-
![Are the Phillies Too Old? Chase Utley sat down with the media on Thursday to talk about his health, less than 24 hours after Ryan Howard did the same thing. Injuries are nothing new to the team. As this team gets older, it will happen. Virtually every starting position player spent time on the disabled list in 2011. But are they too old?
Let’s look at the 10 (arguably) core players on the team and their age:
Ryan Howard: 32
Chase Utley: 33
Jimmy Rollins: 33
Placido Polanco: 36
Shane Victorino: 31
Hunter Pence: 28
Carlos Ruiz: 33
Cole Hamels: 28
Roy Halladay: 34
Cliff Lee: 33
That’s a combined 321 years old, or an average of 32.1. It’s important to remember that this is essentially the same team that was old in 2011 and won 102 games (despite an early exit in the playoffs). So maybe it’s not really an issue. Or is it? What is more important - age or experience level?
A 2010 study from Springer Science+Business Media that examined the performances of 39,698 Major League baseball players in the 20th century found that hitting performance peaks at age 30, base stealing at 27, and pitching at 34.
From The20’s @GonzoCSN:
“Not long ago, Ruben Amaro said pretty much that same thing — that the Phils are an experienced group and maybe the birth dates on their drivers’ licenses aren’t such a big deal. Except, well, you see their ages and you see their injuries, and you do wonder if one isn’t directly tethered to the other.”
Weigh in: are the Phillies too old to win? Or are they just fine?
-LD
[Springer Science+Business Media, @GonzoCSN]
Photo: Getty Images](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzwmn9vxkS1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Are the Phillies Too Old? Chase Utley sat down with the media on Thursday to talk about his health, less than 24 hours after Ryan Howard did the same thing. Injuries are nothing new to the team. As this team gets older, it will happen. Virtually every starting position player spent time on the disabled list in 2011. But are they too old?
Let’s look at the 10 (arguably) core players on the team and their age:
- Ryan Howard: 32
- Chase Utley: 33
- Jimmy Rollins: 33
- Placido Polanco: 36
- Shane Victorino: 31
- Hunter Pence: 28
- Carlos Ruiz: 33
- Cole Hamels: 28
- Roy Halladay: 34
- Cliff Lee: 33
That’s a combined 321 years old, or an average of 32.1. It’s important to remember that this is essentially the same team that was old in 2011 and won 102 games (despite an early exit in the playoffs). So maybe it’s not really an issue. Or is it? What is more important - age or experience level?
A 2010 study from Springer Science+Business Media that examined the performances of 39,698 Major League baseball players in the 20th century found that hitting performance peaks at age 30, base stealing at 27, and pitching at 34.
“Not long ago, Ruben Amaro said pretty much that same thing — that the Phils are an experienced group and maybe the birth dates on their drivers’ licenses aren’t such a big deal. Except, well, you see their ages and you see their injuries, and you do wonder if one isn’t directly tethered to the other.”
Weigh in: are the Phillies too old to win? Or are they just fine?
-LD
[Springer Science+Business Media, @GonzoCSN]
Photo: Getty Images
-
![Ryan Howard Spent His Winter Watching The Real Housewives. Phillies slugger Ryan Howard spoke to the media for the first time Wednesday since tearing his Achilles’ in the final game of the 2011 season, a 1-0 loss to St. Louis. He addressed his recovery from the injury, when he expects to be back on the field and more. He also spent a considerable amount of time talking about housewives.
A recap from The20’s @toddzolecki:
“Q: What did you do for those two months you were immobile?
A: Watch a lot of TV. A lot of TV. Lots of (Real) Housewives shows and sporting events.
Q: Who’s your favorite housewife?
A: It depends on which show you’re talking about. There are so many housewives it’s ridiculous.
Q: Are you hooked on the shows?
A: I’m into it a little bit. I’m not going to lie. It’s a little intriguing. There is a little judgment in this room, I can feel it, but that’s all right.
-LD
[NBC Philadelphia, @ToddZolecki]](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztez6JqBI1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Ryan Howard Spent His Winter Watching The Real Housewives. Phillies slugger Ryan Howard spoke to the media for the first time Wednesday since tearing his Achilles’ in the final game of the 2011 season, a 1-0 loss to St. Louis. He addressed his recovery from the injury, when he expects to be back on the field and more. He also spent a considerable amount of time talking about housewives.
A recap from The20’s @toddzolecki:
“Q: What did you do for those two months you were immobile?
A: Watch a lot of TV. A lot of TV. Lots of (Real) Housewives shows and sporting events.
Q: Who’s your favorite housewife?
A: It depends on which show you’re talking about. There are so many housewives it’s ridiculous.
Q: Are you hooked on the shows?
A: I’m into it a little bit. I’m not going to lie. It’s a little intriguing. There is a little judgment in this room, I can feel it, but that’s all right.
-LD
-
![Does Chris Brown and Rihanna Working Together Bother You? Chris Brown and Rihanna are back together, at least musically. Two songs featuring the young singers were released on the web late Monday, Brown singing on a remix of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” and Rihanna on Brown’s “Turn Up the Music.”
The collaborations have received a great deal of attention from the media and from fans. It was at a pre-Grammy Awards party in 2009 that Brown attacked his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge and is serving five years of probation. In 2011, a judge eased a restraining order that had required Brown to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna to only 10 yards if they were at a music industry event. Fans are reacting to the new collaborations on both sides of the argument.
From MTV.com reader “KringleChick”:
“Loving both of these songs. Glad they were able to put the music first and let everything else stay behind. Both are great artists and these songs rock. Their voices are amazing together!”
On the other side at MTV.com is LP54, saying:
“Why, Rihanna? Why? I know for lots of people it’s just a song, but for others it’s their role model saying it’s okay.”
Members of The20 also weighed in:
“@anniemal: Rihanna, you’re on your own. Next…” (editor’s note: spelling corrected)
“@cristinmcgrath: I feel a certain way about Rihanna. She used that situation to reinvent herself. I feel like her & Chris back together = a big “FU” to fans.”
What are your thoughts on Chris Brown and Rihanna working together in light of their history?
-LD
[Youtube, NBC Philadelphia, MTV, @anniemal, @cristinmcgrath]
Photo: Getty Images](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzr26jYVu21qfnxkko1_400.jpg)
Does Chris Brown and Rihanna Working Together Bother You? Chris Brown and Rihanna are back together, at least musically. Two songs featuring the young singers were released on the web late Monday, Brown singing on a remix of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” and Rihanna on Brown’s “Turn Up the Music.”
The collaborations have received a great deal of attention from the media and from fans. It was at a pre-Grammy Awards party in 2009 that Brown attacked his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge and is serving five years of probation. In 2011, a judge eased a restraining order that had required Brown to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna to only 10 yards if they were at a music industry event. Fans are reacting to the new collaborations on both sides of the argument.
From MTV.com reader “KringleChick”:
“Loving both of these songs. Glad they were able to put the music first and let everything else stay behind. Both are great artists and these songs rock. Their voices are amazing together!”
On the other side at MTV.com is LP54, saying:
“Why, Rihanna? Why? I know for lots of people it’s just a song, but for others it’s their role model saying it’s okay.”
Members of The20 also weighed in:
“@anniemal: Rihanna, you’re on your own. Next…” (editor’s note: spelling corrected)
“@cristinmcgrath: I feel a certain way about Rihanna. She used that situation to reinvent herself. I feel like her & Chris back together = a big “FU” to fans.”
What are your thoughts on Chris Brown and Rihanna working together in light of their history?
-LD
[Youtube, NBC Philadelphia, MTV, @anniemal, @cristinmcgrath]
Photo: Getty Images
-
![Linsanely Overhyped? If you haven’t heard the story involving New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, you’re one of the few. In short, he’s the biggest story in the National Basketball Assocation right now, and probably in a long while. The 2010 Harvard graduate who went undrafted and who has been waived by the Warriors and Rockets in his short NBA career, has taken the Big Apple by storm. Since scoring 25 points February 5 against New Jersey, it’s been a 16-day media storm and Lin has continued to impress, contributing 28 points and 14 assists Sunday against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only four players since the NBA-ABA merger — Bernard King, Shaquille O’Neal, Brandon Jennings and Michael Jordan — have scored more points in their first eight career starts than Lin’s 200.
But it’s more than basketball. As one of the few Asian-Americans in NBA history, his story has become a global sensation. He’s already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine (international edition) and more publications, featured on every major news outlet and even parodied on this week’s Saturday Night Live. Oh, and there’s that rumor that Kim Kardashian wants to date him (a rumor that Lin denies, but which Bodog has put 5/1 odds on before the end of the NBA finals, via The20’s @dhm).
As SI’s Pablo Torre put it in last week’s cover story,
“Nothing, anywhere, has ever resembled the ascendance of Jeremy Shu-How Lin, a legend seemingly pulled from the imagination of a goosefleshed David Stern, if not Disney’s most hyperbolic global marketing exec.”
But is Lin being overhyped? Philly sports analyst Garry “G” Cobb weighed in on his blog Friday, essentially saying that because Lin plays in New York City and ESPN wants to hype him up, he’s getting too much attention.
“I am telling you Lin is going to have his own update on the bottom line by next week on ESPN,’ Cobb writes. ‘Lin has just woke up from his nap and peed for 10 seconds. Then he had some Alphabets cereal right after.”
And Cobb is far from the only pundit in this conversation. Lin has played big minutes in only nine games to this point, and while his numbers don’t lie, is that too small of a sample size for all of this attention? Or is it deserved?
Weigh in below in the comments.
-LD
[ESPN, Saturday Night Live, @dhm, Sports Illustrated, GCobb.com]
Photo: Getty Images](http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzpsfbVKLY1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Linsanely Overhyped? If you haven’t heard the story involving New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, you’re one of the few. In short, he’s the biggest story in the National Basketball Assocation right now, and probably in a long while. The 2010 Harvard graduate who went undrafted and who has been waived by the Warriors and Rockets in his short NBA career, has taken the Big Apple by storm. Since scoring 25 points February 5 against New Jersey, it’s been a 16-day media storm and Lin has continued to impress, contributing 28 points and 14 assists Sunday against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only four players since the NBA-ABA merger — Bernard King, Shaquille O’Neal, Brandon Jennings and Michael Jordan — have scored more points in their first eight career starts than Lin’s 200.
But it’s more than basketball. As one of the few Asian-Americans in NBA history, his story has become a global sensation. He’s already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine (international edition) and more publications, featured on every major news outlet and even parodied on this week’s Saturday Night Live. Oh, and there’s that rumor that Kim Kardashian wants to date him (a rumor that Lin denies, but which Bodog has put 5/1 odds on before the end of the NBA finals, via The20’s @dhm).
As SI’s Pablo Torre put it in last week’s cover story,
“Nothing, anywhere, has ever resembled the ascendance of Jeremy Shu-How Lin, a legend seemingly pulled from the imagination of a goosefleshed David Stern, if not Disney’s most hyperbolic global marketing exec.”
But is Lin being overhyped? Philly sports analyst Garry “G” Cobb weighed in on his blog Friday, essentially saying that because Lin plays in New York City and ESPN wants to hype him up, he’s getting too much attention.
“I am telling you Lin is going to have his own update on the bottom line by next week on ESPN,’ Cobb writes. ‘Lin has just woke up from his nap and peed for 10 seconds. Then he had some Alphabets cereal right after.”
And Cobb is far from the only pundit in this conversation. Lin has played big minutes in only nine games to this point, and while his numbers don’t lie, is that too small of a sample size for all of this attention? Or is it deserved?
Weigh in below in the comments.
-LD
[ESPN, Saturday Night Live, @dhm, Sports Illustrated, GCobb.com]
Photo: Getty Images
-
Bethlehem Bashes Foursquare After “Least Romantic City” Rating. We told you Tuesday about social networking site Foursquare ranking Bethlehem, Pa. the second least romantic city in America, based on check-ins to places deemed “romantic” for couples, including French restaurants, wine bars, flower shops and lingerie boutiques. The release happened to coincide with Bethlehem’s “Week of Romance,” drawing multiple complaints from Bethlehem residents. Now the town has decided to take on Foursquare.
To refute Foursquare’s claims, the Downtown Bethlehem Association has released a video mockery of the location-based social networking site, depicting a man trying to propose to his girlfriend during the “Week of Romance” before he is repeatedly interrupted by her act of “checking-in.”
Quick and well-done, Bethlehem. Your move, Foursquare.
-LD
-
![WrestleMania 29 Coming to NJ in 2013. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, Triple H, and Sheamus will be in attendance. Will you? WWE’s premiere professional wrestling pay-per-view event of the year is headed to the Garden State next year and will be held outdoors at MetLife Stadium (home of the Jets and Giants). From ESPNNewYork.com:
“This is not a one-day thing,” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said Thursday in the official announcement. “This is a week-long celebration that is going to be brought here to New Jersey and the surrounding area. You will have fans from all around the country and around the world who are going to come and generate tens of millions of dollars in all type of economic activity for this area.”
In 2011, WrestleMania was held before 71,617 fans at the Georgia Dome. This year’s event will be April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. WrestleMania has generated more than $200 million in cumulative economic impact for its past four host regions, according to ESPNNewYork.com. The 2013 event is expected to generate more than $62 million in revenues for the New York City area and northern New Jersey suburbs (according to the Wall Street Journal). More from WWE.com:
“My goal right now is to make WrestleMania XXVIII the greatest WrestleMania of all time,” The Rock stated before breaking the news: “I will also come to WrestleMania XXIX, and I will electrify MetLife Stadium like never before.”
And despite The20’s @dhm’s request for Christie to announce the event dressed as 1990’s WWF legend Yokozuna, the Governor opted for a simple suit (as shown above).
-LD
[ESPNNewYork.com, WWE.com, @dhm]
Photo: Getty Images](http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzi9uzpfJP1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
WrestleMania 29 Coming to NJ in 2013. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, Triple H, and Sheamus will be in attendance. Will you? WWE’s premiere professional wrestling pay-per-view event of the year is headed to the Garden State next year and will be held outdoors at MetLife Stadium (home of the Jets and Giants). From ESPNNewYork.com:
“This is not a one-day thing,” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said Thursday in the official announcement. “This is a week-long celebration that is going to be brought here to New Jersey and the surrounding area. You will have fans from all around the country and around the world who are going to come and generate tens of millions of dollars in all type of economic activity for this area.”In 2011, WrestleMania was held before 71,617 fans at the Georgia Dome. This year’s event will be April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. WrestleMania has generated more than $200 million in cumulative economic impact for its past four host regions, according to ESPNNewYork.com. The 2013 event is expected to generate more than $62 million in revenues for the New York City area and northern New Jersey suburbs (according to the Wall Street Journal). More from WWE.com:“My goal right now is to make WrestleMania XXVIII the greatest WrestleMania of all time,” The Rock stated before breaking the news: “I will also come to WrestleMania XXIX, and I will electrify MetLife Stadium like never before.”And despite The20’s @dhm’s request for Christie to announce the event dressed as 1990’s WWF legend Yokozuna, the Governor opted for a simple suit (as shown above).-LDPhoto: Getty Images -
![Philly, Trenton Among Top Cities for Singles. If you’re looking for love, Philadelphia and Trenton, NJ are two great places to search. At least that’s the case according to a recent study released by Kiplinger which “went beyond simply identifying the places with the highest percentage of bachelors and bachelorettes” and included financial factors such as “income and living costs” to identify the top 10. Philly comes in at No. 6 and Trenton No. 7.
On Philadelphia:
“Think of Philadelphia as the cheaper alternative to New York or D.C. Thousands of singles see it that way already: Since 2000, the number of college-educated young adults living in downtown Philly has jumped by 57%. Young people have long flocked to the area for college, as more than a dozen universities lie within city lines. But increasingly, trendy neighborhoods and high incomes at companies such as Comcast and Sunoco are pulling singles in to stay. Now, one in two Philadelphians is unmarried, one in five is between 20 and 34, and one in three holds at least a bachelor’s degree.”
And on Trenton (though clearly they are focused on Princeton):
“Trenton proper gets a bad rap, but Princeton, the capital of Northeast prep, lies only 20 minutes to the north. Princeton University is the cultural force there, with 7,800 students and 5,750 employees living on its idyllic, tree-lined streets. Further afield, in Trenton and Ewing, technology, finance and health-care jobs have become major draws, with salaries averaging over $75,000 a year. The singles scene is good throughout the Trenton metro area, but Princeton promises especially attractive odds. An astounding three of five residents are unmarried, and three in four hold at least a bachelor’s degree.”
The full list:
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Bloomington, Ill.
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Baltimore, Md.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Trenton, N.J.
New York, N.Y.
Durham, N.C.
Iowa City, Ia.
-LD
[Kiplinger, h/t @dhm]
Photo: Getty Images](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzgdesOiki1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Philly, Trenton Among Top Cities for Singles. If you’re looking for love, Philadelphia and Trenton, NJ are two great places to search. At least that’s the case according to a recent study released by Kiplinger which “went beyond simply identifying the places with the highest percentage of bachelors and bachelorettes” and included financial factors such as “income and living costs” to identify the top 10. Philly comes in at No. 6 and Trenton No. 7.
On Philadelphia:
“Think of Philadelphia as the cheaper alternative to New York or D.C. Thousands of singles see it that way already: Since 2000, the number of college-educated young adults living in downtown Philly has jumped by 57%. Young people have long flocked to the area for college, as more than a dozen universities lie within city lines. But increasingly, trendy neighborhoods and high incomes at companies such as Comcast and Sunoco are pulling singles in to stay. Now, one in two Philadelphians is unmarried, one in five is between 20 and 34, and one in three holds at least a bachelor’s degree.”
And on Trenton (though clearly they are focused on Princeton):“Trenton proper gets a bad rap, but Princeton, the capital of Northeast prep, lies only 20 minutes to the north. Princeton University is the cultural force there, with 7,800 students and 5,750 employees living on its idyllic, tree-lined streets. Further afield, in Trenton and Ewing, technology, finance and health-care jobs have become major draws, with salaries averaging over $75,000 a year. The singles scene is good throughout the Trenton metro area, but Princeton promises especially attractive odds. An astounding three of five residents are unmarried, and three in four hold at least a bachelor’s degree.”The full list:- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Bloomington, Ill.
- Santa Cruz, Calif.
- Baltimore, Md.
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Trenton, N.J.
- New York, N.Y.
- Durham, N.C.
- Iowa City, Ia.
-LD
Photo: Getty Images
-
The Chipotle Ad That Stole the Show At the Grammy’s. Yes, Sunday night was very much about Adele sweeping with six awards at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, along with Jennifer Hudson performing a moving tribute to Whitney Houston. But it was burrito-chain Chipotle’s “Back to the Start” ad, which featured Willie Nelson covering Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” that still has people talking.
The spot, which actually was released online last August, has picked up over 5 million views on YouTube (over 1 million in the past 36 hours). But why was it so interesting?
Talking about the company’s long-held “food with integrity” stance, AdAge explains:
“The two-minute spot is the chain’s first national TV ad…The ad takes viewers through one farmer’s journey, from a huge industrialized farming compound to one with more-sustainable and humane practices. Chipotle encouraged viewers to download the song at iTunes, with proceeds going to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.”
The20’s @anniemal weighed in with another interesting idea for Chipotle’s next commercial (is it Chi-pol-tee or Chi-pote-lay):
@anniemal: I’d like to see Chipotle do a spot where they explain how to pronounce their name.
What did you think of the commercial?
-LD
-
![Philly’s SEER Interactive Named 2012 Inner City 100 Winner. Search engine marketing firm SEER Interactive has been selected by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as a 2012 Inner City 100 Winner, recognizing the Northern Liberties-based company as one of the fastest-growing companies located in America’s urban areas.
“Being named an Inner City 100 Winner is an honor and a testament to SEER’s emergence as a nationally-recognized search marketing firm,” SEER founder Wil Reynolds said in a press release on Philadelphia CityBizList. “SEER is proud to represent Philadelphia on this prestigious list and we look forward to continued growth in this great city.”
ICIC is a nonprofit research and strategy organization and the leading authority on U.S. inner city economies and the businesses that thrive there. SEER was selected from a strong pool of more than 1,000 nominees from inner cities across the United States.
-LD
[Philadelphia CityBizList, h/t @alexknowshtml @TechnicallyPHL]
Photo: SEER Interactive](http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz77czj5em1qfnxkko1_250.gif)
Philly’s SEER Interactive Named 2012 Inner City 100 Winner. Search engine marketing firm SEER Interactive has been selected by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as a 2012 Inner City 100 Winner, recognizing the Northern Liberties-based company as one of the fastest-growing companies located in America’s urban areas.
“Being named an Inner City 100 Winner is an honor and a testament to SEER’s emergence as a nationally-recognized search marketing firm,” SEER founder Wil Reynolds said in a press release on Philadelphia CityBizList. “SEER is proud to represent Philadelphia on this prestigious list and we look forward to continued growth in this great city.”
ICIC is a nonprofit research and strategy organization and the leading authority on U.S. inner city economies and the businesses that thrive there. SEER was selected from a strong pool of more than 1,000 nominees from inner cities across the United States.
-LD
[Philadelphia CityBizList, h/t @alexknowshtml @TechnicallyPHL]
Photo: SEER Interactive
-
![Free iPads Issued As Part of Local College Curriculum. Sign up for college, get an iPad. It’s part of the new curriculum at Moore College of Art & Design, the all-women school that has an enrollment of approximately 500 in Philadelphia. Students will receive the devices, customized by Apple and pre-loaded with visual arts- and design-related apps. Officials at Moore say their relationship with Apple Inc. is the first of its kind.
From Newsworks:
“On Monday you’re in the drawing studio, and on Wednesday you’re in the computer lab. That is one way to incorporate digital media tools,” said Dona Lantz, Moore’s dean of academic affairs. “But we saw the iPad as the mobile device that bridges the physical facility, both in ideas and being able to work with fluidity without having to go to a certain classroom in a certain building.”
-LD
[Newsworks, h/t @geekadelphia]
Photo: Getty Images](http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz4yl1PJn01qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Free iPads Issued As Part of Local College Curriculum. Sign up for college, get an iPad. It’s part of the new curriculum at Moore College of Art & Design, the all-women school that has an enrollment of approximately 500 in Philadelphia. Students will receive the devices, customized by Apple and pre-loaded with visual arts- and design-related apps. Officials at Moore say their relationship with Apple Inc. is the first of its kind.
From Newsworks:
“On Monday you’re in the drawing studio, and on Wednesday you’re in the computer lab. That is one way to incorporate digital media tools,” said Dona Lantz, Moore’s dean of academic affairs. “But we saw the iPad as the mobile device that bridges the physical facility, both in ideas and being able to work with fluidity without having to go to a certain classroom in a certain building.”
-LD
[Newsworks, h/t @geekadelphia]
Photo: Getty Images
