Philly’s first pick of the season came late in the fourth quarter in the Eagles second game, against Minnesota. Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper was intercepted by Ike Reese on 2nd and 2 from Minnesota’s 32 yard line, with 33 seconds left in the game, Eagles ahead 27-16.

Philadelphia did not get another pick until game six, at home against Carolina. The Panthers thre four interceptions. The first came on 3rd and 13 from Carolina’s 22 yard line with 2:47 remaining in the first half and Philadelphia leading 13-0. The second on 3rd and 5 from Carolina’s 38 with 10:34 remaing in the third quarter, Eagles up 13-0. The third on 3rd and 10 from Philadelphia’s 49, 4:55 remaining in the third quarter and Eagles leading 16-0. The interception was returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Lito Sheppard. The thrid on 1st and 10 ofrom Philadelphia’s 31 with 18 seconds remaining, Eagles up 30-8. Eagles kneeled down to end the game.

Philadelphia snagged an interception the following week on the road against Cleveland Browns. The pick came on a deep right pass at 2nd and 14 from midfield. Shepard with the pick at Eagles four yard line. Eagles up 14-7 at that time. They did not score on the following drive. Eagles won the game in overtime, 34-31.

The Eagles got a gimme interception the following game when Baltimore Ravens Kyle Boller threw a hail mary on 4th and 2 from Philadelphia’s 48 with time expiring in the first half and Eagles up 6-3. Safety Michael Lewis caught the ball. Philadelphia won 15-10.

Philadelphia was mauled in the following game, at Pittsburgh, but still managed to get an interception. It came late in the second quarter, on 2nd and 8 from Steelers 45 yard line, Pittsburgh ahead 21-3. Brian Dawkins pick-off the deep pass and returned it 32 yards to Philadelphia’s 39 yard line. Pittsburgh won the game, 27-3.

Halfway through the season, Eagles had recorded eight interceptions, and all but one had come with Philadelphia leading. None of the interceptions had been of the game changing variety, although they certainly had been part of Eagles overall dominance against Panthers.

Sheppard got another interception return for a touchdown when he picked off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Vinny Testaverde on 3rd and 7 from Philadelphias 16 yard line with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, Eagles up 42-21. Shepard sprinted 101 yards for the final score of the game.

With Eagles up 28-6, Washington’s patrick Ramsey threw an interception to Reese on 2nd and 2 from Redskins 10 yardline with 1:51 remaining in the game.

Quentin Mikell came up with a big play against New York Giants when pick off Eli Manning’s pass in the end zone on 1st and goal from Philly’s 3-yard line, with Eages up 7-6 with 5:36 remaining in the first half. Brian Dawkins came up equally big in the third quarter, with the score 10-6, picking off Manning’s downfield pass on 2nd and 11 from Giants 20 yard line. Eagles later pulled away, winning 27-6.

The Eagles defense came up with two crucial interceptions at home against Green Bay Packers. First Dawkins picked off Brett Favre on 2nd and 4 from GreenBay’s 29-yard line with 8:09 remaining in the first quarter, no score. The Eagles took full advantage of the opportunity, with Donovan McNabbe tossing a 41-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens. The Sheldon Brown picked off Favre on the first play of the second quarter, onm 1st and 15 from Philadelphia’s 15-yard line, Eagles up 7-0. Eagles once again took advantage, marching 93 yards for a touchdown. After the game, which Philadelphia won by 47-17, Brian Westbrook declared the following:

“I don’t think there’s any defense that can stop us. We can only stop ourselves with penalties and mistakes.”

Did you get that, Bruschi and McGinest and Harrison? Westbrook says you can’t stop him. YOU CAN’T STOP HIM!

The defense continued its string of big plays in the rematch against the Redskins. With Philadelphia leading 17-14, Dawkins stopped a Redskins drive by picking off Ramsey with 1:46 remaining in the game on 1st and 10 from Philadelphia’s 27-yard line, preserving the final score of the game.

The following week, Philadelphia’s defense did something it hadn’t done since the loss to Pittsburgh: It intercepted a pass while trailing. Brown picked off Testaverde in the end-zone with Dallas up 7-6, with 3:14 left in the thrid quarter, on 3rd and 3 from Philadelphia’s 39-yard line. Sheppard iced the game by intercepting Testaverde 1:33 remaining in the 4th quarter on 2nd and 10 from Dallas 38-yard line, Eagles up 12-7.

With a 13-1 record and having assured themselves home-field advantage, the Eagles went on vacation losing the last two games of the regular season to Saint Louis Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. Neither teh Rams nor the Bengals threw any interceptions against the coasting Eagles.

The defense was back on in the divisional playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, when they intercepted Culpepper twice. The first came on 3rd and 5 from Philadelphia’s 28-yard line with 8:20 and Eagles up 21-7, when Reese snagged a Culpepper pass. The second came on the Vikings’ next drive, which ended when Jeremiah Trotter picked off a Culpepper pass on 1st and 10 from Philadelphia’s 42-yard line, with 4:02 left in the thrid quarter. Trotter returned the pick 35 yards to Minnesota’s 31-yard line, Eagles up 21-7. Philadelphia was unable to capitalize as it quickly fumbled away the ball.

The Eagles managed to intercept Atlanta Falcons running (part-time quarter)back Michael Vick in the NFC Champiosnhip game. With Philadelphia up 17-10, on 1st and 10 from Falcons 14-yard line, Vick was intercepted by Dawkins with 2:56 left in the 3rd quarter. Dawkins rumbled to Atlanta’s 11-yard line, but the Eagles had to settle for a field goal. The Eagles went on to win, 27-10.

So there you have it, all of Philadelphia’s interceptions this season. The first half of the season was mostly garbage interceptions with little impact, but most of the Eagles’ interceptions in the second half, as well as in the playoffs, were critical.

It is quite delightful to read the New York Post these days. As sports columnist Steve Serby points out, it could have been Jets versus Giants, but instead it’s Philadelphia Eagles against New England Patriots. “Enemy Bowl,” as the Post’s headline writers put it. Serby sighs:

So this week, a week that will seem like an eternity, it will be daily commentary on where these Dream Team Patriots rank in history: Better than the Steel Curtain? It will be Tom Brady, Joe Montana. It will be Charlie Weis and Notre Dame, Romeo Crennel and the Browns. It will be Adam Vinatieri, the anti-Doug Brien. It will be Belichick, Vince Lombardi.

Under Edwards, the Jets have won two playoff games in four years. In five years under Belichick, the Patriots have won two Super Bowls, and are 60 minutes from a third. George Young and the Giants didn’t want Belichick to replace Parcells in 1990 and hired Ray Handley instead. Belichick didn’t want the Jets after Parcells left in 2000.

Mike Vaccaro writes about the Ideal Owner, a.k.a. Bob Kraft:

It’s important to remember just how woeful the Patriots were in the three decades before Kraft bought the team, a franchise defined by one fleeting triumph - three road wins to qualify for Super Bowl XX - that was instantly quashed under the trampling toes of the Bears’ Super Bowl Shuffle. The Super Bowl will be the 15th playoff game under Kraft’s watch; the Pats had only played 10 in the years before he took over.

Kraft invested $325 million in the building of Gillette Stadium, a splendid showplace for his team that was completely financed privately and thus avoided the public squabbles that serve as the soundtrack for the Jets’ proposed stadium. And success has come with perks: According to Forbes magazine, the 2004 Patriots rank fourth in the NFL in franchise value at $861 million - behind the Redskins ($1.1 billion), Cowboys ($923 million) and Texans ($905 million) - and have a 10-year streak of consecutive sellouts.

It is the ultimate dream come true for any fan, which is what Kraft was for years before buying the team, a season-ticket holder who believed in his heart he could run things better, the way every fan does at one time or another.

Jay Greenberg peddles respect for Patriots’ receiver corps:

” The Patriots throw so much underneath their receivers are underrated. Or were until the Steelers secondary lost its underwear last Sunday, getting burned for 60 yards and 45 yards on post patterns by Deion Branch.

He also took the first play from scrimmage 14 yards on one reverse, then ran in the put-away score on another. So it isn’t exactly venturing out on a limb to suggest this Branch was more than sturdy, actually sensational. Nor is it fair to accuse Eagles corner Lito Sheppard of pandering when he offers Branch and David Givens, who caught a clutch third quarter 18-yarder on third-and-17, the olive branch before next Sunday’s Super Bowl.

“Whenever someone asks me about the tougher receiver tandems, New England comes to my mind,” Sheppard said. “Counting preseason games, we’ve played them three times in two years, so I know they can throw the ball downfield.

“I think that’s what keeps their whole offense motivated, being underrated.”

Mark Cannizaro has an Oprah-esque piece on old warrior Roman Phifer. It goes on at length about how long it took for Phifer to make the playoffs, but says practically nothing about what he’s done on the field for the Pariots. That’s a strange omission considering that Phifer is a solid backup in the league’s best linebacker group.

Cuban-born legal resident Zoila Meyer has resigned from the Adelanto, CA, city council after a probe revealed she is not a US citizen. She was brought from Cuba to the United States by her parents as a small child, but she was, for whatever reason, never naturalized.

An investigation by the San Bernardino County district attorney’s public integrity unit led to Meyer’s decision to step down only seven weeks after she was sworn into office.

“At the request of the city of Adelanto, (we) initiated an investigation into the residency and citizenship qualifications of newly elected City Council member Zoila Meyer,” Deputy District Attorney Frank Vanella said.

“Working with federal agencies, the investigation confirmed (she) is not a citizen of the United States … and therefore is ineligible to hold elected office.”

After advising Meyer of the results of the inquiry, she concluded “the proper course was to submit her resignation to the city,” Vanella said. “On Thursday, she notified the District Attorney’s Office that she had resigned in writing, effectively immediately.”

Vanella said Meyer cooperated with investigators.

An investigation into any criminal violations continues, the prosecutor said.

“There’s a possibility she could face criminal prosecution for potential violations,” he said.

As reported here before, Malaysia will unleash a nation-wide crackdown on illegal immigration on February 1, using police, immigration officers, and paramilitary bounty hunters to round up the suspected hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the country.

For tea stall helper Abdul Rauf Chinanaina — a 19-year-old Tamil Muslim from the tsunami devastated coastal settlement of Nagapattinam in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state — the clock is mercilessly ticking away day by day.

An undocumented migrant worker, Rauf must return home - to a devastated village - before Jan. 31 when an amnesty for all unregistered workers will end. Otherwise, he becomes a hunted man if he stays.

”The waves killed my father, two sisters and many relatives but I dare not return to help or pray for them because the debt collector and his gang are all alive and would demand repayment of the loan I got from the thugs,” said Rauf while serving customers at a roadside tea stall in the Ampang suburb, north of the capital.

The government is making final preparations - readying the police, immigration and a 500,000-member civil defense force called RELA - for a nationwide crackdown on undocumented workers from Feb. 1.

Some RELA members would be armed when raiding illegal settlements and squatter communities where undocumented workers live. The people are also urged to help by passing on information to the authorities.

”This time we will be relentless,” said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. ”We have extended the amnesty twice and this time there is absolutely no excuse for them to remain.’

The Philipines are preparing to handle thousands of its citizens returning from Malaysia.

“Upon arriving, they will be provided with food assistance, access to health services, and stress debriefing seminars. Those who live in the provinces will be provided transportation through our ‘balik-probinsya’ program. Some may also be given self-employment assistance,’’ Bala said.

Recently, the Malaysian government, using its new immigration law, launched a crackdown on foreign illegal workers in the country.

Based on report from the Social Welfare attache in Malaysia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has initially processed the repatriation papers of 15,000 Filipino workers. About 7,000 of them already returned home last year.

The 8,000 remaining Filipinos in the list are being monitored by the Social Welfare attache in Malaysia and will be returning on separate dates next month.

Approximately, 150,000 Filipinos are working in Malaysia mostly as construction workers or domestic helpers, the DSWD said.

Illegal immigrants who accepted the amnesty offer will be given priority for work visas in Malaysia, according to Malaysian newspaper Daily Express.

Illegal foreign workers who took the amnesty offer and returned to their home countries will be given priority to fill job vacancies in Malaysia for three months beginning next week, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said Wednesday.

During that period, the intake of new foreign workers would be temporarily frozen and employment agents or employers could only bring in those who opted for the amnesty.

“Those we have proof that they chose the amnesty will be given priority to return to work here,” he told reporters Wednesday.

Up to Jan 24, a total 331,134 illegal immigrants returned to their home countries under the amnesty first offered for 17 days from Oct 29 and later extended twice. It will now end on Jan 31.

Indonesians made up the largest number who left at 289,735, followed by Indians (14,859), Bangladeshis (6,722), Nepalese (2,704) and Chinese (2,898). Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to jointly operate 14 one-stop immigration processing centres in Indonesia to clear workers who wished to return legally to work in Malaysia.

I ambled down to the Kenmore Square T-stop at 9.30 this morning. I noticed an unusually large gathering of commuters on the inbound platform, not really a large number of commuters, per se, just more than you would expect at that time of the day. The thing with the Green Line is that you never really know when a trolley is going to show up. The beauty of the Kenmore Square stop is that you get to pick from three merging lines (B, C, and D), so there’s always a good chance you’ll get a ride without having to wait more than ten minutes. When a trolley broke down and was taken out of service at KSTS earlier this week, it wasn’t that big of a deal, because another trolley was right behind it. This morning, however, thing played out a little bit differently.

Minutes ticked by and no trolley showed up. Then, at about 9.47 a two-car trolley packed with people rolled in. The number of people on the platform had grown and I resigned myself to the fact that I probably would not be able to get on the trolley. But then the doors opened and people streamed out as if they were going to a Red Sox game. Unfortunately, almost nobody was actually leaving the platform and I realized that the trolley had been taken out of service. A german (my guess) standing next to me confirmed my suspicion.

A brusque T-guy yelled at people to get out of the car - almost as if they were at Park Street, in a car marked Government Center - but that there’s another trolley right behind the broken down one. Well, yes, there was, only it, too, was chockful with passengers. To top it off, it had only one car. You do the math: One car load plus two car loads plus one quarter car-load equals…more than one car can hold.

So I left to flag down a cab instead. On my way out I asked the guy in the both where my refund was. He gave me a complaint form to fill out and mail, no postage required. It’s a nice little form and I am confident I sahll recover my one dollar and twenty-five cents. I do wish, however, that they had made room on it for profane comments.

The Boston Globe has a pretty exhaustive article about the Metro, um, scandal?, yes scandal, I suppose. Anyway, Christopher Rowland and Charles M. Sennott do a good job of describing the company culture that led up to Metro executive Steve Nylund’s n-joke. As I suggested in my previous post about l’affaire Metro, it was a more a matter of rough edges rather than racism.

The late Jan Stenbeck, the man behind Metro, is rightly described as “an aggressive entrepreneur,” but Rowland and Sennott don’t mention that he also started TV3, a satellite TV-channel that challenged the state television monopoly so successfully that it compelled the government to set up an independent, privately owned and operated broadcast network.

Stenbeck was your basic in your face, hard charging, rebel entrepreneur. He built a company that mirrored his personality. Of course, what works well in a small homogenous culture that mixes crudeness with sophistication seemingly seamlessly doesn’t necessarily work as well in other parts of the world.

Metro’s failure to adapt quickly enough to its changing external world could end up costing the company a pretty penny.

Tips to Swedes who want to do some crazy entertainment: Ditch the vulgar jokes and go with Små grodorna instead. Always a winner.

Remember this claptrap about Annandale in Fairfax County, Virginia, the magically wonderful super-diverse school? Here’s a little dose of what one could call reality:

Three posters from the movie “Scarface,” the 1983 classic starring Al Pacino, decorate the walls of Tony Campos’s bedroom. A few model cars made by the 14-year-old are proudly displayed on a small dresser. His basketball and backpack sit on a small black leather sofa.

As he walked through the bedroom yesterday afternoon, Johnny Campos, 23, said it is hard to comprehend that his younger brother, who was slain Friday evening in what Fairfax County police said might have been a gang-related shooting, never will be back to pick up the basketball or listen to music.

“It is just as he left it,” Johnny Campos said. Except, he said, for the dozens of white roses, baby’s breath and carnations piled on Tony’s bed.

Fairfax police said yesterday that detectives are piecing together the moments leading up to the shootings that killed Tony and wounded two other boys, ages 13 and 15. Police did not release the wounded boys’ names and said only that they are recovering.

There have been no arrests, but police said they believe that the shootings were the latest spasm of gang violence in the region.
…
Hassan Bah, 16, a friend from school, said Tony wasn’t known to belong to a gang. “He was a cool boy,” Bah said. “He had friends who were gang members but he didn’t hang with them.”

It was widely believed that Armstrong Williams wasn’t the only conservative columnist on the Bush administration’s payroll. It now appears that Maggie Gallagher, frequent contributor to National Review, also was on the take. Drudge has it that Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz is publishing the scoop tomorrow.

A state senator in Arkansas has proposed legislation that would tie government benefits to citizenship. Excellent move. I hope his proposal gets the broad support it deserves.

…she would eradicate MS-13 and all other gangs that depend heavily on vast populations of illegal aliens. But since she is a hack and since our otherwise competent mayor Tom Menino is determined to leave no New Bostonian unwelcomed - regardless of whether they are here legally or not - MS-13 machete artists and other felony criminals who commit crimes Americans won’t do have free rein.