Author

David Zahn



Sports
Philly Holds Firm with Simmons; Harden Traded to Nets in Blockbuster Deal
David Zahn Posted On January 15, 2021

Philly Holds Firm with Simmons; Harden Traded to Nets in Blockbuster Deal

The team that drafted Ben Simmons with the number one overall pick in the 2016 draft will be sticking with him. Consequently, James Harden will not be a Philadelphia 76er. Instead, the former Houston Rocket was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday, where he will combine forces with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as part of the most lethal scoring Big 3 ever assembled.

The blockbuster deal shakes up more than just the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers were also part of the mega-trade. Cleveland will receive Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen, signaling to the rest of the league that they are unafraid to unleash a lineup consisting of five centers at once. Meanwhile, the Pacers will receive young guard Caris LeVert and a 2023 second round pick for the price of Victor Oladipo, who is now a Houston Rocket. Along with Oladipo, Houston’s haul for Harden includes Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, four unprotected first round picks, and four unprotected first round pick swaps.

Harden Traded to Nets in Blockbuster Deal
Harden Traded to Nets in Blockbuster Deal

So what does all this mean for the Philadelphia 76ers? For the Simmons-truthers, it must be a sigh of relief. When it became clear over the offseason that James Harden wanted to part ways with the Houston Rockets, many immediately looked towards the Philadelphia 76ers as a viable destination for the perennial MVP candidate. The reasons for this connection were fairly obvious. First, Philadelphia’s new president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, had extensive experience building rosters around the unique talent of James Harden. Those teams won incredible amounts of regular season games and were a CP3 injury from reaching the finals in recent memory. Secondly, the 76ers had the assets to create a valuable trade package, highlighted by their young blue-chip star Ben Simmons.

Ultimately, the deal didn’t get done. No one can know for sure exactly what was on the table, but sources speculate that the package for Harden included Ben Simmons along with some combination of Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, and future picks. It is unlikely that the Sixers would have given up all of the above for Harden but in any case no compromise was made.

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This leaves the current 76ers roster intact, and that’s not such a bad thing. The season is still young, but this team currently sits atop the Eastern conference and Joel Embiid has been playing the most inspired basketball of his career. An obvious downside of not landing James Harden is the fact that now he plays for a team that will certainly be challenging the 76ers in the Eastern conference. Following the Harden trade, Vegas was quick to alter their odds in such a way that makes clear that the Brooklyn Nets are the new favorite to come out of the East. They figure to be an absolute juggernaut on offense as they possess three of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. However, questions about defense, chemistry, and bench depth linger.

The Sixers refusal to part with Simmons, along with other pieces of their young core like Maxey, demonstrates a commitment to what has been built largely from the ground up. Simmons has stated that he is “ecstatic” to not have been traded and hopefully he reflects that sentiment in his play the rest of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers will get their first crack at the new-look Brookly Nets with a home game on Saturday, February 6th. With five stars across both lineups, it figures to be an exciting Eastern conference matchup and a possible playoff preview.


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Sports
Heroics from Embiid Snap Sixers Losing Streak
David Zahn Posted On January 13, 2021

Heroics from Embiid Snap Losing Streak

Joel Embiid just submitted the best game of his young NBA career. The big man dominated both ends of the floor and made continuous high-effort plays to ensure the Sixers snapped a three game losing streak. An undermanned Sixers squad rallied around his brilliance and ultimately defeated the Miami Heat in a 137-134 overtime thriller. It is extremely encouraging to see this team overcome adversity and get back on track after a recent string of losses.

The Sixers began this season in red-hot fashion, achieving victories in seven of their first eight games. However, a flurry of absences due to multiple players being in COVID-19 related health and safety protocols have forced the team to play the last several contests undermanned. Consequently, the Sixers dropped three games in a row to the Nets, Nuggets, and Hawks, allowing at least 112 points to each opponent.

While vital contributors such as Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and Shake Milton remained out, the Sixers were able to trot out Ben Simmons, who had missed the last two games. He provided important help on the defensive end (2 steals) and his passing prowess was on full display (12 assists). Unfortunately, he still hasn’t found his offensive touch this season (just 5 total points) and fouled out of the contest before regulation expired.

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Simmons’ subpar season thus far has meant that the Sixers require MVP caliber play from Joel Embiid on a night to night basis. As lofty as those expectations are, so far he’s delivered. His performance last night was just the cherry on top of the incredible season he’s put together. Against the Heat, Embiid scored 45 points (16-23 fg), grabbed 16 rebounds, had 5 steals, and even dished out 4 assists. Missing just 7 of 23 shots is mighty impressive but Embiid even outdid himself there by hitting a perfect mark from the free throw line (11-11). Most impressive was his clutch ability in this game as both teams knew Embiid was the Sixers only reliable offensive option down the stretch. He made the right passes out of double teams, didn’t shy away from contact while getting to the rim, and hit outside shots in rhythm when he was open.

A knock against Embiid has always been that his conditioning is poor and he has a tendency to falter down the stretch in games where his usage is high. Yet, Embiid played a full 39 minutes in this contest and managed to look sprightly towards the end. A play that won’t get enough attention is Embiid’s full body lay-out to tip an offensive rebound to Danny Green, who subsequently scored on the possession. If Embiid is motivated to make these plays, the sky’s the limit. 

Heroics from Embiid Snap Losing Streak - Tyrese Maxey
Heroics from Embiid Snap Losing Streak – Tyrese Maxey

Also of note is rookie guard Tyrese Maxey, who has seen increased minutes as a result of other Sixers’ players being unavailable. He looks comfortable out there and plays with a necessary fearless edge. Maxey had 8 assists before fouling out of this most recent game, but his real moment to shine came during the Sixers recent loss to the Denver Nuggets. There, Maxey dropped 39 points to go along with 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The Sixers will play the Miami Heat for a second time before preparing for a weekend back-to-back consisting of matchups with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder. It is quite likely that when the Sixers match up with the Boston Celtics next week, it will be a battle between the #1 and #2 seeds in the East.


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Sports
Doug Pederson Dismissed as Birds’ Head Coach
David Zahn Posted On January 12, 2021

Doug Pederson Dismissed as Birds’ Head Coach

Three years ago, Doug Pederson didn’t just bring a severely injured Eagles squad led by backup quarterback Nick Foles to the Super Bowl. He won the damn thing, bringing immense joy to a dedicated Philadelphia fanbase that hadn’t before tasted the sweetness of a Super Bowl victory. That win happened in large part because of Pederson’s playcalling, which existed on a spectrum somewhere between “gutsy” and “downright fearless”.

But that was three years ago, in February of 2018. This Monday, January 11th, owner Jeff Lurie gave the announcement that the team was moving in a new direction, a journey which wouldn’t include Pederson. Based on Lurie’s explanation of the decision, it seems likely that the split was at least somewhat mutual. Lurie stated “Coach Pederson and I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss what the collective vision would look like moving forward.”. Evidently, both sides had trouble compromising on a collective vision. Earlier this month, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network broke the news that Pederson “was sick of people in the organization telling him what to do.”. Well, no one from the Eagles’ front office will be making any demands from Pederson anymore.

Pederson’s success as Philadelphia’s head coach does extend beyond the team’s magical 2018 Super Bowl run. Across his four seasons he led the franchise to two NFC East crowns and three playoff appearances. His record as a head coach during his Philadelphia tenure sits at 46-39-1, and that winning percentage took a serious hit as a result of the team’s performance this past season.

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Even considering the horrendous past season, most around the league thought that Pederson’s job was secure. Surely a coach that had so recently won it all would be granted a longer leash. This begs the possibility that Pederson’s decision to essentially throw the final game by substituting Nate Sudfeld for Jalen Hurts ultimately led to his dismissal. Fans may never know.

Possible Replacements?

Doug Pederson Dismissed as Birds’ Head Coach - Lincoln Riley
Doug Pederson Dismissed as Birds’ Head Coach – Lincoln Riley

There is now another major off-season mystery for the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only is there little clarity on who will start at quarterback, but now a new head coach needs to be factored into the equation. Two possibilities that immediately come to mind are Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Chiefs QB’s coach Mike Kafka. Like Pederson, both of these minds hail from Andy Reid’s coaching tree.

Another possibility is that the Eagles front office looks to promote a coach from the college ranks. Tim McManus of ESPN reports that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a “strong relationship” with current Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley. Admittedly, I’ve never watched a second of Oklahoma football, but I’m steadfastly in favor of hiring Lincoln Riley because of the pun possibilities of Lincoln coaching at Lincoln. Please make this happen.


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Sports
Final Game of 2020 Season; Birds Host Washington
David Zahn Posted On December 30, 2020

Birds Host Washington Football Team for Final Game of 2020 Season

The mess that has been most of the Philadelphia Eagles’ season will come to a close this Sunday night in primetime when they host the playoff-hopeful Washington Football Team. This game means a tremendous amount for the visitors as Ron Rivera’s team will earn a playoff berth in his very first season with a victory. Meanwhile, the Eagles have a chance to play spoiler. Should the Birds take home the win, the NFC East crown will go to the victor of the Giants/Cowboys matchup, happening earlier in the day. Check out the game’s top storylines below.

The Quarterback Watch

Eagles vs Washington Football Team - Jalen Hurts
Eagles vs Washington Football Team – Jalen Hurts

This will be the last opportunity for the Birds to see more of what they have in Jalen Hurts as a possible quarterback for the franchise’s future.  The game should also be a gauge of Hurts’s mental toughness as we will see how the rookie responds after his first subpar game. The Washington defense will also be among the toughest Hurts has played against this season. They are anchored by their star defensive end Chase Young, a rookie in his own right.

Should Hurts put on a spectacular show, there will only be increasing calls for Wentz to be traded, cementing Hurts as the guy in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, if Hurts struggles mightily quite a different narrative may emerge. Memories are distinctly prejudiced towards the very last impression and poor game from Jalen could leave a sour taste in the mouths of both fans and the Eagles’ front office.

After stripping Dwayne Haskins of his captainship (Yes, he was a captain!), The Washington Football team chose to outright cut the former first round pick this week. As a result, Haskins will certainly not be going against the Birds this Sunday. Instead, Washington’s options at quarterback are the veteran Alex Smith, who is currently listed as questionable and the largely unknown Taylor Heinicke. If Alex Smith is able to go, he easily gives Washington their best chance to win and score a playoff berth. 

Pederson Dismisses the Hot Seat

Eagles vs Washington Football Team - Coach Pederson
Eagles vs Washington Football Team – Coach Pederson

Head coach Doug Pederson is very confident about his prospects of remaining at the helm of the Eagles stating he “fully expects” to return to his post next season. His decisions across this season have continued to baffle those watching but his resume does include three playoff berths since 2016 and the obvious super bowl victory.

The Birds clearly need a major turnaround moving forward and Pederson has expressed an interest in being more heavily involved in that process, particularly in a player talent acquisition capacity. When asked about that possibility he stated “I want to be part of the evaluation process. I want to be a voice that’s heard, and I want to have that collaborative communication with Howie and his staff and be part of that process.”.

While he could be a help in the player talent acquisition, his coaching prowess is still what the Eagles need from him most. It would be very refreshing to see an impressive start-to-finish gameplan from Pederson against Washington during this final game as he duels with another highly respected coach, Ron Rivera.

The Pick

I genuinely think this game will be contingent on the health of Alex Smith. The Washington Football Team will do everything they can to have him ready as their starter for gametime, but I don’t see it happening. My prediction is that the Eagles deny the Washington Football Team a playoff opportunity and it falls in the hands of a different hapless NFC East squad. Philadelphia 20, Washington 17.


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Sports
Playoff Dreams Officially Over, Eagles Fall to Cowboys 37-17
David Zahn Posted On December 28, 2020

Playoff Dreams Officially Over, Eagles Fall to Cowboys 37-17

For nearly all of this NFL season, the Eagles looked terrible but could not be written completely off as a result of their abhorrent division. After throwing away an early 14-3 lead and ultimately losing to the Cowboys in a landslide 37-17 game, the Birds season is officially over. Slim chance that there was of making the playoffs, that hope fizzled into oblivion as the Eagles dropped yet another game. Read about the game’s pressing storylines below.

The Hurts Update

There were bound to be some growing pains with a rookie quarterback. This was certainly a game where Hurts looked shakier than he has in recent weeks. He began the game on fire, leading the Birds on two straight first quarter touchdown drives. Through the rest of the game, he was able to amass a lot of yards but couldn’t manage to lead the offense on any more touchdown campaigns.

Overall, Hurts completed 21 of 39 passes for 342 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also added 69 yards on nine carries. Multi-interception games happen for essentially every rookie quarterback at some point. Consequently, I don’t think any overreaction concerning Hurts’ play is warranted. However, the future drama of Wentz vs. Hurts is absolutely imminent. Hurts undeniably looked better during his time this year but those on the Wentz side will point to the offense changing to be catered toward the rookie.

Return of Classic DeSean Jackson

Eagles vs Cowboys - DeSean Jackson
Eagles vs Cowboys – DeSean Jackson

Death, taxes, and DeSean Jackson catching a long bomb for a touchdown. In just his first game since mid-October the speedster got loose for an 81 yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of Sunday’s game.

Of course, also in classic DeSean Jackson fashion it was his only reception for the entire day and the Eagles could sure have used some more firepower. Still, it was nice to see Jackson back in action and producing in a big way after a series of injuries have hampered the twilight years of his career.

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Secondary Struggles

Eagles vs Cowboys - Secondary Struggles
Eagles vs Cowboys – Secondary Struggles

There’s a saying in the NFL that a team’s depth is truly tested not after the first man goes down, but after several from a single position group are missing. The Birds are experiencing that reality in their secondary and paying the price in a big way. In recent weeks the Eagles have had a slew of injuries in that position group, most notably losing safety Rodney McLeod and cornerback Avonte Maddox for the season.

Andy Dalton took full advantage of the remaining Eagles’ secondary on Sunday, throwing for a healthy 377 yards and 3 touchdowns. Most of that damage came against defensive back Michael Jacquet who seemed utterly lost and gave up an embarrassing amount of yards (upwards of 180!). Two wideouts from the Cowboys, Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper, had huge days with 121 yards apiece and the former going for two touchdowns.

A Look Ahead: Time to Play Spoiler

While there is no hypothetical outcome of week 17 that grants the Eagles a playoff berth, they can play spoiler for the Washington Football Team. Should the Birds emerge victorious when the two teams clash next week, the Washington Football Team will be eliminated from playoff contention. In that case, the winner of the NFC East will go to the victor of the Giants/Cowboys matchup that will take place earlier in the day. Next Sunday will be a truly rare moment when another NFC East team will be rooting wildly for an Eagles win.


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Sports
76ers Opening Night Win Reactions
David Zahn Posted On December 26, 2020

76ers Opening Night Win

The Philadelphia 76ers organization couldn’t be happier for an opportunity to put last season behind them. That feeling is true not only of their players, but also their two hot new hires in Daryl Morey as president of basketball operations and Doc Rivers as head coach.

They took the first step towards burying the memory of last season by downing the Washington Wizards 113-107 on opening night. While it’s silly to overreact based on a one game sample size, this contest was a good litmus test for the 76ers in the eastern conference. The Washington Wizards, with their explosive new backcourt featuring Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, have their eyes set on playoff contention. The Wizards are the kind of team the 76ers need to beat. Find a game summary and other storylines below.

Quick Recap

This opening night showdown was a back-and-forth affair, where the 76ers opened up a double-digit lead in the first quarter, only to squander that margin and find themselves trailing for most of the game. A 40 point explosion from the Sixers in the fourth quarter, coupled with them holding the Wizards to just 24 points, led to a Philadelphia victory. Despite the loss, the Wizards’ stars came to play, with Russell Westbrook posting a triple-double in his first game with the franchise and Bradely Beal dropping 31 points of his own. The Sixers looked to be the much deeper team and their bench play contributed to their success on opening night.

Strong Start for the Embiid/Simmons Pairing

Sixers Season Opener - Simmons and Embiid
Sixers Season Opener – Simmons and Embiid

The 76ers matched the Wizards’ starpower with some of their own. Ben Simmons was his usual do-a-little-bit-of-everything self and posted a well-rounded statline of 16 points (7-12 fg), 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and two steals. While that number of blocks is anomalously high, the rest of those stats are near mirrors of his eclectic production last season.

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid went for 29 points (10-17 fg) and 14 rebounds while looking unguardable most of the night. His shooting stroke, in particular, was smooth and he showed no hesitation before launching shots on many occasions. Of course, for Embiid to both silence his critics and appease his fans, this sort of production will need to come on a consistent basis without taking nights off. This is a strong start for Embiid’s season, one that I think will be his best yet.

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Shake Milton Carries the Bench

Sixers Season Opener - Shake Milton
Sixers Season Opener – Shake Milton

Shake Milton was by far the 76ers best contributor off the bench, pouring in 19 points (6-11 fg) and essentially playing starter’s minutes. Although Danny Green started the game, he only played 18 minutes compared to 30 minutes for Shake Milton off the bench. Milton displayed that his offensive firepower is well deserving of minutes and I think coach Rivers will opt for Milton when he needs more offense and Green when defense is more of a necessity.

First round selection Tyrese Maxey also saw his very first NBA action on opening night. He looked comfortable in limited minutes and got involved with 6 points (3-6 fg), 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.

Morey’s Changes Makes Sense so far

The major roster alteration that Daryl Morey undertook this offseason was replacing size with shooting. That roster change compliments, rather than complicates, the two stars of the Sixers who are most comfortable near the rim and should be surrounded by effective long-range shooters. So far, the changes seem to be working.

Seth Curry, one of the best shooters of all time, actually struggled from the three point line in his first game as a Sixer (1-5). That struggle from long-range shouldn’t last much longer and in the meantime the 76ers showed that they have other capable threats from deep in Korkmaz (3-6 from three) and Milton (2 for 4 from deep). The rest of the roster struggled shooting the long ball in this game, particularly Danny Green (0-4), who has been a specialist at that shot his entire career.

The important thing was that they shot the three ball at a high clip. The percentage of makes are bound to increase with the roster Morey has constructed.


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Sports
Let’s Get Divisional: Eagles vs. Cowboys
David Zahn Posted On December 26, 2020

Let’s Get Divisional - Eagles vs Cowboys

This Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles, sporting a record of 4-9-1, will travel to Dallas and take on the Cowboys, whose record is ever so slightly better at 5-9. For both teams, the path to the playoffs will come through winning the NFC East. The current front-runner in the division is the Washington Football Team who post a 6-8 record. While both the Eagles and Cowboys need outside help to have a playoff shot, those playoff aspirations will immediately disappear with a loss this week. The win-or-go-home stakes of this game should make it a fun one even for two teams who can’t reach .500 on the season. Find the game’s top storylines below.

Hurts: Suddenly the Best Quarterback in the NFC East

Eagles vs Cowboys - Jalen Hurts
Eagles vs Cowboys – Jalen Hurts

At this point in the season, Jalen Hurts is the best quarterback in the NFC East…and it’s not even close. While the rookie quarterback has impressed beyond all expectation in his first two games, that designation really says more about the competition in the rest of the division.

New York Giants second-year quarterback Daniel Jones hasn’t made the strides many thought he would after showcasing talented flashes last year. He’s proven to be a turnover machine and an injury hindering his athletic ability hasn’t helped. The Giants have been toggling between him and Colt McCoy the last couple weeks. Needless to say, neither option has been inspiring.

The Washington Football Team started the year with Dwayne Haskins, another sophomore signal-caller. After his poor play led to his benching, they turned to Kyle Allen who went down with injury. That led to Alex Smith and a heartwarming comeback story, but his health status is also currently in question. And so the carousel came back full circle to Haskins, who put himself in COVID-19 jeopardy this week after a photograph surfaced of him maskless at a strip club. Yep, that’s the team leading the NFC East at present.

The Dallas Cowboys currently feature Andy Dalton at quarterback, who took over when starter Dak Prescott went down with injury in the early going of the season. He is less turnover-prone than his younger adversaries but doesn’t have the explosive firepower to match what Hurts seems capable of delivering at the quarterback position. The Birds are certainly counting on Hurts to outplay Dalton in their duel on Sunday, at it seems unlikely the team will have a chance at victory without that edge.

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Play of the Pro Bowlers

Eagles vs Cowboys - Jason Kelce
Eagles vs Cowboys – Jason Kelce

The Philadelphia Eagles had three players named to the pro bowl this season. On the offensive side of the ball, Jason Kelce was selected as the starting center for the NFC. Meanwhile, both defensive end Brandon Graham and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox qualified as defensive selections.

Kelce and the rest of the offensive line will strive to protect Hurts from a Dallas defense that has been improving rapidly across the latter half of the season. Though it has largely gone unnoticed, the Cowboys have made serious strides on the defensive side of the ball and are no longer the gimme for opposing offenses that they used to be.

While the Birds are still hurting in their secondary, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham have consistently wreaked havoc for opposing offenses in the trenches. That trend will need to continue this Sunday as both running back Zeke Elliot and Tony Pollard may be forces to stop. In Zeke’s absence last week, understudy Tony Pollard exploded against the 49ers, gaining 69 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. The defense can’t take a break if Zeke misses more time as Pollard has looked fresh whenever he’s had the opportunity to handle the rock this year.

The Pick

I think this game will be an incredibly close nail-biter. I’m taking the Birds by just a hair. Eagles 27, Cowboys 26.


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Arts & Culture
Reviewing Tierra Whack’s Two Singles
David Zahn Posted On December 26, 2020

Reviewing Tierra Whack’s Two Singles

Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack still hasn’t released a full length project since her incredible Whack World dropped in May of 2018. That album, bursting at the seams with 15 distinct artist ideas in as many minutes, was met with immediate critical acclaim. Fans have been starving for more music from Whack ever since. While a follow-up album does not appear to be on the horizon, she did release two new singles during quarantine, Feel Good and Peppers and Onions. Find out more about these tracks below.

Feel Good

Tierra Whack - Feel Good
Tierra Whack – Feel Good

Feel Good is very reminiscent of the emcee’s material on Whack World for two crucial reasons. Firstly, the track’s length. This song clocks in at just over a minute, choosing to throw an idea at the listener and almost instantly move on, rather than dwell in the sound. This particular idea is that of failing to feel good, as Tierra Whack wrestles with why she hasn’t been able to attain happiness, despite achieving notoriety and having others look up to her. Her most poignant lyrical encapsulation of the notion comes in the latter half of the song with the bars “It goes happy this, it goes happy that/But somehow I can’t seem to find happy Whack”.

This song also harkens back to her work on Whack World because of her evident vocal versatility throughout the track. She has a knack for seamlessly alternating between a fixed rap cadence and a melodic croon within the confines of a single song. Whack flexes this ability here as she doggedly raps a 12 bar initial verse before singing a hook.

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Peppers and Onions

Tierra Whack - Peppers and Onions
Tierra Whack – Peppers and Onions

Peppers and Onions will strike listeners as a more traditional song as it features a conventional verse-chorus structure and is nearly three minutes in length. The joyous instrumental on this track immediately fills the audience with a heavenly sense of buoyancy as a mellifluous whistled tune syncs up with driving percussion. Whack’s voice joins the party soon after as she unleashes an infectious chorus about the pressures of reaching the lofty role model status expected of her (“I tried to reach the sun but gum is stuck to my shoes”).

Whack is having so much fun on this track and manages to come off as extremely relatable at the same time with lines like “I’m not perfect, just a person” and “I don’t wanna to be judged, I just wanna to be me”. She also lays down memorable one-liners throughout the song, the hardest-hitting being “Even though we buy chains, we just wanna be free” and “Paparazzi takin’ pictures like I’m in a cage”. If this work is any indication of what extended material from Whack will song like, listeners are in for a future treat.


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Sports
Eagles Fall to Cardinals 33-26, Hurts Still Electric
David Zahn Posted On December 21, 2020

Eagles Fall to Cardinals 33-26, Hurts Still Electric

After an exciting back-and-forth battle, the Cardinals emerged victorious with a 33-26 win against the new-look Eagles. The loss all but mathematically eliminates the Birds from playoff contention. While that news is disappointing, Eagles’ fans can look optimistically at the performance of Jalen Hurts, who played incredible in just his second full outing. Find out more about the game’s major storylines below.

A Hurts Explosion

Last week, Hurts showed off his legs with over one hundred yards against a stout Saints rushing defense. This week, his arm was unleashed, albeit against a beatable Cardinals defense. He completed 24 of 44 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also added 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

It was a slow start for the rookie and the Birds paid the price, trailing the Cardinals 16-0 after the first quarter. A major mistake by Hurts, in the form of an intentional grounding in the endzone which resulted in a safety, contributed to this deficit. He avoided this sort of glaring rookie mistake last week, but it was bound to happen eventually. Importantly, Hurts bounced back from this hiccup and played with incredible poise down the stretch, further proving that he should remain the starting quarterback for this franchise.

…And a Quarterback Conundrum

Philadelphia Eagles Quaterback Conundrum
Philadelphia Eagles Quaterback Conundrum

The prolific play of Jalen Hurts while he’s been the starter does result in added drama for the Eagles’ front office as it relates to the question of what to do with Carson Wentz. Wentz made a public statement over the weekend indicating that he has absolutely no desire to serve as a backup quarterback for the future of the Eagles. He would rather leave the organization and try his luck with another franchise.

During his tenure as Hurts’ backup, Wentz has grinned and beared it, doing everything asked of him by the coaching staff. Head coach Pederson stated as much, continuing with “He’s a pro. He’s engaging. He’s helping Jalen…I see him helping Jalen and helping our offense.”.

The conundrum for the Eagles isn’t so much who the starter is, Hurst has certainly flashed enough to be fully deserving of that role. Rather, they have to make a choice about their future with Wentz with a lot of money on the line. If they choose to cut him, they would incur a dead cap hit of over 60 million. If he is traded, that cap hit would still be upwards of 30 million.

This regrettable decision will need to be made by the second day of the 2021 league year so that his 22 million salary won’t become guaranteed.

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Murray/Hopkins Combo Just Too Tough

Eagles vs Cardinals - DeAndrea Hopkins
Eagles vs Cardinals – DeAndrea Hopkins

Stopping the lethal combination of Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins is always a tough task. That challenge was made nearly impossible following a series of crucial injuries to the Eagles’ secondary last week. The Birds felt those absences in a big way as Murray picked apart their defense all day, particularly with several hookups to his favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins.

While many were impressed with the passing ability of Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray still got the best of him in that department. He completed 27 of 36 passes for 406 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also contributed 29 yards and one touchdown on eight carries on the day. His lone interception was a horrific one, as it occurred in the red zone and really swung the momentum of the game, but his lights out play the rest of the way more than made up for it.

A full third of those Murray completions went to Hopkins, who caught 9 of 11 targets for a whopping 169 yards and a touchdown. After this massive yardage outing, Hopkins is once again the leading receiver in the entire NFL with 1,324 yards (just edging out Travis Kelce by six yards). This also extends a worrying trend for the Eagles who continue to allow back-breaking games to elite wideouts. It was Hopkins this game but in the recent past it has been the likes of Davante Adams and DK Metcalf.

A Look Ahead

While so many things need to go right for the Eagles to remain in playoff contention, they may as well hope. That hope for next week starts with a victory when they square off against in a divisional matchup with the 5-9 Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off a win against the San Francisco 49ers and also need outside help to have a shot at the playoffs. Check back for a preview of the matchup later this week.


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Staying Alive: Birds Battle Cardinals in another Must-Win Game
David Zahn Posted On December 17, 2020

Staying Alive_ Birds Battle Cardinals in another Must-Win Game

Rallying behind new quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off the improbable last week and took down the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints. The Birds will need to keep the magic going in week 15 as underdogs on the road playing the 7-6 Arizona Cardinals. Read the game’s hottest storylines below.

The Injury Buzz

The secondary unit for the Eagles crumbled at its very foundations during last Sunday’s game. The consequences of those injuries exist on a scale from bad to worse. Cornerback Darius Slay is currently in the concussion protocol and his status for this coming matchup is still undetermined. Fellow cornerback Avonte Maddox will “miss some time” with a knee injury, per Doug Pederson’s comments earlier this week. Additionally, starting safety Rodney McLeod will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Eagles rookie offensive lineman Jack Driscoll heroically played through an injury during last Sunday’s victory. However, this injury is too serious for him to continue this task and it was announced this week that he will miss the rest of the season with an MCL injury. This is just the latest in a long string of offensive line woes for the Birds who have already lost Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, and Andre Dillard to significant injuries.

While the above will surely cap the Eagles’ potential on Sunday, the good news is that all their relevant skill position players appear intact and will do their best to keep the Hurts train rolling.

Another QB Duel of the Mobile Variety

Eagles vs Cardinals - Kyler Murray
Eagles vs Cardinals – Kyler Murray

Once again, the matchup for the Eagles will pit their mobile quarterback against a signal-caller with a similar skillset. Last week that opposing force was Taysom Hill, and the defense held up admirably, even creating two turnovers (one interception, one fumble) on the day. This week the task will be even tougher as Kyler Murray, second year sensation at the quarterback position, will be calling the shots for the Cardinals.

Although Murray’s production has slowed in recent weeks, his season-to-date numbers speak for themselves. He’s completed 67% of his passes while throwing for 3,231 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Those figures are solid on their own, but only after you add his rushing ability to the mix do you see how dangerous a player Murray truly is. Through 13 games, he’s amassed over 700 yards on the ground to go along with an eye-popping 10 rushing touchdowns. There’s only five running backs on the season that have matched his touchdown amount on the ground; a true testament to his dominance this season.

Jalen Hurts will do his best at a Kyler Murray impression this Sunday, as he hopes to hurt the Cardinals defense through both the ground and air. Working in his favor is the fact that the Cardinals defense is much weaker than last week’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints. On the flip side, there is now more gametape available on Jalen Hurts for opposing defenses to study. Any surprising facets of his game that Hurts brought to the table last week will be known to the defense and you can bet they’ll be prepared. However, the hardest thing to gameplan against is athleticism itself. If Hurts can keep the defense honest with his pocket passing ability and then selectively pick his spots to utilize his legs, he should find success on Sunday.

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Playoff Implications for Both Sides

This really is a must-win game on both sides of the ball which should make a terrific, hard-fought battle. The Eagles are still earnestly vying for the NFC East crown and need to rely on losses by their divisional opponents as well as victories on their end.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals are striving to reach one of the three wildcard spots that would spell their first playoff berth since the 2015-2016 season. At 7-6, they are currently hanging onto that last wildcard spot and sit at seventh in the NFC. However, teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are hot on their heels at 6-7. Those teams actually face off against each other in week 15, so the Cardinals will need a victory to remain ahead.

The Pick

Both teams want this game badly and as result I think it will be a really close one. I think the recent injuries sustained by the Birds will really have an impact, particularly their lack of depth in the secondary. As a result, I’m taking the Cardinals in a game that comes down to the wire. Cardinals 24, Eagles 23.


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