With the second pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Flyers selected winger James vanRiemsdyk. Paul Holmgren said afterwards that he reminds the Flyers of a young John LeClair, which means vanRiemsdyk plays his game in the corners and in front of the net. This is no surprise, given his size and the fact that, at 18, he will bulk up quite a bit more before he reaches the NHL. The 6'3" 200 lb left winger with the uncomfortable last name will play the next couple of years at the University of New Hampshire.

this. is. awesome.

You know what's tricky? Trying to figure out how to start off your first blog entry in five months. I guess I'll just jump right in with this list of things currently making me happy:

*The funniest Dane Cook impression I've ever seen. Hell, the funniest impression I've ever seen. I can't stop watching this video. I might have a problem.

*Tim Panaccio's column on HockeyBuzz.com. I feel compelled to point out that this is the ONLY reason I check HB. Let's be honest: Eklund, the anonymous hockey blogger, is a joke. He's quite skilled at posting rumors in a way that a few different outcomes would allow him to claim victory. But this is my favorite thing he posted yesterday:

"The Niedermayer situation will be very clear very soon, and all I have to say is everyone will respect Scotty all the more..."

Really? So Niedermayer will do something that fans will respect? The same Scott Niedermayer who is well known as one of the most respected players in the league? Way to go out on a limb, dude.

But back to Panaccio. I've been reading him since I can remember and the Flyers news/rumors he posts on HB are truly a good read.

*Julian Tavarez. Quite simply, he is insane. Between rolling the ball to first base, directing double plays from the mound, and the note in the Globe that if not a ballplayer, he'd have been a successful porn star, Tavarez has been a lot of fun this year.

*Corn tortillas. When I think of how many years I wasted on flour tortillas, well, it stings.

*Dustin Pedroia. Sure, I like his big 'ol swing, and the fielding is enjoyable, but right now what I'm most enamored with is the five o'clock shadow that he has been growing for at least a month now. How could you not love this little guy?

*someecards.com - the best free e-cards on the web. Unless you have no sense of humor.

*The Wire. We just finished season 3, and have one more to go until we're caught up, and one thing is obvious: this is the best show EVER.

*KEXP. Specifically, John in the Morning. Remember when every song on the radio was great? They do.

*Sammy Sosa. Actually, no.

*Fage Greek Yogurt. With a little bit of honey, a few berries, and some Kashi Crunch, it's the greatest breakfast ever.

This weekend was spectacular. Saturday's crushing Cowboys loss at the hands of a horrible Seahawks team was rather enjoyable, and yesterday's Eagles win over the Giants was the most fun I've had watching an Eagles game since 2004. Brian Westbrook is an absolute stud; it's amazing that a guy who runs like that can still be so underrated.

It was Tiki Barber's final game, and many Eagles fans feared that he'd try to go out with a bang...at the expense of the hometown team. But it was Westbrook, instead, who ran circles around the opposing defense. One of his finest plays of the game came 50 seconds into the second quarter, when he ran, deeked, and dove 49 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7.

It was almost poetic the way things unfolded this weekend. This season saw the Cowboys sign one of the NFL's most reliable and egotistical kickers only to release and replace him one month later. After so much effort went into making sure they had a more reliable kicker than in years past, it was fitting that their entire season would come down to a field-goal. But it was the golden boy, the quarterback people in Dallas have been referring to as a future Hall of Famer, that flubbed the hold, thus ensuring that the Cowboys' kicker would never even get a chance to do that for which he'd been brought to Dallas in the first place.

But it doesn't end there. After their nemesis saw their season end on a botched hold, the Eagles found themselves in a similar situation. After letting the Giants back into the game, with the score tied at 20, Garcia and Westbrook led a drive down the field, putting themselves in perfect position to kick a field goal with 3 seconds on the clock. Newly reacquired Koy Detmer took the snap and David Akers executed a perfect kick giving the Birds the win.

uh oh.