Rob's Rants: Endless Ezekiel Elliott saga, crybaby James Harden

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Let's see, the Eagles hold the best record in the NFL at 7-1 and Howie Roseman is not standing pat in his search to upgrade the talent on the roster.

The Sixers just avenged a bad home loss last week to the Rockets, and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid appear to be the one-two punch this town's been in search of for ages.

So there's much to be happy about on this Halloween in Philadelphia. But not every trick or treater's bag in the sporting world is filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's Kisses. There's plenty of Raisinets and Almond Joys being handed out. With that, time for another edition of Rob's Rants.

In or out?
I am so sick of this of this "is he or isn't he" saga when it comes to Ezekiel Elliott's suspension. We lived this once with Tom Brady and that was enough. The difference this time through this lens is Elliott's status much more directly affects the Eagles and the conference they play in.

It seems every five minutes, he's suspended or unsuspended (see latest update). Short of holding a law degree, how can anyone keep up with this? I get he has a legal right to appeal but fans of the sport don't want to hear about preliminary injunctions or emergency appeals. It's a turn-off. They want to know if he's playing or not. The Eagles travel to Dallas out of the bye (Nov. 19) then host the Cowboys on Dec. 31 to close out the season. No one, not the Cowboys, the Eagles or Roger Goodell knows if he'll play in both, miss one, play this week vs. the Chiefs, or what. The entire situation is a joke. Until he's on the inactive list Sunday, I'll assume Elliott's playing the rest of the season.

No-show
How do you come off beating the NHL's highest-scoring team on the road in Toronto on Saturday, one that entered the game with a 7-3 record, only to lose to a previously winless Arizona team two days later? At home, no less. Inexcusable. The Flyers sleepwalked through the first two-plus periods and had to put on a mad charge just to tie it up in regulation, only to lose in overtime. The Coyotes ranked last in goals against and penalty kill and 25th in goals per game. The Flyers had three shots in the first period. None by a forward. This is not the Penguins we're talking about here.

Cry me a river
The NBA has its share of cry babies. Players who think they should get every call. Dwyane Wade comes to mind, as does DeMarcus Cousins. But they are all playing for second place when it comes to the waterworks — James Harden is the MVP when it comes to whining and complaining.

TV does not do his moaning justice. You need to see him in person, initiate contact every time and get most of the calls by the way. But when he doesn't, he cries like a hungry baby with a dirty diaper. It's relentless. Watching him up-close and personal last week against the Sixers was to watch petulance personified. He's a great player and I truly appreciate his "old man" game but his act is tired. It's no wonder he's not a good defender, he rarely gets back on defense because he's complaining to the ref on the other end.

Happy anniversary
We close this one out on a non-rant. It was nine years ago today on a beautiful, warm, perfect day in Philadelphia when the Phillies held their championship parade. The day was a culmination of an incredible season and chance for this city to celebrate a title in a major sport for the first time in 25 years. The coolest part for me was seeing generations of families rejoicing along the parade route and at the park. Seeing older people who didn't think they'd witness another championship. And little kids who thought this would be a rite of passage every year. Here's hoping the city can get another one soon.

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