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Numerous reports out today have the Philadelphia Eagles among two teams that could land free agent safety Yeremiah Bell by the end of the day.

The ex-Miami Dolphin would be a major upgrade to an Eagles team that was among the worst tackling secondaries in the NFL last season.

The New York Jets are also reportedly among the key players in these talks, which, according to Bell’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, could wrap up sometime today with Bell signing a deal with a new club.

A short time ago, Philly sports staple Howard Eskin tweeted that Bell will sign with the Eagles or Jets very soon.

Sports blog Bleacher Report is also reporting the same thing.

We’ll have much more throughout the day on this possible major move by the birds.

LeSean "Shady" McCoy is signed until 2017. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Eagles announced they have agreed to terms with RB LeSean McCoy on a five-year $45 million extension, including $20.765 million guaranteed that runs through the 2017 season.

One of the most explosive and versatile offensive weapons in the NFL, McCoy set franchise records in 2011 with 17 rushing and 20 total touchdowns, while earning All Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He also led the NFL with 102 first downs and 48 runs of 10-plus yards, while finishing as the league’s fourth-leading rusher with 1,309 yards on the ground. In 2010, McCoy ranked fourth in the NFL with 1,672 scrimmage yards while leading all running backs with a career-high 78 catches and setting a team record with a 5.2-yard rushing average.

“We are excited to continue this offseason of taking care of our own players,” said head coach Andy Reid. “LeSean is one of the most electrifying running backs in the National Football League. He can do it all – run, catch, block and score touchdowns from anywhere on the field. He’s worked extremely hard to turn himself into a Pro Bowl running back and he is well deserving of this contract extension. I give a lot of credit to Howie Roseman and Drew Rosenhaus for hammering out this deal.”

Originally a 2^nd-round draft choice of the Eagles in 2009, McCoy has played in 46 games (32 starts) and accumulated 4,241 scrimmage yards (3,026 rushing; 1,215 receiving) and 33 total touchdowns (28 rushing; 5 receiving). He also owns the highest rushing average (4.8) ever by an Eagles running back, and has compiled more rushing and scrimmage yards in his first three seasons than any player in franchise annals. Since entering the league, McCoy ranks third among all running backs with 166 receptions and despite piling up 801 total touches in his career, he has surrendered just five fumbles (160.2 touches per fumble).

A native of Harrisburg, PA, the 23-year old running back attended Bishop McDevitt high school and played collegiately at Pittsburgh. In addition to numerous charity appearances in the Philadelphia area, McCoy organizes an annual “Shady’s Shootout Community Day” in his hometown which is dedicated to raising money for the fight against ALS.

Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Who should be the real NBA MVP, and who will win an NBA title first?

LeBron vs Durant…

Mike Gill answers that question in today’s Post-Show video:

The Philadelphia 76ers did not show up in Game 3 Wednesday night. (Photo by:Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

Did you miss the Sports Bash or do you just want to listen to it again?

The Sports Bash ON DEMAND gives you the chance to go back and hear what you missed.  Its the Sports Bash with Mike Gill and Todd Ranck.

Here is today’s show: Thursday May 18th, 2012.

Sixers go down in Game 3

The show opens today with talk of the 76ers 107-91 loss at the hand of the Celtics last night in Game 3.  Elton Brand was a no show, as was Evan Turner.  As he likes to do, Mike put a lot of the blame to Andre Iguodala for taking only 6 shots and letting Paul Pierce get his.  Game 4 is tomorrow night in Philadelphia, tip is set for 8:00.

Boston making history

It was 1988 when the Boston Celtics last had three players go for 20 points and 10 rebounds in the same game.  Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge did it then, while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo did it last night.  Rondo also made some history of his own having 3 career playoff games with 14 assists and 1 or fewer turnovers.

Brains/Heart/Soul

Todd mentioned an interview he did with A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England earlier today on “The Warmup” where Blakely described this Celtics team perfectly.  Blakely said: Rondo is your brains, Garnett is your heart and Pierce is your soul.  After that, Mike and Todd tried to think of any players on this Sixers team that would represent those three things.  They concluded that the Sixers have none of them.

Marc Zumoff calls in

Sixers longtime play-by-play broadcaster Marc Zumoff called in and gave his thoughts on the Sixers vs. Celtics thus far.  Zumoff said the Sixers awoke a “sleeping giant” and they weren’t ready for what was coming.  He doesnt expect the Celtics play to carryover tomorrow night, but Zumoff said the Sixers have to match intensity tomorrow night.  Marc Zumoff has been the television voice for the Philadelphia 76ers since 1994.  Currently, he is contributing as a pre and post game analyst on Comcast Sportsnet.  Visit his website.

Sportsbash Stock Exchange

1. BUY OR SELL Rangers coach John Tortorella being nicer in his press conferences?

2. BUY OR SELL the LeSean McCoy and Osi Umenyiora feud?

3. BUY OR SELL a concern for Jaiquawn Jarrett at the safety position?

Kevin Durant the real MVP?

The 4:00 hour opens with a discussion of who the real MVP is of the NBA.  Mike and Todd both agree in that Kevin Durant is the true MVP and LeBron James should forfeit his trophy.  The two go over a list of prior MVP’s and every player on the list excluding LeBron James is their teams first option in the closing seconds of a game.  NOTE: the opinions above do not reflect the opinions of me, most notably, LeBron James NOT being the leagues most valuable player.  Statistically, you wont find many players in the history of the NBA who did what James did in his 2012 season.  Also, you can argue a strong case for LeBron James being The Defensive Player of the Year.  That’s a feat that only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon (twice) have accomplished.

Top Tweets

It’s a Thursday edition of Top Tweets brought to you by Mercedes-Benz of Atlantic City.  Visit their website today and drive one home!  What professional sports team would you want to coach or manage?  Will you watch Kings Coyotes tonight?  It’s all in Top Tweets!

5 Questions

1. What is your favorite Donna Summer song?

2.  Who is your favorite Full House character?

3. Does Johnathan Vilma have a case in suing the NFL?

4. What team switching conferences are you most excited for?

5. Most boring thing you have ever done?

Pete Giordano is the producer of “The Sportsbash,” e-mail him: 973espn@gmail.com

Atlantic Cit Head baseball coach Brent Bean (Photo: Facebook.com)

Brent Bean isn’t satisfied with the startling improvement his Atlantic City High School baseball team has made this spring. The Vikings’ second-year head coach has his squad headed to South Jersey Group IV playoff tournament for the first time in 12 years but knows successful high school programs must always have an eye on the future.

It’s a necessity considering the fact that every athletic team routinely loses about a quarter of its roster every June, as students graduate and move on. That’s why developing a strong youth baseball presence in Atlantic City’s sending districts, including Brigantine, Longport, Margate and Ventnor, is so important to Coach Bean.

He hoped to make strides in that department last weekend, when his Vikings teamed up to host a youth clinic with Atlantic City’s softball program. The training session took place on the morning of Saturday, May 12, offering free lessons for players ages 7-14.

(Click here to read the rest of the story)

Megan Gatley (Photo: Facebook.com)

Meagan Gatley always wanted to compete in a long-distance road race. Although that desire never wavered, she struggled to find the necessary spark required to commit to such an arduous training regimen.

That changed last winter.

Gatley, a 20-year-old Linwood resident, returned home for break following the 2011 fall semester and her mind began to stir.

Just a month earlier, she lost her beloved grandfather, Jim Lane, to Leukemia. The same devastating disease also took away her uncle, Mark Lane, in November 2010.

(Click here to read the rest of this story).

SuicideGirls

Meet AnnaLee – a 28-year-old bookworm who’s addicted to expensive chocolate and loves listening to 80′s heavy metal power ballads and the ‘Blade Runner’ soundtrack. Unlike that movie’s ending, moments with her are anything but “tears in the rain“.

Name: AnnaLee Suicide

Age: 28

Stats: 5’4”, small

Fantasy: A responsible world. For all living things to have a fair chance at life. An end to prejudice and greed. My family to be happy. To live by the sea and grow all my own food and be in peace away from most people. To visit Russia, India and Japan and everywhere in between but always have a nest to come back to.

Makes me happy: Orson Welles’ voice, lochs, rivers and anything wet and unusual encounters with other creatures.

Vices: Book buying. That’s probably not too unhealthy. I’m also addicted to expensive chocolate. That is ever so slightly unhealthy.

SuicideGirls is a community that celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world. Since 2001, tens of thousands of models have submitted millions of photos to their website hoping to becomeSuicideGirls.

SuicideGirls

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Source: GuySpeed.com

The Celtics were to much in game three. http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320516020

PHILADELPHIA  (BOXSCORE) – Kevin Garnett scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and used a dominant second quarter to help the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-91 on Wednesday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Whistled for a costly illegal pick late in a Game 2 loss, Garnett crushed the Sixers early and never let them think about a fourth-quarter rally.

Garnett scored 13 of Boston’s 32 points in the second quarter and the Celtics became the first team to win by double digits. Game 1 and Game 2 were each decided by one point.

Rajon Rondo had 23 points and 14 assists. Paul Pierce, playing with a banged-up knee, had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 is Friday in Philadelphia.

“Our offense finally came alive,” Pierce said. “We moved the ball. We knew that’s what we were going to have to do to score 100 points.”

Garnett had somehow become forgotten in Boston’s offense in Game 2 until the fourth quarter. Coach Doc Rivers said the Celtics simply weren’t going to the 16-year veteran because they had established an offensive presence in the low post.

The Celtics wouldn’t let that happen again.

They needed Garnett at his best in Philadelphia, where the Sixers had won their last four postseason games.

So much for that minor streak. Garnett yapped his way down the court after several big early buckets and clearly enjoyed taking it to the Sixers. He buried those 10 to 16 footers with ease in the second quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 13-point lead.

“I thought a lot of guys tonight came and they didn’t think about what they were not doing well,” Rivers said. “A lot of guys just came and played.”

The Celtics again heard the whispers that they were too weary, too old to have their championship experience matter against the up-tempo Sixers.

Pierce is gutting out an MCL injury in his left knee that has robbed him of his jumper and slowed him down on both sides of the ball. He scored only 21 points combined in the first two games and failed to be the impact player the Celtics needed if they want to play deeper in the postseason.

He charged the lane in the first quarter for a couple of angry-looking dunks. He even pounded the backboard for emphasis after one as if to show the Sixers he still had some lift in those legs.

“That’s who he is,” Rivers said. “That’s how he’s been even when he’s healthy. Paul’s just a grinder.”

He’ll need to do it again to hold off the Sixers.

Thaddeus Young scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday had 15 for the Sixers. Lou Williams andJodie Meeks each scored 13. Starters Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes and Evan Turnercombined for only 11 points.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take it and go with it and come back the next game,” Young said. “That’s what we’ve got to do.”

Wearing their matching red 76ers logo T-shirts, fans fled for the exits at the 6-minute mark and the Sixers down 101-76.

The Sixers hadn’t hosted a second-round game since 2003, when coach Larry Brown and All-Star Allen Iverson ruled the town. Julius Erving walked out to a roaring ovation when he presented the game ball and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick watched from a suite.

The Sixers hoped all the stars and hoopla that helped them knock off top-seeded Chicago would work again.

Back to the drawing board. Young scored three baskets and the rest of the Sixers had only two in the decisive second quarter.

“We ran into a Celtics team that had a real sense of purpose about them,” coach Doug Collins said. “You could see in moment one, they were looking to push that ball in every situation.”

Garnett tortured them from long range, toyed with them from inside, and got some deserved rest on the bench in the final minutes wearing a long-sleeve shirt.

Garnett was whistled for a critical offensive foul late in Game 2 on a potential game-tying possession for the Celtics. All seemed forgiven by the time the Celtics raced to a 25-point lead.

Rivers kept Rondo, Pierce and Ray Allen in the game until the final minutes even though the game was well out of reach. The Bulls were burned by that in the opening round in Game 1 when they left Derrick Rose in with a 20-point lead. He tore his ACL and was lost for the season — and the Sixers rolled to a series win.

Game notes
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and several other Eagles were at the game. … Former Sixers owner Ed Snider watched the game from a courtside seat. … Rivers was named to the NBA’s Competition Committee. He said he had no idea until he received a letter saying he had been selected. … The Celtics missed their first seven shots of the game, then made their next five.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

LaVoy Allen had a big game for the Sixers in game two. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Sixers and Celtics meet at Wells Fargo for a pivotal game three.

What are the three keys to tonight’s game, who will be the hero and what will be the final score?

Mike Gill has the answers in today’s Sports Bash Post-Show video!

It seemed to be the same old song and dance for LeBron James and the Heat in the 4th quarter Tuesday night (Photo by: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Did you miss the Sports Bash or do you just want to listen to it again?

The Sports Bash ON DEMAND gives you the chance to go back and hear what you missed.  Its the Sports Bash with Mike Gill and Todd Ranck.

Here is today’s show: Wednesday May 17th, 2012.

LeBron Deja Vu?

Mike Gill and Todd Ranck open the hour up with an onslaught of criticism towards LeBron James and his 4th Quarter performance last night.  Both agree in that James has to make those two free-throws and be more aggressive in that second to last possession and not defer to his teammates.  Todd puts blame solely on LeBron James, followed by Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade. 

On to Andre Iguodala..

Mike Gill makes a comparison of LeBron James and Andre Iguodala, saying Iguodala is like a LeBron James lite.  Mike Gill now wants to trade Iguodala in the off season and “strike while the iron is hot.”  Todd likes his athleticism on the floor and wants to see the Sixers build with him likening him to a Scottie Pippen just needing a Michael Jordan.  Mike brings up a possible trade for Pau Gasol saying the Lakers need a piece like Iguodala.

Dei Lynam previews Game 3

Dei Lynam calls in from the Wells Fargo Center and previews Sixers vs. Celtics Game 3 tonight.  Dei says the Sixers have embraced the challenges of the playoffs.  Lynam also said the Celtics are too good and too experienced to take the Sixers lightly.  Dei Lynam covers the Sixers for CSN Philly and CSNPhilly.com.

Stock Exchange

1. BUY OR SELL the 2 game series in MLB?

2. BUY OR SELL David Wright being pulled from the game yesterday?

3. BUY OR SELL MLB teams firing the hitting coach?

4. BUY OR SELL Eagles LT position?

Donny Marshall on Game 3

Donny Marshall calls in and previews Game 3 tonight of Sixers vs. Celtics.  Right away he had harsh words for TNT’s Charles Barkley calling him “a filibuster and he doesn’t do his homework.”  He also doesn’t think Paul Pierce will struggle for two games in a row, making tonight’s game all important.  Donny Marshall is a Celtics analyst for CSN New England and CSN

Top Tweets

Its a Wednesday edition of Top Tweets brought to you by: Mercedes-Benz of Atlantic City.  Visit their website today.  How many tweets featured LeBron James? Top Tweets is everyday at 4:45!

David Hale LIVE from Wrigley Field

Dave Hale called in from Chicago at Wrigley Field and talked about Vance Worley to the DL and on Roy Oswalt returning?  “Never say never.”  He also expects Ryan Howard to return from injury in mid-June while Chase Utley is more of a wild card and is a legitimate concern.  Dave Hale covers the Phillies for The News Journal in Delaware.  Check out his blog Philled In.

5 Questions

1. How well do you know the Chicago Cubs?

2. Your 3 keys to tonight’s game?

3. One thing you like and dislike about Wrigley Field?

4. What is your favorite soda?

5. Final score and M.V.P?

Pete Giordano is the producer of “The Sportsbash,” e-mail him: 973espn@gmail.com