Football:
So it turns out that the Philadelphia Eagles will be able to try to defend their Super Bowl championship after all. On Sunday, they dominated the Washington Redskins with a 24 to zip win and then the Chicago Bears gave them the best gift of all when they soundly beat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 24-10. This was the only way that the Eagles were going to be able to enter the playoffs. Who would have ever thought this would really happen with how they played the first half of the year!
Ironically, the Eagles will face the Bears in the first round playoff on Sunday in Chicago. The Bears will be the obvious favorite to win because of their overwhelming defense. If the Eagles can play as well as they did against the Redskins, they just might have a shot at advancing to the divisional playoff. I have to think the Bears are ready for the challenge.
Nick Foles is continuing to play very good football and has to be feeling a bit of deja vu from last year. Let’s hope he's ok after the nasty rib hits he's gotten in the last two games and now having to come up against this Bears defensive line. Foles has to hope that his offense gives him even more protection with how vulnerable he is at this point. To keep this going, the defensive line has to play as well or even better than they did in the last game.
Basketball
Last week, I went to the Slam Dunk to the Beach basketball tournament at Cape. My dad and I have been to every Slam Dunk since 1995. I look forward to this yearly tradition and hope it continues for many years. I was quite impressed with the quality of play by the out-of-state teams. Their speed on the court was surprising for high school-level basketball.
Jonathan Kuminga, from Our Savior New American School in New York, really impressed me and I would not be surprised if he ends up in the NBA at some point. This kid is only 15, and in the two games I saw him play, he scored 40 points in each game! Even with that, his team lost both games by close scores. I will be curious to see what his future holds and will definitely follow where he may go to college.
The Cape team was fun to watch, but they need a lot of work. They will probably struggle to finish with a .500 record this season.
Soccer
In soccer news, American phenom Christian Pulisic will be playing for Chelsea football club next year in the English Premier League. I hope he gets to play a lot for the first team, and not just sit on the bench during games. This acquisition would be pointless if he doesn't get to play. His success in the Premier League will be important to create future opportunities for other American players.
Happy New Year to all my readers. Thanks for following me every week. See you on the sidelines!
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
