Flyers center Blair Betts will miss another four weeks with another right shoulder separation suffered early in the Flyers' 3-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed.

Betts missed seven games earlier this season after dislocating his right shoulder Oct. 6 against Washington. He re-injured his shoulder in the first period Saturday night when he reached to swat the puck out of the air in the Flyers' defensive zone.

If Blair needs four weeks to recover he'll miss at least 14 games, and that would be a major setback for a team that was 10-2 in games Blair dressed. Betts is the club's best faceoff man and one of its primary penalty killers, and his absence will result in additional ice time and key faceoffs for Mike Richards...]]> http://www.topix.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/2009/11/mcnabb-on-top-of-his-game?fromrss=1 http://www.topix.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/2009/11/mcnabb-on-top-of-his-game?fromrss=1 It's difficult for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to empathize with Jay Cutler's current situation as the NFL leader in interceptions.

Twice in a span of eight days, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan questioned his team's toughness. The first time was after a 22-point home loss to the Jazz; the second was after Friday's 102-97 home drubbing by the Grizzlies.

After the Utah defeat, Jordan said, "If you really have a passion for the game and a passion for winning and competing, you won't get pushed around. You learn your lesson. I guess it's still early in the season. I don't know. I'm from a different neighborhood. I just don't get pushed around. If I did, I'm responding back."

Following the Memphis loss, he was more forceful, saying, "There was no leadership. Coaches can do so much—getting up and clapping and encouraging them in the huddle.]]> http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734347&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Annette_John-Hall__In_kitchen__in_kinship__105-year-old_matriarch_still_the_guide_to_go_to.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734347&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Annette_John-Hall__In_kitchen__in_kinship__105-year-old_matriarch_still_the_guide_to_go_to.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734237&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Seismic_rumbles_in_the_forests.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734237&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Seismic_rumbles_in_the_forests.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734242&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Health-care_bill_clears_key_Senate_hurdle.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734242&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Health-care_bill_clears_key_Senate_hurdle.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168401&44=70734462&32=3796&7=195317&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Fflyers%252F20091122_In_the_Crease.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168401&44=70734462&32=3796&7=195317&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Fflyers%252F20091122_In_the_Crease.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168401&44=70734437&32=3796&7=195317&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Fflyers%252F20091122_Penguins_hold_off_the_Thrashers__3-2.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168401&44=70734437&32=3796&7=195317&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Fflyers%252F20091122_Penguins_hold_off_the_Thrashers__3-2.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168381&44=70734472&32=3796&7=195322&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Feagles%252F20091122_In_NFL__leg_pads_no_longer_fashionable.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=168381&44=70734472&32=3796&7=195322&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fsports%252Feagles%252F20091122_In_NFL__leg_pads_no_longer_fashionable.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734397&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Volunteers_spend_a_day_greening_the_city.html http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=165761&44=70734397&32=3796&7=195202&40=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.philly.com%252Fphilly%252Fnews%252F20091122_Volunteers_spend_a_day_greening_the_city.html http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13id3mp68/%2Ahttp%253A//sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Saturday-s-Three-Stars-Robidas-rules-Perron-s-?urn=nhl,204114 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13id3mp68/%2Ahttp%253A//sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Saturday-s-Three-Stars-Robidas-rules-Perron-s-?urn=nhl,204114 http://www.topix.net/philly/2009/11/philadelphia-distilling-more-than-bluecoat?fromrss=1 http://www.topix.net/philly/2009/11/philadelphia-distilling-more-than-bluecoat?fromrss=1 The barriers to getting started with a micro-distilling operation aren't easily surmounted.

There's one thing -- other than LeBron James, of course -- that the Cleveland Cavaliers can always count on when things get tough. In a pinch, they turn to their defense. "That's where we make our mark at," James said. "On the defensive end. We just lock down." James scored 32 points, Mo Williams added 18 and the Cavaliers clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter for...

Keith Yandle and the Phoenix Coyotes took advantage of the Philadelphia Flyers' momentary confusion Saturday night. Yandle scored a power-play goal with 9:41 remaining to help the Coyotes beat the Flyers 3-1 on Saturday night for their second victory in three games. "I just found a lane and Lombo (Matthew Lombardi), he's a great passer," Yandle said.

Rudy Gay received the pass and never hesitated. When the shot swished through the net, the giddy Memphis Grizzlies had plenty to celebrate. Gay tied his season high with 33 points, including a clutch jumper with 19 seconds remaining, Zach Randolph added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Grizzlies registered their first road win of the season with a 102-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on...

The Chicago Bears are losers of four of their last five contests. Their three primetime games this season have all resulted in losses, two of which were especially rich in turnovers. So why am I not convinced the Bears will lay an egg when they play the Eagles this Sunday night? Easy: they're playing at home.

It's true, Jay Cutler has not fared well in night games this season, tossing a whopping 11 interceptions after dark. But his play at home has been steady if nothing else, and the Bears are beyond desperate for a victory. 4-6 would provide an early end to meaningful football in Chicago, but 5-5 would keep them relatively alive for a wildcard berth.

Continue reading "Joes Gameday Preview Eagles at Bears"

Home teams in CAPS.

Miami (+3.5) over CAROLINA W
Indianapolis (+0.5) over BALTIMORE
JACKSONVILLE (-8.5) over Buffalo
DETROIT (-3.5) over Cleveland
New Orleans (-11.5) over TAMPA BAY
GREEN BAY (-6.5) over San Francisco
Seattle (+10.5) over MINNESOTA
Washington (+11.5) over DALLAS
NY GIANTS (-6.5) over Atlanta
Pittsburgh (-9.5) over KANSAS CITY
Arizona (-9.5) over ST. LOUIS
Cincinnati (-9.5) over OAKLAND
NEW ENGLAND (-10.5) over NY Jets
San Diego (-2.5) over DENVER
Philadelphia (-2.5) over CHICAGO
HOUSTON (-4.5) over Tennessee

This week: 1-0
Last week: 6-9
Season: 75-70

Photo by Flickr user bglasgow

So this week's asshole is coming not from Philadelphia, but from the internet. After last week's delve into the personal, we're taking it out into the tubes.

We at Phillyist are obviously Americans (except for that one British dude, but nevermind him). We live in the cradle of freaking liberty. With a bell. So, it seems worth some Philadelphia-sized outrage that some wackadoos are hiding behind God to call for the death of the president. Through a T-shirt.

Yup.

The shirt, with the always recognizable symbol of hands praying, exhorts readers to "Pray for Obama, Psalm 109:08." This particular passage reads, "May his days be few, may another take his office" followed by "let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." The people who would buy this trash are especially nefarious because of the code they are creating amongst themselves. To most normal people, they're going to look like patriotic-religion-loving types, while instead they're hateful and possibly murderous.

So, gentle readers, if you see someone wearing one of these shirts, remember gentleness. The kind that guy doesn't have. A pretty famous guy once said we ought to turn the other cheek, and even to just give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's. Nothing at all about capping Caesar or praying for God to cap Caesar. Not even if you don't like him.

Maybe the wackadoos ought to try reading the rest of their book. We hear it's pretty good.

Photo by Flickr user Helena P.

When watching a concert, there are many thoughts that may pop into one's head. "Oh, this is pretty cool, maybe I'll buy their album." Or, "This is putting me to sleep." When I saw Shonen Knife live at Johnny Brenda's on Monday, the thought that immediately popped into my head was, "I wish I could bake this band in to a cake so I could eat them!" That's a weird thing to say, but Naoko (guitar), Etsuko (drums) and Ritsuko (bass) would totally understand I meant it as a compliment.

From their album covers, it may seem like Shonen Knife is just another young, cute Japanese girl-band, but do not be fooled: they've been producing their own brand of poppy garage rock for twenty-seven years and have gained quite a cult following. Yes, they wear matching outfits and the ones they wore at the show on Monday kind of looked like Powerpuff Girl dresses, but what about when Naoko and Ritsuko start head-banging in unison? Meanwhile Etsuko is completely murdering the drums and wearing a serene smile the entire time.

The sound is a combination of The Ramones and Buzzcocks, laden with girl group harmonies, and lyrics alternating between Japanese and English. My favorite song off of their new album has to be "BBQ Party," with a chorus that involves screaming: "Pig out! Pig out! Pig out!" Shonen Knife also has a bit of a penchant for Paul McCartney; they've not only covered Beatles songs throughout their career, but have a version of Wings' "Jet" on their new album.

The lineup has changed over the years, Ritsuko being the latest addition on bass. The night of the performance she was wearing a ponytail directly on top of her head that swung around ferociously throughout the show, so she fits right in with the other two members. We got an extra special surprise when Atsuko, Naoko's sister, founding member and former bassist, came on stage and sang "Fruits and Vegetables."

The band's newest release Super Group is a testament to their return to the power trio format. It's entirely in English, and claims "to go back to the starting point of rock." It's a bit of a nebulous statement, I'll admit. But Naoko cleared everything up for me when she giggled and said that she's been listening to a lot of classic rock and metal lately, and proceeded to play "Pyramid Power" which is straight-up, no joke heavy metal, complete with a scorching solo.

The opener for Shonen Knife was Jeff the Brotherhood, and they were a treat as well. The band consisted solely of drums and guitar played by two shaggy-haired Tennessee boys, and my friend described them perfectly as "Sabbath, with riffs played twice as fast." No complaints here.

Shonen Knife's promise is that their new album makes everybody happy. All the smiling, the candy-colored outfits and songs about food may certainly seem its all there to make you happy, but let's not forget this band held their own on the road for over two decades, including during Nirvana's Nevermind tour. When you see Shonen Knife live, you're watching them, nodding your head to the beat, then the playful bopping and toe-tapping turns into the pogo and then ... wait a minute, did they all three just explode into a giant comic book star-shaped "POW"?

At the end of the show, after the audience begged them back onstage for an encore, the three women stood together with their arms in a triangular formation to represent their solidarity as a trio. Shonen Knife, you are a super group indeed!

• John Mayer, find tickets for his Battle Studies tour with the AMEX early on sale.
  
• American Apparel, with 3 stores in Philadelphia, you can look your best after dark.
  
• GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.

Photo courtesy The Kin official website

The Watson Twins, The Kin, and Joshua Radin will all take the stage, promising an evening of alternating relaxing and rocking.

We're most excited to see The Kin, who are touring to support their latest album, The UPside (Amazon).

Heaven knows no one has any money and we're all totally stressed out. But tickets are only $17, and really, the entire show should be like aural yoga, with a little bonus toe-tapping, too.

The Kin, The Watson Twins, and Joshua Radin
Tonight, 11/20/09
Doors 7 p.m./Show 8 p.m.
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.)
Tickets: $17