Results tagged “arizona”

Most of the national hype about this weekend’s Conference Championship Games has been about the Steelers and the Ravens, and understandably so. There’s nothing like two division rivals meeting in the playoffs with a championship bid on the line. Think Yankees-Red Sox ALCS games or Flyers-Penguins Eastern Conference Finals. It’s simply the highest of high drama punctuated by vitriol and hatred built up over an entire regular season or, in some cases, whole generations.

Perhaps Senator John McCain is feeling pressure to court the remaining Christian conservative votes he has not already pulled out from under former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who is a former evangelical pastor. Many far-right conservative voters have expressed doubts about McCain’s allegiance to their values, including notorious radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. This may be the reason why in the past week he has been openly embracing fiery evangelical leaders.

Often when Americans think of whom to vote for both in primaries and in presidential elections, we forget to consider the candidates’ lives before they were candidates. Here are some lesser-known bits about the presidential hopefuls:

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week.

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Nova (Tue, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) - This episode apparently consists mainly of footage of a war between termites and fierce, dragon-shaped army ants. The ants are used by a Cameroon tribe known as the Mofu to protect their huts and granaries from the termites. Good times! Wired Science (Wed, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) - As always, a great big hodge podge of crazy applications of science...

If you make it through the day without melting into the asphalt, you'll be able to catch the first night of the IFC Free Film Fest at the Schuylkill Banks. Offering three nights of free entertainment, the Fest includes Raising Arizona (tonight), The Princess Bride (Wednesday), and last but certainly not least, Napoleon Dynamite (Thursday).

To clear up any speculation of bias, we at Phillyist absolutely love the Phillies. Pat Burrell? Not so much.

With all that went down this week, we thought we'd cheer everyone up by giving everyone a double dose of dogs.

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed.

News Anchor Kerri-Lee Halkett

Tomorrow night, The Slip, New England's quickest-rising stars (not named Matsuzaka), are hitting Philly for a headlining show at World Cafe Live. If you're a fan of bands like Umphreys McGee, you'll be blown away by these three dudes.

Landon Donovan continued to put ’06 in the past with a stellar performance against Mexico last night. He capped off USA’s victory with a blistering charge through midfield, in which he shed two defenders before deftly turning to the left to avoid keeper Oswaldo Sanchez and slamming the ball home to make it 2-0 at the 90 minute mark. In his last two games he has 3 goals after going 18 international appearances without a score. Playing before a hostile crowd in Arizona - that’s right, US fans were outnumbered at The University of Phoenix Stadium - the game seemed to present a tough challenge, though we haven’t lost to Mexico on home soil since 1999. Mexico had bolstered its squad by recalling all available top internationals, including Omar Bravo, Francisco Fonseca and danger man Jared Borgetti. Top US defender, Oguchi Onyewu, was unfortunately unavailable for the match, due to obligations to club team, Newcastle. Borgetti has given the US trouble in the past and nearly equalized the score with a header that barely went wide of the right post. After Jimmy Conrad’s goal (his first in 19 appearances) in the 52nd minute - headed home with conviction after a beautiful corner kick by Landon Donovan - Mexico turned up the heat. Seven of Mexico’s nine shots came in the second half. The US defense held firm, however, with Jimmy Conrad playing a stellar all around game. Though US goalie Tim Howard had to come up big on two excellent chances, all other scoring opportunities were heavily hindered by the US defense. Our main problem was a lack of consistent flow through midfield. At times the service just wasn’t there for the forwards. When he got the ball, Bobby Convey stood out. His charges up the wing repeatedly confounded Mexico’s defense and he nearly put the US up by two goals in the 72nd minute. Close in to the keeper, he shot the ball right into Sanchez’s waiting arms. If Convey adds a defter touch to his game he could be one of the US’s deadliest players.

After last night's loss to Houston, we no longer care what Will Bunch (Ryan Howard doesn't pitch) or ESPN's Alan Schwarz (and his interestingly anonymous Phillies fan reader) say. We're ready to say that the Phillies are out of the Wild Card race, and we're so sure of it that we're writing this post before San Diego inevitably beats Colorado and takes a three-game lead over the Phillies.

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets.

It's a bad teen movie cliché to throw around the choice expressions "bros before hos" and "chicks before dicks." That being said, it's absolutely the right mantra to live your life by.

Not that we needed it, but this weekend was yet more proof of how being a Phillies fan is by far the most aggravating occupation known to mankind. After interviewing Dawn Staley on Tuesday, Phillyist stuck around in D.C. for the Phils' four-game series against the Nationals. We now realize that, as usual, our optimism of Thursday afternoon was a big mistake.

Philly Roller Girls

...Legal Troubles: Snoop Dogg and his posse caused some trouble in London Heathrow Airport and ended up getting themselves arrested. They were apparently smashing bottles of whiskey in the Duty Free shop. It all started when someone asked Snoop to pass the Courvoisier when he'd made it clear he'd only accept Gin and Juice. (Via E! Online.)

Arrests at Eagles games are not exactly surprising or unusual. Who can forget the famous Eagles Court at the Vet? However, Christopher Noteboom from Tempe, Arizona has stunned even the most cynical amongst us with his arrest on Sunday during the Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field -- for rushing the field during the game, dumping a baggie of his mother's ashes as he ran, and then collapsing on the 30-yard line.

We've read all of the negative columns and blog posts. We've bashed just about every Eagle to our friends. We've listened to WIP so much that we think we'd be better off just flogging ourselves.

On July 26, 2000, Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling (now the most-expensive set-up man around while he rehabs his ankle injury) was traded to the fesity Arizona Diamondbacks after winning 102 games in a Phillies uniform, including one in the 1993 World Series. Schilling was upset in Philly, he wanted out and the rest is history. The Phillies may not see a pitcher that good for 25 years. He’s up there with Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts as the best to ever pitch in Philly. The Phillies received what at the time seemed like a steal. They got pitching prospect Nelson Figueroa, solid veteran Omar Daal, power-hitting first round draft pick Travis Lee, and another prospect, hard-throwing 22 year old Vicente Padilla, who was striking out a batter an inning with the D-Backs. He was praised for his competitiveness by manager Buck Showalter, who did not want to part with him. The only thing the Phillies have to show from that trade five years later, aside from the everlasting hysteria from “The Bowa Years,” is Vicente Padilla. Although he represented Philadelphia in the 2002 All-Star Game, he was fighting to stay in the big leagues as he pitched against the Pirates in Pittsburgh last night. While Schilling has won 2 World Series, the Phillies have lost with, as Chris Mustazza affectionately calls him, “Sure-to-lose” Padilla. We all love Vicente, though; we do want him to do well. We know he’s the same pitcher Showalter praised, taking losses out on himself. It has taken a great toll on his confidence to pitch as bad as he has been pitching. But Padilla helped the Phils last night to come within four and a half games of the NL wild card leading Atlanta Braves.