They played each game like it was their last. Little did they realize, it soon would be.

Iverson flying to the basket, scooping in another acrobatic finger-roll between the giants, and slamming into the hardwood floor sections of the First Union Center.

Utley, running out another routine ground ball as if he were stealing home.

These are the memories we all share when we think of two of Philadelphia's most beloved sports stars. Alas, all we have now are memories.

Allen Iverson was fearless and mercurial. His speed, quickness and jumping ability provided him with unprecedented penetrating ability. No one 6 feet tall or under had ever possessed this ability to get to the rim.

As AI matured and continued to succeed, teams would try to take advantage of his small stature and bang him around at every opportunity.

During the 2001 NBA Playoffs, Iverson had been through a war, his body looking like a road map of pain and suffering.

Iverson, unlike Utley, never seemed to take care of himself or his athletic gifts. He was routinely chided by management and coaching for not committing to a weight-training program, which may have protected him better. He was also known to have a hard-partying lifestyle.

From the moment he smacked a walk-off homer off of a still-effective John Smoltz, Chase Utley was a star in Philly. His intensity and his ability to stand in until the last moment while turning two endeared him to his adopted blue-collar city.

But did he really need to lead the league in Hit-By-Pitches from 2007-2009? Isn't that something we'd rather Pete Orr do?

The Phillies paid prime cash for their once-soon-to-be Hall of Fame second baseman (7rs/$85m) and they and their fans would've rathered him rip extra base hits than be a human pitching target.

While players like Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar evolved and restructured their talents (Jordan added a devastating turnaround jumper, Abdul-Jabbar perfected the SkyHook), Iverson never really evolved. His signature move was the crossover and he never developed another.

His second best 3P% season was his rookie year (.341 compared to career high .345 in 2007-8). Once he lost the ability to get around people and into the lane, he became a below-average NBA player. By insisting on attacking the lane and not changing his approach, the game passed AI by.

Chase Utley always seemed to be the hardest worker on the Phillies. From the hustle he showed running out ground balls to his insistence on breaking up every last double play, Utley wore himself down too fast. Instead of understanding his role on a team that needed him there everyday, he stubbornly stood in the way of fastball after fastball.

But "that's the only way he knows how to play," I hear sometimes. Bullshit. The city and the team need Utley in the field every day more than we care about him running out a ground ball.

I know better than anyone, that past tendencies can be forcibly changed. I quit smoking after being obsessed with the habit for 8 years. But I changed. I stopped.

For a long time I thought, "I'm young, this doesn't matter. I can keep this up and one day, in the future, I'll change."

I'm sure Utley and Iverson thought the same thing, only now its too late.

Rod Thorn, Josh Harris and Adam Aron need to understand that, without a blockbuster offseason move, this Sixers team will become the Atlanta Hawks of the last 7 years. Always a playoff team, but never more than a defeated first-round punching bag.

The Sixers need a revolutionary, out-of-the box transaction to become relevant and profitable in Philadelphia. Unlike other sports, the NBA landscape can change with the acquisition of just a single player.

We found that out in Philadelphia in 1996 when our basketball prayers were "Answered." This city has always gravitated to star players like Dr. J who begat Sir Charles who begat Allen. While they're now a competitive team, its just not as much fun this way; and their stakeholders will exhibit apathy with their wallets.

Forget the incessant mid-first-round picks who offer mediocre talent. Either make a Ricky Williams/Mike Ditka trade or pray to Ganesha that, in this day and age of advanced scouting and ever-improving draft assessment, we'll get lucky.

Over the past 20 seasons, the 2004-05 Detroit Pistons are the only title winner to be considered sans-superstar.

I know its not an easy task, but to come back next season with the current team would be extremely disappointing. It's all coming to a mundane and foreboding end but then again, there's always next year.

The biggest sports tragedy in our city of Philadelphia wasn't the '64 Phillies. It wasn't when Wilt went to the Lakers in '68. It wasn't the Sixers' blowing the Finals against the Blazers in '77. It wasn't Reggie White leaving for the Packers in '92. It wasn't the '93 World Series. It wasn't Smarty Jones' Belmont loss.

The greatest sports tragedy in Philadelphia History was when, in 1971, Gerry Shreiber purchased a failing pretzel company and entered the then wide-open market of stadium concessions.

This product is known today as SuperPretzel, and it haunts our city's culinary reputation to this very day.

SuperPretzel is a local company, but couldn't be a poorer representation of a traditional Philadelphia soft pretzel. Owned by J & J Snack Foods in Pennsauken, N.J., SuperPretzel is exclusively available at every venue in the Philadelphia Sports Complex.

Our city has always been famous for our soft, salty pretzels that go so well with mustard, yet we aren't able to access them while watching our local sports franchises. That is just wrong.

Instead, we're force-fed a frozen, bland, often-dried-out twist of dough with packeted salt applied to it. It hangs on warming racks and spins in a case.

With the advancement of stadium foodservice, the SuperPretzel needs to go the way of Blockbuster and Borders. Its a relic that existed during the early days of stadium fare because of its versatility as a product. It could handle the transportation and could be mass-produced.

However, we've now witnessed the rise of Philly Pretzel Factory, among others, who have learned to mass-produce a pretzel that is more in-line with our traditional standards.

This is Philadelphia, goddammit, and I demand a warm, freshly made soft pretzel at my live sporting events.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports writes that the Eagles and Jets are among teams “curious” about Randy Moss.

"In addition, according to a source close to Moss, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets are at least curious and the San Francisco 49ers could look to fill a hole if they let go of Josh Morgan in free agency."

The Eagles' curiosity dates back to 1998 after Moss' final season at Marshall University. They held the 11th pick and needed to revamp a receiving corps whose best option was a soon-to-be 36 year-old Irving Fryar. As Moss tumbled down the board (he was supposed to be at least a top 10 pick) my jaw dropped as Paul Tagliabue announce that Ray Rhodes has selected OT Tra Thomas out of Florida State.

Following Moss' record-breaking 2007, Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on Moss. Although the Cowboys, Eagles and Packers were rumored to have interest in Moss, he decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal on March 3, 2008.

During the deliberation, Chris Mortensen reported, "The Eagles are the one team I would keep an eye on if Moss doesn't go back to the Patriots."

Fast-forward to 2011, during Moss' embarrassing final year in the NFL. Despite an announced retirement and Moss pouting his way through three different NFL franchises, the Eagles took one more stab at landing Moss.

The Boston Globe reported, that just after Moss made filed his retirement papers, the Eagles made him an offer.

So now February 2012, 15 years after Moss made that sparkling gallop at Marshall.

Is it really any wonder that the Eagles would throw their name in the hat for the 35-year-old wideout from Rand, West Virginia?

Not to mention, Moss could have a similar beneficial effect on the Eagles' red-zone capability as Plaxico Burress had for the New York Jets.

Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are without question, top flight NFL receivers, however they are inconsistently able to break press coverage due to their size limitations.

The Eagles desperately need to differentiate their assets on the outside. Riley Cooper had flashes of success, but I'd rather squeeze one more season of out Moss.

Now that Tim Tebow has hibernated for the offseason, America needs a new sports story to incessantly overhype, blog ,tweet and post to their Facebook pages. ESPN needs someone new to mention 65+ times a day.

This is sports in modern society: sequential obsession.

But many casual Sportscenter-sports-fans don't realize that Lin has been a small-scale sensation for almost two years, since Pablo S. Torre wrote an intriguing piece on the Harvard Mens Basketball Program for SI in February 2010.

Nine months later, another SI feature was penned on the 6'3" point guard from Los Angeles about his return to the California with the Golden State Warriors. Lin also impressed by going toe to toe with #1 pick John Wall in Summer League play.

The point it, Lin hasn't exactly come out of nowhere like everyone thinks. He's shown ability in almost every stop along the way (Harvard, Dallas, Golden State and now New York). The real shock is his level of consistent comfort adjusting from the end of the bench, the D-League, the Ivy League; to the primary ball handler and offensive focal point of the Knicks. Its hard to believe.

LaMarcus Aldridge makes his first All-Star game and its about time. This is a guy who has averaged 19.3 and 8 for the last 4 seasons and is easily one of the NBA's most formidable scoring big men.

Luol Deng, now in his 8th season, has evolved into a very good NBA player. He's a consistent defender, scorer and rebounder. His moves and athleticism aren't jaw-dropping, but he rebounds (7.3 rpg) and scores (16.0) with consistency. Should have made the team the last two seasons.

Brandon Jennings' 2008 European project should be considered a major success and I'm surprised that more American high-school players don't follow suit. Having the best season of his career, Jennings should have been picked over Andre Iguodala.

Speaking of Iggy, he makes his first team despite having one of the worst statistical seasons of his career (13.0 ppg).

Carmelo Anthony looks to be making the Knicks worse. Something about him just isn't conducive to winning in the NBA, which is ironic considering his freshman year success at Syracuse.

Pierce and Nash are up in years, but both are playing well enough to warrant a spot. Nash leads the NBA in assist at age 37. Dirk Nowitski should not have made his 13th team. He's having an awful season shooting the ball.

Back in the 2000s, the West always had the better team. Shaq, Duncan and Garnett (playing SF) formed a difficult frontline that the East could never match, with Kobe thrown in.The power has clearly shifted to the East.

Look for LeBron to go all ego-maniacal, shoot 30 times and grab the MVP trophy.

New Orleans vs. San Francisco

The 49ers have been too good to be true this season, posting a shocking 13-3 after going 6-10 in 2010. Former first overall pick Alex Smith won't win you anything with his skills, but he has learned to take care of the ball, hand it off to Frank Gore and rely on his top-notch defense to win games.

Conversely, Drew Brees has posted a record-breaking passing season and his performance will determine the outcome of the game. Brees plays far better at home (8-0, 29 TDs, 6 INT) than away (5-3, 17 TDs, 8 INT) and SF is a tough match-up for any passer. They've intercepted 23 passes this season and only have given up 20 TDs. If he's able to move the ball through the air and avoid picks, the Saints will win.

I don't think the 49ers believe in themselves yet and will succumb to inexperience. Saints 24, 49ers 10 as SF is unable to move the ball.

Denver vs. New England

Tim Tebow shocked the football world with his arm last week, shredding the #1 defense in the league for a career-high 316 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime. He was able to move the ball consistently against a tough defense, repeatedly converting 3rd downs. He capitalized against a weakened Steeler secondary who were without Ryan Clark due to sickle cell condition.

New England comes into the playoffs on fire, winning their final 9 contests. Brady has been almost perfect, launching 39 TDs and only 9 INT and posting a 13-3 record. New England weakness is an ineffective rushing attack and a mediocre-to-bad defense.

Tebow Time will run out of steam on Saturday night. Tom Brady and the NE offense, much like the first game, will be too difficult to keep up with. Patriots 41, Broncos 24.

Houston vs. Baltimore

Baltimore and Defense go together like Houston and Having Problems. Since their Super Bowl season of 2001, the Ravens have never ranked lower than 10th in total yards allowed (Including outlying seasons like 2005 & 2007). Ray Rice has had another spectacular season, posting over 2000 total yards from scrimmage. Their biggest downside is their reliance on Rice, failing to stretch the field with a passing attack. Their total offense ranks 15th overall in the NFL.

The Texans, participating in their first ever NFL Playoffs, wield a dangerous weapon in Arian Foster and they rode him to a first round win against Cincy. They have a very stingy defense who ranked 2nd in the NFL in yards allowed. Rookie QB T.J. Yates managed the game well, throwing for 159 yards, 1 TD and most importantly, 0 interceptions.

This will be the lowest scoring game of the weekend. The Texans will struggle to move the ball with Foster. Looks for the Ravens to get the ball to Rice in non-traditional ways (i.e. screens, draws and swing passes). Joe Flacco must comeplete at least 3 passes over 30 yards. Ravens 14, Texans 3.

New York Giants vs. Green Bay

Green Bay has been dominant all season. They went 15-1 (winning their first 14 games) and led the league in scoring offense with 560 points. They have the best Quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers, who at times looks as if he is toying with teams. The Packers defense isn't what it was last season. They rank 32nd (dead last) in yards allowed. This may have been a product of blowing so many teams out throughout the season, but it does give some cause for concern. They are also a poor running team, ranking 27th overall.

The Giants are a mercurial team, sometimes looking unbeatable and sometimes looking downright awful. At one point this season, the Giants dropped four straight games. Eli Manning has had a career season, throwing for almost 5000 yards and posting a 92.9 quarterback rating. He has two lethal options in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Slot receiver Mario Manningham even performed well last week, grabbing a touchdown. The Giants also have a pass rush that could give Rodgers problems. They notched 48 sacks this season, ranking 2nd in the NFL behind Philadelphia and Minnesota's 50.

This will be the most offensive-oriented game of the weekend. It features two strong passing offenses and two weak secondaries. The Pack have rested for the better part of two weeks and could experience some problems due to rust. Rodgers failed to net over 300 passing yards in any of his last 3 games played. However, in Lambeau, in January, the Packers are tough to beat. Packers 31, Giants 28.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has agreed to become Penn State University's new head football coach via ESPN on Thursday.

Let's take a look at the positives and negatives of Penn State's first head coaching hire in over 50 years.

Pros:

O'Brien was named Offensive Coordinator of the Patriots in February 2011, but has been calling their offensive plays far longer than that. Under O'Brien, The Patriots have ranked 6th (2009), 1st (2010) and 3rd (2011) in points scored.

Penn State has always been criticized for their "last-gen", milk-toast offense. If O'Brien can bring his offensive success to Happy Valley, Penn State could find a brand new identity and finally adapt to a sport that embraced the wide-open offensive game long ago.

When Terrelle Pryor visited PSU during his recruiting process, he raved about Tom Bradley but chided the Lions' "boring" offensive disposition. O'Brien's multiple-receiver sets and complicated formations will bring excitement, a fresh-look and most importantly, points.

O'Brien is a Brown grad, so he's likely a sharp guy. The last time PSU hired a Brown alumnus as their head was when they tabbed Joe Paterno in 1966.

Penn State needed a fresh, clean break and bringing back Tom Bradley, unfairly or not, would've protracted the malaise that has fallen upon Sad Valley, PA. O'Brien has zero ties to the glory days and can create a new brand for PSU.

Cons:

The 42-year-old O'Brien may have been calling plays since 2008, but he's only been an offensive coordinator, at any level, for one year. 2011.

While calling plays is a major responsibility, what skills does he have as a manager of people? Coaching a major FBS college program is like running a Fortune 500 company. He has bided his time since he first became a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech in 1993, but his experience with major college programs is minimal. He coached at Maryland and Duke before joining the Patriots. Not exactly perennial top tens.

His most memorable moment so far is his ferocious argument with Tom Brady. Is that the kind of behavior you want molding the minds of student athletes? That spat reminded me a lot of Todd Haley.

When and where has a Bill Belichick disciple ever found success at the Head Coaching level? Romeo Crennel (Fired By Cleveland), Eric Mangini (Fired by Cleveland and New York Jets), Charlie Weiss (Fired by Notre Dame Offense), Josh McDaniels (Fired by Denver).

Lastly, O'Brien will reportedly stay with the Pats throughout their playoff run, which likely will extend into February. How will PSU recruiting handle this? Its just another disadvantage for an already crippled institution.

Consensus:

Multiple Nittany Lion Legends like D.J. Dozier, LaVar Arrington, Brandon Short and Todd Blackledge have expressed extremely negative opinions toward O'Brien, AD Dave Joyner and the committee tasked with the hiring process.

The hire seems like a transitional one and not a long-term solution. With little experience, Bill O'Brien is a low-risk gamble. He won't command a large salary or long contract and if he's unsuccessful, he can be fired without any emotional backlash from fans.

I believe that O'Brien will serve his liminal purpose, add some experience to his resume but ultimately, he will fail. He has too much stacked against him. An administration in disarray, a stigma upon his program and unsupportive lettermen and alumni will cause him to meet an untimely end. I give it three years and one missed bowl game.

I'm not a fan of Adam Aron. Something about his approach is a little off. His overzealous, shameless promotion of the Philadelphia 76ers screams Bob Salmi.

His intentions are pure, but Philadelphia can see through b.s. like no other and this executive seems a little full of it. Why?

His Background:

He's undoubtedly a brilliant guy. He graduated cum laude from Harvard and proceeded to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School. Intelligence in the classroom, however, doesn't translate into an ability to inspire a fan base.

Pat Croce was in a motorcycle gang, came from a blue-collar background and built a physical therapy business from nothing. From 1996 to 2006, Aron was the CEO of Vail Resorts, a ritzy ski area in Colorado. Before that, he was President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Lines. He most recently ran the consulting firm, World Leisure Partners. He has a specialty in luxury accommodations and tourism, an industry that doesn't normally produce Professional Sports Executives. He has no experience with a sports franchise of any kind.

As successful as he has been in business, he's never tackled anything with the visibility of a professional sports franchise. I can't really imagine that Hal Chapman Wingo III complained about mogul height like Billy Flanagan from Palmyra will about Iguodala's free throws.

His Demeanor:

His interest in openness and transparency are admirable. Too often do team owners sit in their high tower and view fans as feudal serfs. Aron is on the ground and out in the public eye. He does live interviews during games, holds viewing parties and pumps out tweets from his @SixersCEOAdam account. He's even hired a fan who took the initiative to create twitter handles for proposed mascots.

Maybe its just me, but his exploits do not seem genuine. He's attempting an impression of Croce, but doesn't have the credibility to pull it off. His endeavors are one big promotion that will disappear when he and Josh Harris see a return on their bargain basement investment. Aron's passionate and does have Philly ties, he's just not that charismatic.

It really hit me when he did a sideline interview during a recent Sixers road game. As he wrapped up another round of softball questions, he turned to the camera, doing his best David Koechner, and let loose a used-car salesman-like "Let's Go Sixers".

Not exactly repelling from the Jumbotron, is it?

Overall Analysis and Suggestions:

The goal is not to replicate Croce. No one will be able to do that. The goal is to be real with people. Don't B.S. fans and don't give me any manufactured excitement. Give straight talk to fans. They know more about basketball than you, so show them the respect they deserve. Don't sell us Andre Iguodala as a #1 player and a closer. Don't sell us another first-round playoff exit. And for god's sake, don't sell us another SuperPretzel.

What?

The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League (NHL) on or around New Year's Day in which a regular-season hockey game is played outdoors, in an area hosted by an NHL team.

Who?

The 2012 Winter Classic featured The Philadelphia Flyers vs. The New York Rangers, a heated and hard-hitting rivalry that stretches back to 1970s.

The Rangers have been successful this season under fiery coach John Tortorella and sit atop the Atlantic division, just above the Flyers. They are lead by the Marian Gaborik, the NHL's #1 goal scorer.

Peter Laviolette has worked wonders with his young Flyers team behind the world-class play of 23-year-old Claude Giroux, who is second in the NHL in Points (Goals+Assists). Behind Giroux and the leadership and resurgence of Jaromir Jagr, the Flyers have been a pleasant surprise.

If you haven’t seen the Flyers-Rangers 24/7 Documentary on HBO, check it out on-demand. Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is the star of the show.

Where?

The Winter Classic has been held at two football stadiums (Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Park and Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field) and three baseball parks (Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Boston’s Fenway Park and Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park).

Oftentimes during outdoor games, the weather conditions can wreak havoc on the ice quality. Not so in Philadelphia this year, where refrigeration units and overcast skies kept the ice cool and the puck flat.

When?

The Winter Classic takes place on or around New Years and has quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the Sports Calendar.

It has taken place every year since 2008.

Why?

The NHL is the runt of professional sports leagues in America. Their TV contracts are meager and their Neilson ratings are low. However, the Winter Classic allows the NHL to have their one time in the spotlight.

The outdoor atmosphere brings players back to their roots of skating on frozen ponds. It’s a fun and unique experience that’s enjoyable for spectators and players alike.

How?

The Flyers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against the Rangers, thanks to Brayden Schenn’s first NHL goal and a pretty backhand goal from Giroux.

Still caught up in the excitement from Giroux’s sparkling effort, New York’s Mike Rupp snuck a lazy wrist shot past Flyer’s goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and another from a bad angle to tie the game at 2-2.

The Rangers’ Brad Richards put his team up for good by banging home a rebound in the 3^rd Period. Flyer Daniel Briere earned a penalty shot late in the game but was stopped by goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was spectacular all day.