Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Sav Rocca Makes the Team

It's now official, or as official as things get in a world where the Eagles post cuts on their website, then take it down, then pretend it didn't happen, then claim it wasn't a real list.

Here's the news for Sav Rocca from PhillyBurbs.com:

"I just got off the phone with Johnson, who confirmed that he got a call from head coach Andy Reid informing him that the Eagles are releasing him and keeping untested rookie Sav Rocca instead.

"'In my mind, they had their minds made up before that (Jets) game,' Johnson said. 'What did that game prove? If it came down to that game, I’d still be here. If it didn’t, they should have cut me last week, while two teams (Cards and Patriots) were still looking for punters.'"

Now I can't wait to see the first time a punt returner breaks the coverage and Sav gets a free shot at him. 

This Pretty Much Sums It Up for Rocca

Phil Sheridan in the Inquirer:

"If Sav Rocca didn't clinch the punting competition, then there wasn't a punting competition."

Here's a longer article coming to pretty much the same conclusion:

"Because right now it seems crazy to think Johnson, not Rocca will be the choice when the Eagles play for real two Sundays from now in Green Bay. Rocca's average, after a dozen preseason punts, is just over 46 yards. Not factored in this measurement, but clear to the eye, is that he sometimes hits a 42-yard punt as if it is a pooch, and that the height of his boots are often as impressive as the distance."

Next Test for Rocca

Whoever wins the punter's job this year for the Eagles will have two jobs, and actually punting the ball might be the easier of the two. 

Now that third-string quarterback and all-pro holder Koy Detmer (and they should definitely select an all-pro holder) is officially gone for good, the guys in line to hold for Eagles kicker David Akers are Dirk Johnson and Sav Rocca.  Dirk had the job last year, and he was so good at it the Eagles decided they needed to re-sign Koy for the playoffs just to serve as Akers' personal caddy.  Not a good sign for Dirk.

Holding is something Rocca should actually be pretty good at it.  Years of scooping that sliding, bouncing and rolling AFL ball off the turf should be excellent practice for handling the sometimes erratic snaps of Eagles' long-snapper (and amateur magician) Jon Dorenbos.  But the first real test should come tonight, when Rocca is set to take over the first-half punting and holding duties, while Johnson gets half number two. 

Now we just need the offense to move the ball so that the kicker actually has something to do.

Question for the Aussies

Now I realize some of you think I've been knocking your great game of Aussie Rules, which I haven't been, but I've got a question for the other folks coming here looking for news about Sav Rocca (who's quickly developing a major following in Philadelphia, I might add). 

Last weekend I watched the Swans play at Telstra Stadium, and I could swear I saw the faded outline of an American football field underneath the AFL markings.  There were yard lines and even what looked like numbers, all where they should have been for our game. 

So what gives?  Are there people playing American football down there or was this some kind of traveling exhibition?  I'm really curious.  If you know anything about it, please pop it into the comments.

Update: This turns out to have been a rather dumb question, since solved.

UPDATE Update: My brother suggested there's a difference in the way Union and League line their fields and that's what threw me.  Let's just assume that's correct and I'm not an idiot who forgot about Rugby.

Best Punter Quote Ever

I think I may just have found my next Eagles jersey.  Saverio Rocca on the massive hit he took in his first NFL game:

"As soon as it happened, I was, like, where the hell did he come from?" Rocca laughed. "But it's fine. If that's the best he's got, good luck to him."

Atta boy, Sav.

Aussies Are the Best

Earlier today I sent my brother the following chart showing the country of origin for the most recent visitors to the IgglesBlog (click to enlarge):

My brother wrote back:

"You have a better readership rate in Australia than the US. You should give them a shout out."

Now, first of all, it should be pointed out that my brother is married to a very lovely woman who happens to be from Australia.  So he's not exactly unbiased about this particular country.  Having been there myself, I tend to agree with his assessment. 

The second thing is that he's right.

Wikipedia lists the population of the United States at just over 300 million.  Australia is at about 21 million.  Which means that -- on a per capita basis -- the IgglesBlog is approximately three-and-one-half times more popular in Australia than it is here.

I'm not sure how to take this news.

Cheap Shot on Sav Rocca

Here's the video of the hit on Saverio Rocca that everyone's searching for this morning.  Watch it soon before YouTube spikes it:

I thought they made gratuitious shots on punters illegal after the Trotter hit a couple years ago?  Also, that was clearly helmet-to-helmet, although Rocca didn't so much as blink after it happened.  Tough dude.

That's also a heck of a punt from his own end zone.