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Gordon Glantz is the managing editor of the Times Herald and an award winning columnist.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

That Smell

Hall of fame Temple University basketball coach John Chaney used to have a great saying.

He would caution his players against "smelling themselves" too much.

Perhaps Chaney should have given demagogue Andy Reid, bean-counter Joe Banner, errand-boy Tom Heckert and the rest of the Eagles' brain trust a call prior to the NFL Draft this past weekend.

It would seem that the Eagles are still smelling themselves after winning the last three games of the season, all after the pressure was off and making the playoffs was off the table, to pull even at 8-8.

As it turns out, those three wins - seemingly encouraging at the time - may have been the worst thing to happen to this organization that has been prone to prolonged fits of arrogance in the past.

The Eagles went into the draft holding the No. 19 overall pick, the last of all the non-playoff teams, and needing to plug some obvious holes after finishing dead-last in a division, the NFC East, that doesn't figure to weaken in 2008.

And how did they approach the draft? Like an elite team with no immediate needs who can afford to trade out of the first round and trade for depth. A longtime draftnik who spends this weekend each year wrestling to remain objective, I can't say the Eagles didn't make some good choices over the weekend.

But they didn't come away with, barring injuries, one projected starter.

They are an 8-8 team who cockily planned for the future.

They were, in the end, smelling themselves a little too much.

Let us take a look at the Eagles' draft:

- First Round (No. 19 overall) traded to Carolina for a first-rounder next year and a second- and fourth-rounder this year.

Comment: With Virginia offensive lineman Branden Albert off the board, the trade may have been too tempting to pass up. Carolina doesn't figure to be a good team next year, meaning the extra first-round could be a top-10 choice. Still, two players I would've seriously considered - Arkansas running back Felix Jones and South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins - were not only still on the board, but they both ended up going to the rival Dallas Cowboys. If they end up being the players I think they will, both will haunt us for a decade.

- Second Round (No. 4? overall, acquired from Carolina) was traded to Minnesota for their second- and fourth-rounders (I think the Eagles threw in a fifth, as it mysteriously disappeared and Minnesota used that pick, but that information has seemingly been declared top secret or deemed by the media as not important enough to report).

Comment: Still smelling themselves, as more players I wanted went off the board to division rivals (Kenny Phillips to the Giants; Devin Thomas to the Redskins).

- Second Round (No. 47 overall, acquired from Minnesota) arrives with a drum roll. The choice: DT Trevor Laws of Notre Dame.

Comment: I called it, did I not? Laws fits in the Eagles' scheme on the defensive interior and should work in well with former first-round choices Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley in a rotation.

- Second Round (No. 49 overall). I rose to my feet in anticipation, like the 12-year-old I still am deep inside. The choice: DeSean Jackson, WR, California.

Comment: "Oh yeah," I bellowed, scaring the cats away. "That's what I'm talkin' about." Jackson, in my mind, was a first-round talent who scouts over-analyzed because he played so much - and well - in college. While the Eagles' offense is too Einsteanian for him to learn in the next seven seasons, Jackson is the first of several players who helps clear some dead wood off the roster. His arrival as a receiver and big-time returner means we can rid ourselves of both WR Greg Lewis and un-special return specialist Reno Mahe.

And that was it for Day 1. Two picks, plus the acquisition of running back Lorenzo Booker from the Miami Dolphins for a fourth-rounder. Despite seeing a lot of talent go to the very teams we need to surpass to reach the Promised Land, I slept easier that I thought I would. I liked Booker coming out of Florida State last year and he could be a steal. It also meant the Eagles didn't have to burn a pick on a running back.

At 10 a.m. Sunday, it all started up again.

I had high hopes the Eagles would deal disgruntled cornerback Lito Sheppard during the overnight hours, maybe getting a high third-rounder from the Rams, but that never happened.
The Eagles waited their turn in the chow line in the third round and ...

- Third round (No. 80 overall). And they took ... Bryan Smith of McNeese State.

Comment: Huh? What? Actually, I can't be shocked. It's like a chronic nail-biter. Sooner or later, they are going to return to the nasty habit. For the Eagles, it's drafted woefully undersized college defensive ends from small schools with the hope of making them into linebackers that will never be asked to rush the passer. Reid actually said the athletic Smith would used at defensive end. Andy? At 226 pounds? Smith has some intriguing tools and would've been a worthwhile pick later on, but these reeked as a their first of several "reach" picks. Let's just hope the kid can play special teams.


- Fourth Round (No. 109 overall, from Carolina). The Choice: Mike McGlynn, OL, Pitt.

Comment: He is the kind of guy I was afraid the Eagles would reach for the second round. In the fourth, this lunch-pale scrapper who can play anywhere on the line and will scratch and claw his way into the starting line-up within two years, was a good choice. Plus, he snaps on field goals and point-after kicks. Not sure about punts, but it can be taught. This trims total dead wood in Jon Dorenbos, the magician who serves no other purpose but snapping can now make himself disappear and leave the roster spots to real football players.

- Fourth Round (No. 117, from Minnesota). The Choice: Quintin Demps, a free safety from UTEP (University of Texas-El Paso).

Comment: When I heard this pick, I was shocked. I thought it was a mistake. I couldn't believe he was still on the board. I'm real high on this pick. Speaking of picks, he had 17 in his career. He runs a sub-4.4 40 and returns kicks. Only apparent weakness is tackling (not as glaring as Sean Considine, don't worry), but Brian Dawkins will teach his heir apparent the finer points of the art.

- Fourth Round (No. 131, compensatory). The Choice: Jack Ikegwuonu, CB, Wisconsin.

Comment: Another shocker. A guy with character issues? The Eagles not being all holier than though? Maybe Reid learned from the legal troubles of his two sons to give second chances. It doesn't help that this guy, once he spends the season rehabbing a knee injury, is a first-round talent who can supplant Sheppard and/or Sheldon Brown.

OK, the Eagles had a strong fourth round. Would they finish strong? I anxiously awaited the fifth, only to see Minnesota owned pick. On to Round 6, where one of their four picks mysteriously switched to the Cleveland (it apparently has something to do with Hank Fraley and we got a pick in 2009 out of it instead of this year ...).

As for the sixth-rounders we did keep ...

Sixth Round (No. 184). The choice: Mike Gibson, OT, California.

Comment: None, really. He sounds OK. There are other guys I would've picked - Hawaii WR Davone Bess, for example - but I was also fearing the guy who completed 108 passes and 12 touchdowns to Bess, Colt Brennan. I guess we have to trust the Eagles on this one. Gibson sounds versatile and coachable, which will help his chances.

Sixth Round (No. 200). The choice: Joe Mays, ILB, North Dakota State.

Comment: A lot like my sleeper, Steve Allen, who went undrafted. This guy will knock your head off first and ask questions later. He could, should - and probably will - stick as a special-teamer.

Sixth Round (No. 203). The choice: Andy Studebaker, DE/OLB, Wheaton

Comment: Back to nail-biting habit again with the hybrids. This small-school stud does bring more size (253 pounds) than his third-round counterpart and don't be surprised if he out-plays him in camp. This is a good pick in the sense that he could go on the practice squad for a year and it is unlikely another team would snatch him up, which they are allowed to do.

Seventh Round (No. 230 overall). The choice: King Dunlap, OT, Auburn.

Comment: He may not make it, but this was a smart choice. Going into the season, Dunlap rated as a possible first-rounder. If he had come out after last season, he would've been a second- or third-rounder. He stayed in school and failed so miserably as living up to his measurables (6-9, 310) and natural abilities that he ended up getting benched in favor of a freshman. Still, he has the tools and played a big school. You don't always find that this late in the draft and it is why I don't advise throwing away late-round picks, which the Eagles apparently did with their other seventh-rounder (it ended up with Buffalo). I guess they went back to smelling themselves again.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Call Me The Breeze

Anybody feel a draft?

I do. And it's the only draft that matters.

It's the NFL Draft - a holiday here in the mystical town of Gordonville.

It starts Saturday with the first two rounds and continues Sunday with rounds 3-7. New rules for how long teams will have between picks to beef up their teams in this annual meat market should make watching the draft less laborious.

Moreover, with the Eagles -- my Eagles -- having a plethora of picks, we're looking at a pretty entertaining weekend.

We are invited to a Holy Communion gathering Saturday, but should be good to go way before the Eagles choose submit a name. My wife has illusions - or, perhaps, delusions - that we are going to do things like organize the garage and/or the basement over the weekend.

LOL. It's not happening.

Sorry, dear.

Not even the great melter of my heart -- my daughter, Sofia -- can divert my attention from the task at hand. That task, you might ask, is to pathetically sit powerless while the Eagles do what they are going to do regardless of what I scream -- or throw -- at the boob tube.

But I do have this blog to get my preferences on the record now, for posterity, before Andy Reid and Co. screw it all up.

Let us begin this drill with a position-by-position breakdown as they relate to the needs of the Eagles.

QUARTERBACK

Need (on scale of 1-5):
3

This need-level rating may surprise some, but the Eagles have been believers in taking a QB in drafts where they have had extra picks to burn. This year, they have one pick in each of the first five rounds and four in the sixth and two in the seventh. More picks, perhaps even a second- or third-rounder, could be added if disgruntled cornerback Lito Sheppard is dealt away. This season could be the last for Donovan McNabb, whose contract explodes to a ridiculous amount in 2009 and whose heir apparent, Kevin Kolb, is waiting in the wings. There are rumors that there may be a trade value for backup A.J. Feeley, who could end up third on the depth chart here this season anyway. If true, there would certainly be room for another quarterback. It is said that a team is only as strong as its No. 2 quarterback. Following that logic, a No. 2 of the future needs to be brought in and groomed behind Kolb. So when and where would the Eagles pull the trigger? Probably in the fifth or sixth round. I shuddered in horror when I heard the Eagles were intrigued by University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who set all kinds of records in a pass-happy offense but looked horrible against better competition in a bowl game. I personally like two guys from the same city. There is San Diego U. quarterback Josh Johnson who threw 43 (yes, 43) touchdowns last year and only one pick. However, his stock has risen from the fifth- to sixth-round range to as high as a possible third-rounder. That's too high for the Eagles, given their other needs. If I were them, I'd wait until Round 5 and hope that San Diego State signal-caller Kevin O'Connell is still on the board. Other guys who may fit the offense are USC's John David Booty, Oregon's Dennis Dixon and Tennessee's Erik Ainge. Paul Smith of Tulsa, a Jeff Garcia-type by some accounts, could be had as an undrafted free agent and developed.

RUNNING BACK

Need:
2.5

Brian Westbrook is one of the top five backs in the league, but he is also 29 and misses at least a game or two per year. Backup Correll Buckhalter remains serviceable but is also on the downside of his career and in the last year of his contract. Tony Hunt, a third-round pick last year out of Penn State, remains in the mix but saw decreased playing time as his rookie season progressed. Ryan Moats, a third-round pick from three years hence who once showed great promise, will be trying to battle back from a broken ankle. If the right guy falls to the Eagles, they could grab a back. The team is very particular, however, about a RB's skill set. Blocking and receiving ability are musts. It would be nice if return ability counted, too, but that has not been the history. Some prognosticators who don't know Reid's tendencies as well as I do have played matchmaker for us by sending Felix Jones of Arkansas our way in mock drafts. Jones, the college understudy to sure-fire Top 5 pick Darren McFadden, will make a nice change of pace back for some team -- maybe even in the Dallas Cowboys -- but probably not us unless he falls through the second round and into our laps. I personally like some guys who could be had in rounds 2 and 3. My wish list includes Ray Rice of Rutgers (2,012 yards last year and close to 5,000, along with 49 touchdowns, in three seasons), Matt Forte of Tulane (2,127 yards and 23 TDs last season) and Kevin Smith of Central Florida, who chalked up a remarkable 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns last year and reminds me a lot of former Minnesota Vikings' standout Robert Smith (no relation). However, I'd be happy if the Birds waited until Round 6 and took someone like Oklahoma State's Dantrell Savage. He is small (5-8 1/2, 187) but has good hands and is a solid return man (a pressing need we'll address later). Two others who could probably be had in Round 7 or as free agents who are similar to Savage are Chad Simpson of Morgan State, Anthony Alridge of Houston and Rafael Little of Kentucky.

FULLBACK

Need: 2

I'm not sold that either converted defensive tackle Dan Klecko or Jason Davis, who the Eagles have kept around the last two years (one on injured reserve and the second on the practice squad), can be a NFL fullback. Then again, full-time fullbacks -- for reasons I can't explain -- have become an endangered species. Klecko brings value with his versatility while Davis can also play some running back. The top fullback in the draft, by far, is West Virginia's Owen Schmidt and he won't be drafted in the middle rounds. With all their extra picks, assuming they don't deal them away for choices in 2009 and beyond, the Eagles might consider someone like Lex Hilliard of Montana in the sixth or seventh round. He ran for more than 1,300 yards twice in his career as a bruising Division 1-AA tailback and has the size (5-11 1/2, 233 pounds), toughness (battled back from a career-threatening injury) and receiving ability to garner a chance to be groomed for the future should the Klecko Experiment fail and/or Davis doesn't cut it.

WIDE RECEIVER

Need:
4.5

Don't listen to Reid's jive talkin'. If a receiver like Roy Williams of Detroit or Chad Johnson of Cincinnati isn't added in a swap for the No. 19 overall pick and/or Sheppard, one or two receivers will be tabbed from the college pool. National guys evaluate the Eagles from an objective point of view and have them taking someone like Limas Sweed of Texas, Malcolm Kelly of Oklahoma, Devin Thomas of Michigan State or DeSean Jackson of California in the first round. If Jackson, an undersized game-breaker with NFL return ability slides to the Eagles in Round 2, they will take him. My sources say he came in for a secret workout and the Eagles like what they saw. If not, I'm in love -- not literally! -- with Jordy Nelson of Kansas State. He has size (6-2 1/2, 215 pounds), respectable speed (4.52 in the 40-yard dash) and unreal run-after-the-catch ability. He returned five punts last year and two went for touchdowns. A high school quarterback who was initially recruited to play safety, he adds the ability to throw some sweet option passes. Since the Eagles barely play rookie receivers, Nelson would add value in other areas and rid us - finally! - of Greg Lewis (I'll drive G-Lew to the airport personally). The problem with Nelson is that he may be a reach in Round 2 but might not last until the Eagles pick again in the third round. If we don't get Jackson or Nelson, don't be surprised if one of the following are selected as surrogates -- oft-injured but talented Earl Doucet of LSU, Harold Carmichael-clone James Hardy of Indiana, Donnie of Avery of Houston (where he was a favorite target of Kolb) or Earl Bennett of Vanderbilt (who, like Jackson, came in for a favorable workout). There are some other guys who would bring instant juice to the anemic return game -- Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson, Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal, Florida's Andre Caldwell -- but the Eagles, rightly or wrongly, want a receiver first and return man second. They could, in the later rounds, look to someone like Kevin Robinson of Utah State -- who is a polished returner but an unrefined receiver -- but don't count on it.

TIGHT END

Need:
1.5

Unless the Eagles really don't want L.J. Smith around, there really isn't room on the roster for a tight end. The enigmatic Smith - who is a borderline Pro Bowler when healthy and focused -- has a year to prove his worth to either the Eagles or a future employer. Second-year tight end, Brent Celek, provides a solid No. 2 and free-agent signee Kris Wilson looks to be the new third-stringer. Still, the Eagles look at this position much like they do quarterback. With extra picks, they may take a flier on a late-round project. Want a name or two? Jacob Tamme of Kentucky or Kory Sperry of Colorado State.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Need: 3

I don't see the need as great as others, including the Birds' brass, but the writing is on the wall. Some more big bodies are coming to town. Longtime bookends Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are entering the final years of their contracts. Runyan will probably retire. Thomas may try to hook on elsewhere, meaning there could be some draft-day trade value to a team like Baltimore that is in dire need of a left tackle. There are a few scenarios and it's hard to get a read on what the team might be thinking. Have they given up on 2006 third-round choice Max Jean-Gilles as a starting guard? Are they happy with center Jamaal Jackson? There is left guard Todd Herremans, who could go back to his natural position of tackle. I fear the Eagles are Jonesing to move two-time Pro Bowl right guard Shawn Andrews to the other tackle spot. That would mean drafting a guard. If not, they will be drafting a tackle. Perhaps they'll take best guard or tackle on the board -- in either Round 1 or 2 -- and tinker with the parts from there. They would have a season to figure it out. It was looking like Virginia's Brandon Albert (6-7, 315), who is a guard with tackle-type footwork, would be a lock for the Birds in the first round. But his stock has risen to as high as the top half of the first round. None of the other pure guards figure to even be Day 1 picks. There are, however, some tackles in a deep class whose names you might want to practice saying now. One of them will probably be an Eagle come Saturday. They are Boise State's Ryan Clady (6-6, 315), Pitt's Jeff Otah (6-6 1/2, 340), Boston College's Gosder Cherilus (6-6 1/2, 315), USC's Sam Baker (6-5 1/2, 308), Vanderbilt's Chris Williams (6-6 1/2, 317) or Kansas' Anthony Collins (6-6 1/2, 310). Don't be surprised if a center -- Arizona State's Mike Pollak, Notre Dame's John Sullivan, Bowling Green's Kory Licthtensteiger or USC's versatile Matt Spanos -- is added in the middle or late rounds.

DEFENSIVE END

NEED:
3

There are rumors the Eagles are inquiring about Jason Taylor of the Dolphins and would make a move for the aging sack machine if the price were right (i.e. a Day 2 pick). This tells me they are still not happy with the group at this position, even after adding Chris Clemons via free agency. If they don't pull the trigger on a deal, they could keep their eye on players like Calais Campbell of Miami (Fla.), Lawrence Jackson of USC, Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest or Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech and hope they fall through the cracks to the middle rounds.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

NEED:
4.5

The Eagles have two good, young starters in former first-round picks Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley but sorely need a third tackle for the rotation. As close to the vest as Reid usually is about team needs, he even let it be known. A perfect fit for the scheme would be Trevor Laws of Notre Dame and he should be there in Round 2. Some others -- Auburn's Pat Sims, N.C. State's DeMario Pressley and Maryland's Dre Moore -- are unrefined products who may not give you much as a rookie.

LINEBACKER

NEED:
2

If someone with value fell, the Eagles would snatch him up. That said, they have gushed so much over their young group of linebackers that it is hard to conceive that another would be added high in the draft. I do have two sleepers for Round 7 or as post-draft signees: Steve Allen of West Texas A&M (he literally knocks people out when he tackles them) and Shane Simmons of Western Michigan.

CORNERBACK

NEED:
4.5

No point in unloading Sheppard and not replacing him. Don't believe the propaganda about Joselio Hanson being the third corner. He is a No. 4 and they know it. Additionally, this draft is rich in corners. As many as five could go in Round 1 and nine in the first two rounds. The Eagles would be well-served to grab one. The best, and a perfect fit, is Leodis McKelvin of Troy. With Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown as the starters, he wouldn't have to start here right away and would add instant impact to the return game. However, we'd have to use Sheppard and the No. 19 pick to move into the top 10 to get him. I'd do it in a heartbeat but the Eagles would probably grab Albert, the aforementioned guard/tackle, if they made such a move. A solid choice would by Oklahoma's Reggie Smith, who can return punts efficiently and may eventually be a candidate to be converted to safety. He is also might be the most ready to step in as a nickel back in the slot, but his ceiling is not as high as some others. Mike Jenkins of South Florida has surreal talent and return ability and may just be the pick if the Eagles stay put at No. 19. Another talent whose stock is hard to read is Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee State. He could be there at No. 19 or even in the second round or, just as easily, get snatched up in the top 15. Another name matched with the Eagles with Aqib Talib of Kansas, who brings size (6-1 1/2, 205) to the position but is a step slow. He was also eaten alive by the aforementioned Jordy Nelson, the wide receiver I love -- not literally! -- from Kansas State. Later on, the Eagles could take Tracy Porter of Indiana, who is a fluid return man and projects as a serviceable DB.

SAFETY

NEED: 2.5

This is where I differ from some, in terms of immediate need. Even if this is Brian Dawkins' final season, there are options. If a stud corner (see above) is taken, Sheldon Brown could move to safety and extend his career by several seasons. Right now -- with Quentin Mikell, J.R. Reed and Sean Considine on the team -- they could wait until next year to grab a safety high if the need still seems pressing. Still, many are saying that Kenny Phillips of Miami (Fla.) is a future Bird, period. Where this is smoke, there could be fire. And the smoke smells like bust to me. I prefer DeJuan Morgan of N.C. State, but that's just me not wanting to overdraft a guy because he played at Miami. I'd personally wait until the middle rounds. A hitter like Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski, an amateur boxer who the Eagles' fans would love, could be had on Day 2. He even returns punts, although probably not much better than Reno Mahe.

Kicker/Punter

Need:
2

With a seventh-rounder, why not? Maybe you can find a kicker to stash on the practice squad as insurance against the possible decline of David Akers. And punter? Sav Rocca got better as last season progressed, but he was still only average. The best punter is Durant Brooks of Georgia Tech and he'll be taken long before the Eagles might want to dabble. Someone like Tim Reyer of Kanas State or Mike Dragosavich of North Dakota State might be worth the time.

Return Specialist

Need:
5

Sad but true, the Eagles don't concur with my maxed-out need rating. They may take a corner, receiver, running back or safety who does it and give them a look but ...
Me? I'd make it a mandatory requirement for any skill position guy. I even like a college quarterback, Jayson Foster of Georgia Southern, as a late-round pick or post-draft priority signing. At 5-7, he can't play quarterback in the NFL but he makes would-be tacklers look like mannequins in the open field.

There are many ways this could go, and it's impossible to predict trades. One or two, at minimum, will be made. Based on the fleeting assumption that there are no deals, here is my final mock draft for the Eagles:

1) Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
2) Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
3) Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
4) Tom Zbikowski, SS, Notre Dame
5) Kevin O'Connell, QB, San Diego State
6A) Matt Spanos, C, USC
6B) Geoff Schwartz, OT, Oregon
6C) Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
6D) Dantrell Savage, RB, Oklahoma State
7A) Steve Allen, ILB, West Texas A&M
7B) Jayson Foster, Athlete, Georgia Southern

Summary: Jenkins, Nelson, Zbikowski, Robinson, Savage and Foster are all return men. One has to be an upgrade, right? Instead of burning a high pick on an offensive lineman who'll be inactive all season anyway, I went for Spanos and Schwartz in Round 6. Spanos can play center or guard and Schwartz, a 332-pound right tackle with Runyan's motor, could be made into a guard. If neither one progresses, you can always address offensive line next season.

Who am I kidding? The above will never happen. The Eagles will do something like this instead:

1) Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
2) Kenny Phillips, SS, Miami (Fla.)
3) Dre Moore, DT, Maryland
4) Donnie Avery, WR, Houston
5) Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
6A) Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii
6B) Michael Grant, CB/S, Arkansas
6C) Curtis Johnson, OLB, Clark Atlanta
6D) Traded for fifth-rounder in 2024
7A) Traded for sixth-rounder in 2184
7B) Art Carmody, PK, Louisville

Summary: Unless they sweeten the pot and make some deals, I better take an extra blood pressure pill.




Saturday, April 19, 2008

Daniel

It was during the deadline crunch Thursday night when venerable sports writer Dennis C. Way caught my attention and desperately motioned for me to venture into the quasi-office of the Sports Department.

At first I resisted, as the nightly fire drill was in full throttle, but Dennis had a serious look on his face and rare sense of urgency when he motioned for me to come see his computer.

At first, I thought he had one of his meltdowns that ate a story. Either that, or thing was finally catching fire.

When I got within viewing distance of his computer screen, Dennis pointed at the story he had just seen on the wire from The Associated Press.

All I could make out, at first, were the words "E Street Band" and "dies."

My first thought was that this couldn't be happening. Unlike Dennis' favorite band, The Rolling Stone, no one in the E Street Band - including its leader, Bruce Springsteen - is knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door.

And all, to my knowledge, they all live lives free of the vices - drugs and alcohol and fast cars - that claim rockers before their natural end.

My heart pounding, I moved closer to see who it was who died.

And, to be brutally honest, my first reaction was one of relief.

It was not Steven Van Zandt, who is one of my favorite all-time musicians independent of the band. It was not Clarence Clemons, the vintage saxophonist. It was not Patti Scialfa, the background singer and mother of Bruce's three kids whose death would surely send Springsteen into an emotional tailspin at a point in his career when his creative juices seems to be flowing again.

But those feelings were replaced with not only guilt, but of sadness.

Dying too soon at the age of 58 of cancer was keyboardist Danny Federici, whose distinctive stylings helped give the E Street Band a musical identity.

The first top 10 hit for Bruce and the boys, "Hungry Heart," was all Danny. His accordion on "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," helped salvage - in my opinion - Bruce's rather uneven second album "The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle."

Unlike some more prominent E Street Band members - drummer Max Weinberg, guitar virtuoso Nils Lofgren and piano player Roy Bittan - Federici was with Springsteen from the beginning.

They honed their craft in New Jersey Shore bands - with names like Steel Mill, Dr. Boom and Sonic Boom and Child - and helping shape the now-signature Jersey sound.

He actually gave Bruce a break, asking him to join a band actually playing gigs for cash money.

As time passed and Springsteen's genius emerged, "Phantom Dan" was content to stay in the background and pick his spots to enhance songs and shine.

He was not flamboyant in life, but he is not forgotten in death.

R.I.P., Danny. The E Street Band will never be the same.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Count On Me

We in the newspaper business like to see ourselves as civic-minded souls.

We almost play the role of Don Quixote as we use our place in the communities we serve to exhort our readers to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

It is a sacred right, one that has evolved from allowing only property-owning white males to cast a ballot.

Some black males, followed by women, received the right to vote in the 19th and 20th centuries. The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 sealed the deal.

If you are a citizen - of any gender, creed or color - you are guaranteed the right for which history books tell us Americans fought and died.

Evidence is mounting, however, that those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms may be spinning in their graves.

This horrifying notion has been put forth with such aplomb by David Earnhardt in his documentary "Uncounted: The Math of American Elections" that you may never take the holy voting process seriously again.

And it makes one wonder if the real role of the mainstream media, one that has virtually turned away from these seemingly founded and well-researched accusations or egregious acts against the common citizen, should be to encourage a voter boycott.

What if they throw an election and nobody came?

It would be almost as compelling to watch at the 80-minute effort produced, directed and written by Earnhardt, who will be on hand April 16 for a Q & A session following a screening of his project at the Hiway Theatre in Jenkintown.

"Uncounted" is made in the spirit of Michael Moore's veracity to awaken the American public from its slumber on core issues. Although lacking some of the comic relief of Moore's narration ("Uncounted" has none, whatsoever, adding to its impact), this project could go down as the political documentary that Michael Moore should have made after it became clear that the irregularities - seemingly centering on the rich (whites from the right) winning national elections by disenfranchising the poor (minorities who lean left come Election Day) - of 2000 in Florida were not anomalies.

If this were a relay, Earnhardt picks up the baton and continues the race for justice by exposing almost laughable and obvious discrepancies and miscarriages of justice in the 2004 presidential elections and again in the 2006 elections.

Among these discrepancies are eye-opening exit poll numbers that don't add up, voter suppression that evokes the name "Jim Crow" without stretching it, the insidious evil of under voting (less votes reported than ballots cast in key districts in key states), electronic voting and the inability to confirm its accuracy, privatization of the election process that rivals that of the the privatization for profit of the war in Iraq and so on and so on.

There is so much here that more than one viewing is suggested. Even if you are unable to make it to Jenkintown for a one-time, mid-week viewing, I suggest you go to the Web site www.UncountedTheMovie.com and order a copy for yourself.

It could be the most patriotic act of your life.

My Way

By now I hope you have read my April 13 column "Break out the smelling salts" and, like most Sundays, were so impressed/intrigued by my masterful plan to resurrect the electoral process in this country from the dead that you are aching for a breakdown of how, under the Glantz Plan, the primary slate would break down.

As stated in the column, the whole mindset of candidates spending a year campaigning for a sole primary in dinky Iowa, after which media spin doctors hold eulogies for 75 percent of the field, we are not allowing anyone to officially declare their candidacy until after the bikinis are put away and Labor Day has passed.

That leaves a little more than sixth months to build up to the first set of primaries, which will be held in the 13 original colonies on the first Tuesday after my birthday - March 23.

In case you are not up on your continental history, those states would be: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island.

Analysis: There are enough big states on the above list to separate the pretenders from contenders better than some caucuses in Iowa. And with the voters that first night ranging from New England to the Deep South, the demographics will be established.

After skipping a week, we'd hold primaries in the next seven states to join the Union. In pecking, that would be the following: Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi.

Analysis: Again, we get a cross-section from the Midwest and the south. The tell-tale state of Ohio would receive most of the attention from the media, but smart candidates could keep hope flickering - and donations coming - by campaigning in the others as well.

This brings us to what would shake down as Super Tuesday, which would come after another one-week break. The states, in order of seniority, are as follows: Illinois, Alabama, Maine, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Analysis: It would be only fitting that Iowa end up lost amidst this group. That aside, this primary would have been April 22, the same day of just one (albeit our own here in Pennsylvania) in the current flawed system. There may not be much reason to go on after this for most candidates, but this plan will have surely kept more on the ballot than the current dysfunctional system that frustrates most voters.

Skip two weeks again, and the front-runners will be more obvious - and represent more of a cross-section of America - than after Iowa and New Hampshire.

In the next group of ten, we have California. That would be enough to keep long-shot dreams alive. Another sizeable prize in this group would be Colorado. The others: Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, Nebraska and the two Dakotas.

Analysis: There are some liberal states in this group, meaning a GOP centrist may bolster his or her campaign while a fading Democrat with far-left leanings could get a jolt. And California is too large of a prize to concede without a fight. Therefore, we are 40 states deep with choices on the ballot.

And ... We're not done. There is a grand finale. Ten states - plus territories ranging from Washington, D.C., to Puerto Rico - still have yet to vote. They are: Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii. Other territories include the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam.

Analysis: Arizona, Washington and Oklahoma are big enough prizes that it safe to say that either party could have contested primaries on the final day. And maybe, just maybe, we'll feel a little better about the choice we have come November.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Pride (In the Name of Love)

There are leaders and then there are misleaders.

The difference between the two can be hard to detect, at first, but still gargantuan in ramifications.

Pick the vocation -- it could be a police chief, foreman at a work site, mafia don, football coach, head counselor at a summer camp or the president of this sometimes-great nation of ours.

Or a civil rights leader.

Martin Luther King Jr. -- slain 40 years ago today -- was, above all else, a leader.

Forget the titles -- Dr. and the Rev. -- in front of his name.

For today, let us focus on the man and his ability to galvanize people -- all kinds of people -- under circumstances that his self-proclaimed followers can only simulate in their attempts, righteous or otherwise, to carry on his legacy.

No one else, at that crucial point in history, could have had the content of character -- the leadership, above all else -- to hold up a mirror to a nation laden with hypocrisies and look at itself.

He left us with food for thought.

He left us with a dream.

And then, tired and weary beyond his years, he left us.

The night before he was shot outside his hotel room in Memphis, King gave a speech about having been to the mountaintop and seeing the Promised Land. He may not get there, he said. But his eyes "have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

Rightfully, and without arrogance, King was comparing himself to the biblical figure Moses who led the ancient Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt and traversed the desert for 40 years before going off to die while Joshua took command.

While I don't pretend to be a biblical scholar, Joshua was charged with many difficult tasks to keep the Moses momentum going.

If I may be so bold, the view from here is that America's black community became too divided into factions with varying views and agendas to properly carry on King's dream against continuing odds.

There was no Joshua.

A lot of willing and able men and women, but no Joshua.

The walls -- walls between the races, between equity in the criminal justice system, educational opportunities, etc. -- have not come tumbling down like they allegedly did in Jericho.

The problem -- again, if I may be so bold -- has been the whole leader/misleader question.

I spent part of today on the Internet reading the writings and watching clips of Louis Farrakhan, Jeremiah Wright, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and some others.

I came away filled with hate -- hate for whoever assassinated King 40 years ago (King's own family is convinced it was not James Earl Ray).

King would be pushing 80 years old by now. Maybe he would've died of natural causes. Maybe the FBI would've successfully concocted a smear campaign to sully his image.

But my educated guess is that we would've been better off with him than without.

That's the just type of leader -- the type of man -- he was.