Westbrook Gone

I wasn't planning to blog about the Eagles today, since free agency and the draft are just around the corner and will spawn a half-dozen blog entries over the next couple of months. But the release of Brian Westbrook is worth a mention.

As much as he's contributed to the franchise, this is the right move. Between the concussions and his bad knees, I wouldn't be surprised if he was done in the NFL completely. My guess is that he won't pass a physical with anyone else, and won't show any explosiveness in workouts, and will retire. If he's really desperate to play, I could see the Eagles re-signing him after training camp to a one-year deal, assuming they don't draft or sign someone they like better.

And no, I wouldn't sign LT to replace him, and I don't think the Eagles will either. At this point in his career, he's nothing more than a goalline back. If he's willing to accept that role (and a minimum salary), then he'd be a nice addition, but my guess is that he will expect the carries and the money of the player he used to be, not the player he is.

Curling update:
Pathetic. Both US curling teams choked away close games. After a great showing in Torino, they've stumbled to a 2-7 record for the men and a 2-5 record for the women, both missing the medal round. Now I just need to find a nearby curling club so I can work on my game, instead of only watching every four years.

US Hockey update:
If you didn't see that US-Canada game, I'm sorry. If I could show one hockey game in the last decade to a non-fan to try to sell them on the sport, I'd pick that one. Gritty physical play from the US, combined with great goaltending, stole the game from a more talented, and sometimes dominating, Canadian team. Both teams played with passion and desperation for the entire 60 minutes.

The US sits in first place after the preliminary round, which guarantees nothing, but puts them in a great position to medal. A favorable draw has them facing either Switzerland or Belarus in the quarterfinals (they beat the Swiss 3-1 in the prelims), and then (if the seeds hold) either the Finns or the Czechs in the semis. While both teams are capable of beating the Americans, they are not the equals of the three powerhouses (Canada, Russia, Sweden) that are on the other side of the draw. The US might still be the fourth-best squad in the tourney, but thanks to stealing the game against Canada, they won't face any of the top three again before the finals.

Gaming update:
With AC2 behind me, I've got to decide between Bioshock 2 and Dante's Inferno next. Since I'm cheap, the decision will come down to which one hits the Used section at Gamestop first.