with the 76ers by procuring Markelle Fultz? I think not.

The collar on the left is his bad news collar. A vague timetable for Embiid’s return, denial of showcasing Jah for a trade, making excuses for why they’re signing front court has beens….he’s lying and he shows it through his collar height.

He knows something else, he just isn’t saying it verbally. Come clean with us, Bryan, we deserve it. You’re not fooling anyone.

LOOK TO THE COLLAR FOR YOUR ANSWERS.

Do you know what’s not fake? Awesome 76ers merchandise. Buy it all from the banners below (but maybe don’t invest in that Bryan Colangelo jersey you had your eye on).

thumb

Philadelphia 76ers 2017-2018 Nike Jerseys

Philadelphia 76ers 2017-2018 Nike Jerseys

Does anybody trust the 76ers at this point when it comes to injuries?

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely talked yourself down off from a very high ledge or taken the noose off from around your neck and come to grips with the fact that Joel Embiid STILL has not been cleared to play 5-on-5.

(Not to brag, but I did predict this would happen earlier this morning)

The news broke today during Brett Brown’s lunch with the media session and you can bet your ass Marcus Hayes immediately started stress eating steamer tray after steaming tray of chicken parmesan.

Does anyone have any shred of a doubt left that Joel Embiid will not be ready for the start of the season? Is it that surprising that the team has NOT been forthcoming about one of their player’s health? After he injured himself in January, the 76ers said he didn’t have a torn meniscus…until, well, they reported that he did indeed have a torn meniscus, but that it wouldn’t require surgery.

Until, well, it did require surgery in March.

The 76ers haven’t given an update on Embiid’s health all summer, despite every indication that he SHOULD be completely healed by now from his March 24th meniscus tear surgery.

(more…)

Is no news actually bad news for Joel Embiid?

Two fears keep me up at night. One is the fear that I’m a terrible father. Are the decisions my wife and I making for our 18-month-old causing irreversible damage to his young psyche? How can we be sure we’re doing a good job? Are we being too strict? Not strict enough? How can you even know if your parenting strategies are working on a kid who is not yet 2-years-old?

The second, and much more important fear, is the health of Joel Embiid. Training camp officially started today and he has YET to be cleared to play 5 on 5.

THE SEASON IS A MONTH AWAY, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

My Embiid fear is obviously more pressing. Him not playing or missing considerable time this year will impact me much sooner than my kid becoming a kook because I was a bad father.

I figure I have at least until he’s a teenager before he goes off the deep end and tries to slit my throat in my sleep. That’s 13 years away, plenty of time to set him straight or give him up for adoption.

But Joel? That’s in the here and now. LIVE IN THE NOW, PEOPLE.

So why haven’t we heard anything from the 76ers about his status? I’m not completely sure, but is it a bad sign that we haven’t heard ANYTHING from the 76ers about their franchise center?

It’s been operation silence on the 76ers end for anything with Embiid. If he were healthy, wouldn’t you be shouting that from the rooftops like a carnival barker?

“COME ONE COME ALL, SEE THE AMAZING 7-FOOT MAN DAZZLE YOU WITH FEATS ON THE BASKETBALL COURT THAT YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. RIM PUNISHING DUNKS, SILKY SMOOTH 3-POINT SHOTS, YOU’LL SEE IT ALL FROM THIS FREAKISH MAN THE LIKES OF WHICH WILL ASTOUND AND AMAZE. JUST A DIME, STEP RIGHT UP STEP RIGHT UP.”

Maybe. Maybe not.

(more…)

I don’t know about you, but I missed Doug Pederson’s wide receiver screens

Forget about the Eagles only running the ball 13 times, or Doug Pederson acting like a toddler on Christmas morning and only playing with a cardboard box when his brand new LeGarrette Blount sits unloved on the sideline. No. What I missed most on Sunday was Doug’s dedication to his wide receiver screen game plan that has given the team so much success in the past.

How can you expect to keep a defense honest when you don’t throw in at least one or two wide receiver screens a game? You’re doing yourself a disservice when you don’t give Wentz the opportunity to throw a haphazard pass to an unprepared receiver 8-yard behind the line of scrimmage.

He let the fans down and he let his team down. Bring the screen back Doug, we beg of you.

Or at least run the ball more than 13 GODDAMN TIMES. Fuck my life. Mix in a draw once in a while so I don’t have to see Carson Wentz overthrow/underthrow every single pass he throws over 25-yards. Jesus.

Other game notes after the jump:

(more…)

UPDATE: @GregfromPotomac fills us in on his secrets and his infamous rose picture

If you’ve been following the saga of Meisha Johnson and @GregfromPotmac on Twitter, you’d know by now that we’re OBSESSED with the fact that Greg tweets the same picture of a vase of roses to countless female newscasters across the country and seems to be quite smitten with CBS 3’s weather girl.

Earlier this morning we wrote about Greg pitching some woo to Meisha. This led us to investigate his twitter feed and discover his ELEGANT use of a vase of roses picture to sweep women in the media off their feet.

Case in point:

https://twitter.com/GregfromPotomac/status/839859599935225858

CLASSY!

We reached out to Greg earlier today for answers:

In true baller fashion, Greg got back to us and we’re entirely in his corner now. Meisha, you must date this man IMMEDIATELY:

What a perfectly sane answer! Greg, we salute you.

I went down the rabbit hole of one WIP listener’s tweets to CBS 3’s Meisha Johnson

Old man Angelo Cataldi continues to have one foot out the door to his retirement and dipped back into his bag of tricks this morning, summoning CBS 3’s weather girl Meisha Johnson to the WIP Morning Show studios to make sure she receives her recommended daily dose of the heebie jeebies and grill her on her love life.

It’s a tired bit and just an excuse for Cataldi to “help” Meisha “put on her headphones,” but my heart always skips a beat and the sky looks even more blue when this pops up on my twitter feed.

https://twitter.com/MeishaCBS3/status/907933422290685952

There is nothing better in this world than reading the responses from WIP listeners to Meisha Johnson on Twitter.

Nothing.

Better.

Now, usually I’ll go through these tweets and pick out the best ones, but today is different. The very first tweet sent to Meisha is from a listener @gregfrompotomac who “playfully” encourages Meisha to reveal their relationship on air.

Oh ho! I see what you did there, Gregory! Just some “cute” flirting about the “relationship” you have with Meisha. Well done sir! I’m sure the WIP Morning Show gang will get a good laugh out of it.

Hmmm…maybe we should take a quick look at Gregory’s twitter feed, see what else he’s been up to. Probably just a one time tweet to Meisha to be cute, right? Yeah, probably, nobody would make this a habit, right? RIGHT?!

(more…)

If the Eagles lose week 2 against Kansas City is the season over?
doug-pederson-3b76a153cc7121eb

Photo credit: NJ.com

1-0 after week 1. Good job guys. Good effort. Great to get out of D.C. with a victory over the hated Washington Native Americans (name changed to keep this blog as a safe space) and come back to Philadelphia a winner.

Not so fast though. The season is in trouble, and anyone with a good pair of eyes can see it.

With a week 2 jaunt against the Kansas City Chiefs looming over the franchise, we have to face some serious facts about the season already.

If the Eagles lose against the Chiefs next Sunday, is the season over?

I say yes.

(more…)