Phillies get their revenge on the Yankees (sort of)

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Roy Halladay made all the difference.

The Phillies kicked off their Spring Training schedule this year with the World Champion Yankees (man, that sucks having to write that) and got about the smallest amount of payback you can get when they beat them, 3-2. The most notable thing in the game was the performance of Roy Halladay, who threw 21 strikes in 24 pitches to mow down the Yankees in two perfect innings. Halladay looked great on the mound, showing lots of movement with his pitches as he struck out 3 batters. Sure, this wasn't exactly the top Yankees lineup (no Jeter or A-Rod), but for a first outing of the spring, Halladay looked good.

As for the Phillies offense, none of the regulars did much at the plate. Minor league players Ozzie Chavez, Wilson Valdez and Paul Hoover each had an RBI. Brian Bocock had a couple of hits.

Even though it's only Spring Training, it still feels good whenever you beat the Yankees. Having Roy Halladay look sharp in his first preseason action is a major bonus. Who was that Cliff Lee guy again?

With NFL free agency set to begin, is Aaron Kampman coming to Philly?

With free agency set to begin on Friday, I think it's safe to assume that the Eagles will be pretty active. Rumors out of Philadelphia have linked the Eagles to several defensive ends, running backs and safeties. While a lot of speculation has surrounded the Eagles trading their QB's, the quickest way for the Birds to improve this offseason will be by adding a few veteran free agents.

The first player the Eagles might sign? Defensive end Aaron Kampman. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, league sources believe that the Eagles will sign the former Green Bay Packer. Kampman is widely regarded as the second best defensive end on the market (after Julius Peppers), is a great pass rusher and would be a solid fit for the Eagles defense. There are some concerns about his health, however, given that he missed 7 weeks last season with a torn ACL. He is a great pass rusher in a 4-3 scheme, though, so the Eagles may be willing to look past the injury history for someone with his propensity for getting after the quarterback (40.5 sacks over his last 56 games).

While this rumor appears to be coming from a reasonably reliable source, we of course know not to assume anything in NFL free agency until the player officially signs. While Kampman seems like a logical fit for the Eagles, I'm sure there are a lot of other defensive ends that will get a call from the Birds and a lot of teams that will be interested in Kampman. Time will tell if they get a deal done, but with free agency beginning Friday, we won't have to wait long.

Bad timing: Leighton, Boucher play terrible after Flyers fail to acquire goaltender

(AP)

There are some that say that whoever plays goalie for the Flyers is cursed. While I've always laughed that off, Wednesday night's game was another example of that supposed curse.

After coming up short in their (reported) attempts to acquire a goaltender at the trade deadline, you just knew Michael Leighton would come up small when the Flyers took the ice against a weak Panthers team. Leighton, whom the Flyers will now trust to be the starting goalie for the rest of the season, gave up 4 goals and was yanked mid-way through the second period. His replacement, Brian Boucher, didn't play much better, giving up 2 goals on the first 3 shots he faced, and the Flyers got smoked by the Panthers, 7-4.

So are the Flyers screwed in net, are Leighton and Boucher now completely unreliable because of their poor performance against the Panthers? No, it was simply unfortunate timing. I'm sure there will be many fans and sportswriters who will play the "I told you so" card but, really, this was just one bad game for a goalie who has been pretty good for the Flyers over the last month. Let's not rush to judgement on Michael Leighton just yet. Sure, he might be among the worst starting goaltenders in the league, but let's see if he can be reliable enough to help the Flyers make a playoff run before we start pointing fingers.

Having said that, Tomas Vokoun of the Panthers proved he would have look pretty nice in a Flyers uniform. Oh well.

Lack of draft picks, cap space prevent Flyers from making moves at trade deadline

I can't remember the last time the Flyers did nothing at or near the trade deadline. Seemingly every year, the Flyers make some kind of deal, whether it's for an impact player or just for someone who can fill a role. Well, not this year: the Flyers didn't make a single move at the 2010 trade deadline.

Not that they weren't trying to get something done. There were several rumors floating around throughout the day that the Flyers were looking into acquiring, among others, Dan Hamhuis, Dwayne Roloson, Milan Jurcina and Raffi Torres. They failed to get anything done, though, and that can be traced to two reasons: having no draft picks and lacking sufficient cap space.

The trading for Chris Pronger, while a good move, stripped the Flyers of several top draft picks. Teams that are unloading players at the trade deadline love getting 1st or 2nd round draft picks, something the Flyers don't have. As for their lack of cap space, it limited who the Flyers could offer in a deal. Sure, to get a top goalie or defenseman, the Flyers could have given up a prospect like Claude Giroux, but then the player they would have acquired wouldn't have fit under the cap. They would have been forced to move a bigger salary to make it all work and I don't think the Flyers were willing to part with a Jeff Carter.

So, the Flyers roster is locked in for the rest of the season. Sure, they didn't make any moves today, but luckily they didn't have any major holes to fill. Yeah, it would have been nice for the Flyers to pick up a goalie with some more playoff experience, but not at the outrageous prices I'm sure teams were asking for. Making a deal for the sake of making a deal is never a good move, so I'm glad Paul Holmgren didn't get desperate at the trade deadline. He still deserves some blame, however, because it's his fault the team wasn't positioned better to get something done.

Ray Emery done for the year, goalie trade coming?

The NHL trade deadline just got a little more interesting for the Flyers, who announced that Ray Emery, who was placed on the long-term injury reserve yesterday, will miss the rest of the season. Emery, who has been in and out of the lineup all year long, will have surgery on his right hip.

What this means for the Flyers at the trade deadline is unclear. Do they have confidence that Michael Leighton can carry the team for the rest of the season or do they need to make a move for a proven starter? With names like Dan Ellis and Dwayne Roloson supposedly available, might the Flyers try to move out one of their proven forwards for a little more insurance in net?

Personally, I wouldn't be confident that the Flyers could make a deep run in the playoffs with Leighton. Sure, he has been good in the short term, but can the goalie, who was waiver wire fodder not too long ago, really carry a team on his back? I have my doubts but I would love to see it happen.

As for Emery, this could very likely end his time with the Flyers. He will be a free agent at the end of the season and I can't see the Flyers sinking big money into a goalie with serious hip issues. He may never be the same goalie again and there is no reason for the Flyers to take a chance on him.

Source: Allen Iverson's season is over

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What was only speculation before appears to be fact: Allen Iverson will not be playing basketball again this season. According to Dei Lynam of CSN Philly, a source has confirmed that Iverson will spend the rest of the year with his ailing daughter rather than return to the Sixers. It's unknown at this time whether the decision was made mutually between Iverson and the Sixers or if the veteran guard is being asked not to come back.

Given the way he was in and out of the lineup for the Sixers over the recent months, the decision for Iverson to pack it in was an easy one. With the Sixers completely out of the playoff picture, the youth movement needs to be in full effect, meaning playing Iverson would only have blocked Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams from the court. While I understand what the Sixers were thinking when they signed Iverson initially ($$$), his usefulness on the court has dissipated faster than the Sixers playoff hopes.

Not only is this the end of the abbreviated second Allen Iverson era in Philly, it could very well be the end of his career. Very few teams are going to beat down the door for an aging guard who will demand substantial playing time. I for one hope that Iverson gets one last shot in the league, if only to end his Hall of Fame career in a much more uplifting way. I also hope that his daughter recovers from her illness and goes on to lead a full life.

Thanks for all the memories, Allen. We will never forget all that you did for Philly basketball in your prime.