Watch CBS News

Love 'Em, Hate 'Em List: Chase And Josh

By Spike Eskin & Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Andrew Porter walked into my office last week with any idea. "How about we do the top five people we love, and the top five people we hate in Philadelphia sports every week?" A good idea I thought, until I tried to think of five people we love this week.

So then I whittled it down to the top three in each category. When I could barely come up with three for the "love" list, I suggested we just call this the "Hate List," and we skip the love part.

"Then what will we write the week the Eagles win the Super Bowl," I thought to myself. Then I laughed out loud and decided just doing "hate list," would be too obvious. Snowballs and Santa Claus and all that stuff. So with that, I present to you the most loved and hated sports figures in Philadelphia this week in the first edition of Love 'Em, Hate 'Em.

Love

3. Tom Brady

The Patriots came to town last week, and it was as if no one had ever seen Tom Brady before. He lit the Eagles up during practice (SHOCKER!) and lit the Eagles up on Friday night (ANOTHER SHOCKER!), and left everyone wondering what it would be like to have a quarterback like that on the Eagles, including most of the Eagles players themselves and the writers who cover the team.

2. Michael Vick

When he's looking good, there's so much to like about Michael Vick. That's how he looked in his brief appearance in last week's preseason game. The effortless, pretty ball he threw to DeSean Jackson brought back memories of the good part of 2010, when Vick cemented himself as an MVP candidate. He didn't turn the ball over, he didn't get hurt, and even though Nick Foles played well, the starting quarterback job seems like it's his to lose.

1. Chase Utley

Utley will really be a Phillie for life. We're all for the Phillies trying to adopt a new way of thinking, focusing on rebuilding the roster, and maybe trading a valuable piece or two (if they can find any) do to this. But there is something about having a player play his entire career for one team, especially one that everyone likes. In his time here in Philadelphia, the only criticism of Utley has been that he's quiet and he maybe plays too hard. Rebuild or not, it will be good that when he  plays his last game, it will be for the Phillies.

Hate

3. The Eagles Defense

Yes, sure, the numbers show that the Patriots missed more tackles than the Eagles did on Friday. But screw the numbers, we know what we saw. That first play, man that first play couldn't have gone any worse. The defense gave ammunition (rightly or wrongly) to anyone who is critical of the Eagles not hitting during Training Camp. Those people seem to forget that the team did hit during Training Camp last year and that didn't seem to work out either. Josh Harris

2. Cary Williams

Hey nothing like a guy who didn't make it to OTAs because he needed to take care of some interior design, and has a total of two weeks of practice under his belt as a member of the Eagles calling out the team and coach in public, for not being tough enough. "This isn't how we did it in Baltimore," Williams suggested. Dude, shut up. Do you know what else they don't have in Baltimore any longer? That's right, Cary Williams.

1. Josh Harris

It looks like Josh Harris is just moments away from actually buying the New Jersey Devils while also owning the Sixers. Though many die-hard Sixers fans might think of this as sweet revenge for years of playing second fiddle to the Flyers while the team was owned by Ed Snider, on its surface it does seem pretty insane. It also awakens the possibility that the Sixers may threaten to move, whether it be to Camden, Trenton or Seattle.

Follow Spike on Twitter @SpikeEskin

Follow Andrew Porter on Twitter @And_Porter

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.