some sports musings

* They spotted the Broadway Blue Shirts a 3-0 lead. Didn't matter. They came back, took the lead and were suddenly tied again. Then Sooper Sid connected on a one-timer from Ryan Whitney that was actually tipped in by Evgeni Malkin. In front of an insane "white-out" crowd dahn-tahn at The Igloo, 'Guins win.

* Over on the North Side, it was Phillies 6, Pirates 5. Zach Duke really stinks, and the Buccos can't get rid of those awful Friday red jerseys fast enough.

* What in the world has gotten into the 76ers? Where do they get off running a veteran team like Detroit out of the gym like that? Ah, who cares. It's a cool story just 'cause it's even happening.

* The NFL Draft is today! Yawn. What's the best thing about being at The Penn Relays -- aside from, you know, actually being at the Penn Relays? It's a totally draft-free zone. Nice.

bill lyon is back!!!

Some good news and a pleasant surprise in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer: Retired columnist Bill Lyon, a man who has authored some of the best-written stuff (sports or otherwise) in the history of Philly newspapers, is back. He covered last night's stunning upset win by the 76ers in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Pistons in suburban Detroit, and just as he so often used to do, Lyon provides us with a delectable treat of gentle, elegant prose. Just click this link, sit back and enjoy.

allen iverson's return to philly

The Answer's first game as an opponent at the Wachovia Center last night certainly was something to see, from the 65-second standing ovation he received to his kissing the Sixers' team logo upon taking the floor to his insightful reflections on an enigmatic, if dazzling, career in Philadelphia. Fact: Allen Iverson is the most dynamic basketball talent I have ever seen, if only because what he lacks in size he more than makes up for with quickness and heart. No one played harder, which made him that rarity in today's spoiled landscape of professional sports: As a fan, you got your money's worth, all night, every night. There was, of course, so much off-the-court stuff, stuff that makes one wonder if... both if he was capable of carrying a team to a title, given the right parts, and if he really was a valuable teammate, given his aversion to practice and his willingness to take so many shots. Alas, we'll never know. But for one more night, The Little Guy made the house rock at Broad and Pattison, even if -- as Mike Sielski notes in his column in the Bucks County Courier Times -- he once again couldn't make his team win.