Now that Robert Esche is back Antero Niitymaki can get some rest. Esche will start tonight against the Montreal Canadiens as the Flyers look for their second straight home win. Defenseman Joni Pitkanen may also return to the lineup tonight after sitting out Monday’s game with a groin injury. Pitkanen’s offensive play has been missed on the defense since he was initially injured in early December.

The Canadiens come to town halfway through a six game road trip. They have lost seven straight on the road and have one only once in their last 17 road games overall. The Flyers look to continue to get more scoring out of their second unit, led by new addition Petr Nedved. Nedved’s power play unit has posted goals in each of the past two games, adding some much needed scoring depth to the Flyers offense.

Montreal Leaders:
Goals - Michael Ryder (20 goals)
Assists – Andrei Markov (23 assists)
Points – Saku Koivu (35 points)
Penalty Minutes – Steve Begin (93 minutes)

Flyers Leaders:
Goals – Simon Gagne (33 goals)
Assists and Points – Peter Forsberg (46 assists and 61 points)
Penalty Minutes – Donald Brashear (57 minutes)

Pennsylvania hunters now have another weapon to add to their assortment of guns and crossbows. It’s one their ancestors may have used, and yesterday the Pennsylvania Game Commission tentatively approved it’s use in the 21st century. “The atlatl, pronounced AHT-laht-l, is a two-foot-long wooden pole which, when wielded like a lacrosse stick, releases a six- to seven-foot spear.”

I’ve never really understood hunting for sport, it’s something my people don’t really do. But using an atlatl to kill a deer or a boar sounds excessively brutal to me.

Ancient Hunting Tool Gets Tentative Okay [Inquirer]

I overslept this morning, and was on hurried autopilot as I rushed into work. I got on the trolley at 19th Street like I always do, and got off at 33rd and walked to my office building. I got to my desk ten minutes after leaving my apartment. My co-workers had other stories to tell. It seems that there was a bomb scare in the 34th Street El Station this morning. The closed down chunks of the El, made people heading west exit at 30th Street and even closed some of the surrounding buildings.

It turns out that it was a suitcase of clothes someone abandoned on the platform that caused the scare.

Did anyone get caught up in this this morning?

Okay, who’s the joker that scheduled a late-January, late-night, Philadelphia THUNDERSTORM?!?

Don’t the weather gods know I’m already sleep-deprived and in no mood to make fruitless attempts at soothing my inconsoleably neurotic thunder-storm hating dog?

Thunder-bumpers go away, come again some other day…..

Yesterday and today’s closing of the South Street bridge was one of those “news” events that feels so utterly predicted that it was hard to suppress a yawn when I heard it on the TV. After all, every time I drive beneath that beast on 76 (twice a day every weekday), I create my best psychic bubble of protection in hopes that any falling chunks of concrete will safely hit the water, rather than some wayward car, boat, or pedestrian.

What was news to me today was the afterthought in all the reports: the bridge is scheduled to be closed and replaced in 2007.

About effing time.

Now don’t take this as a rant against homeless people, although it may seem that way. Today I happened to go south on Route 1 going to pick up my car from the garage it was getting repaired at. And when I entered the city the first thing I am greeted by is a homeless man carrying a sign. The sign read HOMELESS. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. While the sign is obviously simple and to the point I have one question to ask, Why should I help you? From my point of view you aren’t even trying to help yourself. I have never, and I have done a good bit of driving in the city, never seen anyone give a sign carrying homeless person anything from their car. Of course that’s not to say it doesn’t happen but I have never seen it.
(more…)

Today CBS and Time-Warner announced plans to merge programming from CBS’s UPN network and Time Warner’s WB network under one network entitled CW. The CW network would spell the end for Philadelphia stations WB 17 and UPN 57. While all your favorite shows from the networks (if you have any) will most likely make the transition to the CW, there seems to be room enough for only one of the stations to stick around. The 50-50 venture between the media giants is an attempt to build a fifth major network, much like FOX did. While the WB and UPN networks were attempts at this, it was seen as both networks were pulling viewers from the other, never allowing them to gain that extra foothold much like FOX did. It seems likely that the new CW network will appear on WPSG 57 as opposed to WPHL 17. WPHL 17 (the area’s WB affiliate) has a partnership with NBC 10, while WPSG 57 is a stand alone UPN network. The UPN 57 website has a statement regarding the new network while WB 17’s website has no mention whatsoever.

Donald Trump is moving to Philadelphia even if he doesn’t get his casino here. Trump is planning a $190 million, 45 story condo complex on the Waterfront. Trump has said the building is going to be a “first-class” condo complex. The building is going to have landscaped gardens, a high-end spa, a five-star restaurant, a wine cellar, health and fitness club, recreation room and an a outdoor deck. It seems like Philadelphia is starting to attract the first class development that a city of our stature should attract.

Four teens from University City High School taped and beat a Drexel graduate student finishing by pushing the man into oncoming traffic. Police have arrested all four and charged them with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other related charges. The victim has declined to give help to the police and would like to return to Haiti. The scene is eerily similar to the Florida homeless beatings.

The four students taped themselves before the attack talking about how they were going to attack someone and then it seems they randomly selected the victim and attacked him. Police are not releasing the tape to the public but have said it is highly disturbing.

One of the top high school quarterbacks in the country, Downingtown East’s Pat Devlin, verbally committed to Penn State. Devlin’s decision came down to powerhouse Miami and Penn State with Devlin choosing Joe Paterno’s program. Penn State is having a fantastic recruitment season thus far and it looks to get better. With Devlin committing to PSU Vidal Hazelton, considered one of the top two receivers in the nation, is rumored to be de-committing to USC to come to Penn State. It’s looking like PSU could be poised to make a run at the national title next season.