Sam Donnellon: McNabb is the king of generating Philly talk

ON JAN. 26 of this year, in an upset of epic proportions, Chase Utley's photo appeared on the back page of this newspaper the same day a story comparing Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre appeared inside.

There are few things more certain in our world than writing about McNabb one day and seeing his image on the back page the next.

Death. Taxes.

Outrage over Rollie Massimino ditching the Big 5 any time a positive article about Villanova appears.

With that in mind, and the Academy Awards in the rearview mirror, and because everyone likes to make lists and rank things, I propose to list this town's can't-miss topics when it comes to tapping outrage.

No. 1 is McNabb, hands down, a rank that has lasted a decade. In season or out, he is the gift that just keeps giving, 24/7, 12 months a year.

He does not even need to speak anymore.

Write today that the Eagles should trade him. Or that they should keep him. Or that they should wait and trade him later, or sign him to a longer deal now.

Write that he's good. Write that he stinks. Write that he's somewhere in between. Write that he has been unfairly criticized because of his race, or that he has received a free ride because of it. Compare him to Favre, to Joe Montana, to Johnny Unitas, to Koy Detmer if you like. No matter what you write, the e-mails, comments and letters will flood in, as close to 50/50 as any debate about any athlete ever.

He's the king. He's not Meryl Streep. He's not Jack Nicholson.

He's Oscar.

So who or what finishes second? Third? Fourth? Fifth?

Here are five nominees. Feel free to add your own.

For most of the last decade, A.I. went toe-to-toe with McNabb when it came to collecting controversy. Was he a thug? Or a sensitive star whose troubled background led to questionable choices? Was he a great teammate? An iconoclast? A family man or a fraud? Take one or several of those angles, mix it in with the news of the day, and Bubba Chuck was back-page gold. Right 'til the end.

I count 12. And two repeaters.

If it's February, we are talking about trading for a goalie. If it's July, we are talking about signing one. In season or out, we are debating whether they have enough of it, too little of it, or whether they should pay top dollar for it.

Part of this is explainable: The Flyers haven't had much success drafting young goalies and they won't pay top dollar for established ones. Their last two big free-agent signings at that position, John Vanbiesbrouck and Ray Emery, were discount buys. Curtis Joseph and Dominik Hasek were in their prime and available when Bob Clarke opted, pre-salary cap, to spend millions less on Vanbiesbrouck. Emery came cheap after being forced to play and mature in Russia. Before that, Martin Biron became available when Ryan Miller took his job in Buffalo.

Maybe it's because they've come close with the likes of Hextall, Brian Boucher, even Robert Esche, but the Flyers brass historically just doesn't seem to value the position the same as other teams do.

Did the Phillies really trade Lee because they were worried about stripping their farm system? Or was it about money, and a potential conflict at season's end, when fans might prefer to sign Lee and trade the younger and less costly Cole Hamels?

Either way, I doubt we have seen the last of Mr. Lee on our back page.

Presuming there isn't something on Donovan in the newpaper that day. *

Send e-mail to

donnels@phillynews.com.

For recent columns, go to

http://go.philly.com/donnellon.

A relative newcomer to this dynamic, it is the Carey Mulligan of our awards. It could be a passing fancy, diluted by future performances. Or it could have a long and productive hot-button career, like Reid's playcalling. Here's a great drinking game: Start with Ron Hextall in his second coming in 1994, and see how many goalies played at least five games for the Flyers since then: i.e., Jean-Marc Pelletier (one game) does not count. Nor does Maxime Oulette (two games). But if you remembered them, hat's off to you. Subdivisions of this topic include, but are not limited to: clock management, too much passing, too little running, foolish risks on game day, inability to adjust on game day, draft picks, free-agent signings, unenlightening press conferences, lack of warm and fuzziness.

Was he the best show money can buy? Or the single biggest reason the Sixers did not win an NBA championship in his prime? Could the answer be both? Neither?