Last night’s thrilling loss - you heard me - to the Patriots seemed to follow the script for Philadelphia fans: the Eagles, for all intents and purposes a footnote to the Patriots’ attempt at perfection going into last night’s game, trotted out a backup quarterback and gave the best team in decades a run for their money. Once again, though, a late-game interception wiped out a game’s worth of scrappy play by inferior players and conventions-be-damned coaching by Andy Reid. The fact that all this happened on the arm of A.J. Feeley instead of Donovan McNabb adds in the familiar seed of doubt in the franchise quarterback, who has never been fully embraced by his hometown fans. For weeks, no matter who starts, we will hear how foolish the decision is, and for weeks, we will hope to be proven wrong. And once again, even if the Eagles improbably fight their way to the playoffs, defeat will be snatched from the jaws of victory, and the offseason will begin prematurely, and the cycle will start anew.

Congratulations to Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who was today named National League MVP, edging out Colorado’s Matt Holliday. The MVP voting, of course, is based solely on regular-season play, so the fact that the Rockies steamrolled over the Phillies in the first round of the playoffs - the Phils’ first appearance in the postseason in 14 years - did little to improve Holliday’s case. With Rollins joining first baseman Ryan Howard in the annals of MVP winners, giving the Phillies two winners in as many years, it’s nice time to be a Philadelphia baseball fan. But with barely a sniff of the World Series in those two years, fans are left to get by on the little victories, compromising a championship for the privilege of having two of the best players in the league. Second baseman Chase Utley is already a strong candidate for the award next year, but frankly, I’d gladly sit through another year in which Chase missed a month or so if it meant a World Series win.

As early-season loss to a young team, featuring more turnovers than I’d like to see and disconcerting trouble at the foul line, is something that, last year, would have shaken my confidence in the Hawks. But Tuesday night’s 72-69 loss to Syracuse didn’t disappoint me so much as it did show promise for the coming months. Though sloppy play did the Hawks in, they also showed improved team defense and more shooting and passing confidence when facing a zone defense. Pat Calathes, who has taken his share of hits from me, played one of the best games of his SJU career, and newcomer Tasheed Carr (a transfer from Iowa State with sophomore eligibility) and sophomore Darrin Govens provided a much-needed leadership boost. Sure, 1-1 is not as good as 2-0, but seeing the strides the Hawks made, even in a loss, I’ll take it.

As much as we would love for tonight’s tussle with Dallas to be about the Eagles’ chances to make the playoffs, or the continued rehabilitation of Donovan McNabb, or the intense rivalry between the Eagles and the Cowboys, we all know what the announcers are going to focus on: Terrell Owens. Get ready for discussions of “next question,” of Owens doing situps in his driveway, of “I love Donovan.” Every time T.O. lines up against the Eagles, local news media spends the week rehashing the acrimonious year he sat out. I always wind up thinking instead of the year he played, and how great things now could have been if he had stayed. Of course, I’ll be happy if Brian Dawkins lays him out, and I’ll get angry if he finds his way to the endzone. But nothing will be as painful has having to hear his name all night when he isn’t even near the ball.

Edited 11:30 p.m. to add.

The air at Citizen’s Bank Park was thick today. Thick with excitement. Thick with anticipation.

Thick with lint.

A full house waved their rally towels nearly to the point of disintegration today as the hometown Phillies completed the most breathtaking comeback in franchise - and dare I say, league - history, climbing out of a 7 game hole with 17 to play and overtaking the New York Mets as champions of the National League East. The Phillies are going to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, and I was there to see it happen.

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Last night the Phillies got a head start on their next 10,000 losses, losing 10-3 in a game that I’m sure nobody stayed up to watch. I’m not here to philosophize on why this group seemed destined to be the ones to reach the dubious record, or why 10,000 losses is such an important mark. Instead, my contribution to the 10,000 losses rhetoric comes courtesy of my friend John - a Yankee fan but Phillies sympathizer - who sent me the following text message this morning.

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I know that I’m the umpteenth person to make this joke today, but it’s nice to see that Charlie Conway finally made the big time. Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy for the people of Anaheim. It just irks me that a hockey team named after a movie won the Stanley Cup. That makes the last three champions from California, North Carolina, and Florida. Every time a warm weather team wins it all, I die a little inside. Way to go, NHL. Your game is on the verge of extinction, and your best teams are in cities that can’t even produce a decent ice-covered pond in the winter.

Okay, so I’m the owner of one of the most coveted, coolest gaming systems out there, the Nintendo Wii, and I’ve got a MacBook that runs Windows for all my Lego Star Wars II and Madden 2007 needs. I’ve spoiled myself a little bit when it comes to gaming entertainment, even if I consider myself anything but a gamer (I don’t ever recall having “fragged” anyone, nor do I claim to know what the hell that even means). But until recently, there was still a gaming itch I’ve been dying to scratch. The need was fulfilled this weekend when Movie Hawk cohort Pat bought himself an XBox 360 and passed his previous-generation XBox along to yours truly in exchange for a couple beers. What do I plan to do with this new-to-me system…play some Halo? Get my Knights of the Old Republic on? Get a dance pad and hit up some DDR? Not quite yet (real answer key: no, probably, maybe some day once I get the bobbleheads off my entertainment center and out of harm’s way). The very first thing I did was run to my local gaming establishment and right up to the “used” rack, where I bought EA Sports’ NCAA March Madness 2004 and began recreating my beloved Hawks’ 2003-04 perfect season.

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It’s always disappointing when your favorite team’s season ends earlier than it should, but for some reason, last night’s loss by Saint Joseph’s to George Washington - a loss that could very well keep the Hawks out of postseason play (the NIT could still very well come knocking) - can’t be seen as much of a surprise. For months, the Hawks have confused and frustrated their followers; the season may have come complete with a cardboard Foghorn Leghorn cutout declaring “I say, I say, you must be at least THIS tall to ride this ride). And last night’s game summarized everything about these Hawks that has infuriated me throughout the season. As a matter of fact, I came up with a game specifically designed for this team: let’s see how many ways you can complete the sentence “The problem with this team is…”

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Sure, last night’s Super Bowl was notable for its racial implications and for the fact that Bill Simmons’ mentions of the “Manning Face” will probably be cut in half, but the news of more concern to Movie Hawk was yesterday’s victory by Saint Joseph’s over Dayton, an historic victory in that it earned Hawk head coach Phil Martelli his 235th win, enough to make him the second winningest coach in school history. He’s now only 74 wins away from the all-time record - at his pace, it will only take 4 years.

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