NFC East Is A Money Machine, Forbes Says

The NFC East is raking in the money, according to Forbes Magazine.

The magazine ranked the world’s 50 most valuable sports franchises and the home of the Philadelphia Eagles totaled a combined net worth of $6.428 billion.

Three of the NFC East teams are ranked among the top 10 in the world, led by the Dallas Cowboys ($2.1 billion) at No. 5. Dallas is the most valuable NFL franchise, according to the magazine.

The Washington Redskins ($1.6 billion) are eighth, followed by the New York Giants ($1.468 billion) at No. 9.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-forbes-sports-franchises-value-20130718,0,2943534.story#ixzz2ZQSAWfnK
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Reading Fightin Phils Set To Make Home Debut

The Reading Fightin Phils are off and running – maybe not quite as fast as last season, when they matched the best start in club history by winning their first five games and seven of their first eight, but they’ve gotten off to a positive start.

The Phillies won four times on a season-opening seven-game road trip to New Hampshire and Portland.  Not bad, considering how young the club is and how badly things started, with a 9-0 loss Opening Night.

Reading manager Dusty Wathan, whose roster includes 10 players making their Double-A debuts and 12 who are 23 or younger, said he likes what he’s seen the first week of the season.

“I think we’ve done a great job of being aggressive on the bases, of putting pressure on the defense,” said Wathan. “We, as an organization, want to emphasize that aggressiveness (this year).  We’ve been taking extra bases, our steal attempts are up.  I like the way we’ve been aggressive on the base paths.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=468571

Reading Phillies Fans: Leave Our Name Alone

READING, PA – In a city that has taken to calling itself Baseballtown, the sport is more than a pastime.  It’s become something of a lifeline.

The hometown Reading Phillies have come to symbolize endurance and pride for a community that the 2010 U.S. Census ranked No. 1 in the nation in poverty.  The Phillies remained long after the railroad screeched to a halt and the city’s “Outlet Capital” moniker faded. They’ve provided a welcome diversion from financial struggles and an 8 percent unemployment rate.

Given the 46-year love affair with the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Double-A farm club, there was an understandable citywide gasp when the team announced it is changing its nickname, logo and jerseys.  The move was an unexpected change-up that is testing tradition and the city’s identity and polarizing a fiercely loyal fan base.

Ed Oswald, a retired hairstylist who lives outside the city, is among many who have balked at the idea.

Read more:

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-reading-phillies-name-change-20121115,0,4165520.story