Locker Room of Brotherly Love '07

By this time Monday, we will have added 6 new athletes to a storied brotherhood that includes Mike Schmidt, Bobby Clarke, Reggie White, and Julius Erving. Not everyone has the thick skin to play in Philadelphia (Mr. Drew, we’re looking in your general direction. Wusspants.), but for those who do, we greet you with blind faith and love from the Delaware Valley Blind, championship-starved faith.

And hey, who doesn’t like a recurring feature?

Every Friday before the NFL Draft, we will annually publish the TOP TEN PHILLY ATHLETES. This is not a list to mark one’s potential or their past, nor will it show favoritism to any one team. To make the list, you need to 1) be good at what you do for a living (damn good, actually) and 2) play for one of the four major pro teams in Philadelphia at the time of posting.

(For the members of the Philadelphia Soul, KiXX, Wings, Phantoms, and Barrage, we’re sorry. Oh, and while your reading this, you’ve accumulated quite the angry queue of customers waiting for their copies. Kinkos – proud sponsor of athletes who need to pay the rent.)

I figure by publishing this list (much like my Oscar predictions), we’ll have a public record to see how Philly’s best rise and fall, appear and disappear over the years. Some will fade due to trades and retirement (Forsberg?), while others just have turned up the suck in the last year (paging a Mr. Gordon. A Mr. Thomas Gordon…)

Locker Room of Brotherly Love, 2007

1. BRYAN WESTBROOK - #36 - RB - EAGLES -- Credentials: The keystone of a resurgent '06 Eagles offense, rushing for 1,217 yards, making 77 catches for 699 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. Made many, many fantasy owners very happy. Fact I Didn't Make Up: He owns a vacation home in Ocean City, New Jersey. Fact I May Have Made Up: While in Ocean City, he challenges small children in Mini-Golf. Small children are no match for Brian Westbrook, whose career it is to find the holes.

2. RYAN HOWARD - #6 - 1B - PHILLIES -- Credentials: 2005 Rookie of the Year. 2006 NL MVP. His 58 home runs in 2006, earning Player of the Month honors during the Phillies' charge towards the playoffs in August and September. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Shares a name with a character on NBC's "The Office." Fact I May Have Made Up: Michael Scott is a better manager than Charlie Manuel

3. SHAWN ANDREWS - #73 - RG - EAGLES -- Credentials: Was a starting guard in the Pro Bowl for the NFC. The fist 1st round draft pick to live up to his billing since Lito Sheppard in 2002. "The Big Kid," as his team knows him, got hurt against the Saints in the playoffs, and his replacement was guilty of the soul-crushing false start on the final drive. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Andrews was born on Christmas Day, 1982. Fact I May Have Made Up: At 340 lbs., he often spends his birthday challenging Santa to an cookie eating contest.

4. CHASE UTLEY - #26 - 2B - PHILLIES - Hardest working player in Philly sports. Normally that's a term you give someone who tries hard but isn't very good (I was featured in a BCTimes article with that praise from my track coach), but Utley backs it up. Batted .309 in 2006 and was an All-Star. The ladies find him dreamier than Pay Burrell. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Uses Zeppelin's "Kasmir" as his coming-to-the-plate music. Fact I May Have Made up: That's only because the stadium DJ didn't have Journey.

5. DONOVAN MCNABB - #5 - QB - EAGLES -- Credentials: Despite a season-ending injury in October, McNabb is still the leader of this team. Dropping to 5th is a result of this off-year. But hey, he still eats his Chunky Soup. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Attended Syarcuse University, where his go-to target was WR Marvin Harrison. Fact I May Have Made Up: He's 100 per cent Irish.

6. SIMON GAGNE #12 - LW/C - FLYERS -- Credentials: Has over 200 career goals in 5 seasons, eclipsed the 40 goal mark in the second-to-last game of the season. Voted MVP of the Flyers, earning the Bobby Clarke Trophy for the second straight year. Fact I Didn't Make Up: I own a Gagne #12 jersey. Fact I May Have Made Up: Is terrified of spiders and shrieks like a little girl when he sees one.

7. JIMMY ROLLINS - #11 - SS - PHILLIES -- Credentials: Three-time MLB all-star, has the longest hitting streak in Phils' history (38 games), and currently is 2nd in the league in home runs. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Rollins originally wore #6, but that switched to #11 to allow rookie Ryan Howard to wear #6. Fact I May Have Made Up: It's because Howard threatened to eat him.

8. ANDRE IGUODALA - #9 - G/F - 76ERS -- Credentials: Led team in '06-'07 with 18.4 ppg, led team once Allen Iverson was traded to Denver. Highly-athletic and talented player, looks to be cornerstone of next Sixers' team. Also averages 6 rebounds and assists per game. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Chris Webber bought him a Rolex so that he would switch from #4 to #9 upon Webber's arrival. Fact I May Have Made Up: Has an extreme longing for cake.

9. MIKE KNUBLE - #22 - RW - FLYERS -- Credentials: On the worst team in Flyers' history, one of two players to maintain a positive plus/minus rating. Scored 54 points on the season in 64 games, including 30 assists. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Competed for Team USA in the Torino Olympics. Fact I May Have Made Up: In ice dancing.

10. BRIAN DAWKINS - #20 - FS - EAGLES -- Credentials: Dawk is the emotional leader of this team, and earned a Pro Bowl invite this past year for his locker room presence and his big play ability. Said pbig plays include a Week 15 INT of Eli Manning, a Week 16 INT of Tony Romo, and a 4th and Goal sack of Jason Campbell - a game in which I was in attendance. Fact I Didn't Make Up: Dawkins is a huge fan of the Wolverine comics, often assuming the nickname "Weapon X." Fact I May Have Made Up: His facemask is made of adamantium.