From WIP (via my girlfriend) comes the story that Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid recently paid a visit to Citizens’ Bank Park to catch a Phillies game and hang out with the team, and during the visit he stopped by the office of manager Charlie Manuel. Charlie- who has drawn the ire of the Phils’ fanbase with his too-folksy personality and sometimes absent-minded game-managerial skills- had no idea who Reid was.
But this got me thinking- what if Andy Reid were to manage the Phillies for a game? Assuming he’s familiar with the rules of baseball and knows something about pitching changes, lineup dynamics, and other stuff that’s nowhere near as complex as football game plans, I don’t see how he wouldn’t do a better job than Manuel. Ditto for Bill Belichick/Terry Francona- but NOT Mike Tice/Ron Gardenhire.
And in other Philadelphia coaching news, Jim O’Brien was fired today as coach of the Sixers, and replaced by former Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks. The news means that while a year ago there were two working, Boston-connected basketball coaches named Jim O’Brien (the Celtics/Sixers O’Brien and the Boston College/Ohio State O’Brien), now there are none. As for Cheeks, the Philly sports market can be tough, but after four years with the crime family known as the Portland Trail Blazers, Iverson and Co. should be a breeze.