Big Hits

After two decades in the NFL, Andy Reid has seen many changes - it's what he says keeps his job fresh even as he enters his 14th season as Eagles head coach. So as debate swirls around the NFL's increasing restrictions on some hits and the stiff penalties handed out for the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, Reid endorsed the changes meant to make the game safer. He added that league commissioner Roger Goodell got it right when it came to imposing penalties for the Saints' bounties, lending the backing of the NFL's longest-tenured head coach to suspensions and rule changes that still rile some in the game.

THE SEASON is off to an unexpected start for the New York Mets. They're the ones getting big hits while their opponents make the crucial mistakes. Daniel Murphy singled home the winning run in the ninth inning and the undefeated Mets took advantage of a throwing error by reliever Henry Rodriguez to beat the visiting Washington Nationals, 4-3, on Monday night. Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his first major league homer for the Mets, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2007. After a surprising sweep of Atlanta, New York rallied from a three-run deficit before a crowd of 23,970.

Baseball likes a good curveball, so it was no surprise on Monday that rookie Freddy Galvis, the lightning rod for local discontent about all that ails the Phillies' offense, turned out to be the only guy to collect a meaningful hit in the 2012 home opener. As for the other Phils, it was more of the same in a 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins. Cole Hamels pitched well enough to win, but not well enough to overcome a flat offense that has now produced eight runs in the first four games of the season.

On the same day the NFL heard the Saints' appeals in their hits-for-cash scandal, a recording of Gregg Williams emerged that purports to capture the disgraced defensive coordinator telling players to "put a lick" on 49ers receiver Kyle Williams to see if he had lingering effects from a concussion. Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who had access to Saints meetings for a documentary on football, posted the audio on his website. Pamphilon initially shared the content with Yahoo Sports, telling the website that while he was not bothered by much of Williams' profanity-laced speech, he was troubled by comments about the previously concussed player.

PITTSBURGH - If yesterday was any indication, the bulk of the Phillies' fan base will be in need of a well-regarded heart specialist by the time Chase Utley and Ryan Howard return from their respective lower-body injuries. Then again, if yesterday was any indication, there will be plenty of time to make appointments. The cynical side in all of us can't help but feel that what we saw during a 1-0 victory over the Pirates is exactly what we are going to get. Roy Halladay tossed eight scoreless innings, a makeshift lineup scratched out one lonesome run, and a 2-hour, 14-minute season opener forced office workers across the region to find alternate ways to kill the day. Five years ago, the T-shirts said, "You Gotta Believe.

The NFL handed down sweeping and unprecedented punishment Wednesday for bounties paid out on big hits, suspending New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton without pay for next season and indefinitely banning the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, who now works for the St. Louis Rams. Payton is the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason. He is accused of trying to cover up a system of extra cash payouts that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called "particularly unusual and egregious" and "totally unacceptable.

SAN FRANCISCO - With New Orleans poised to score on its opening possession, Donte Whitner delivered a crushing blow that knocked out running back Pierre Thomas and forced the first of five Saints turnovers. San Francisco's hard-hitting, opportunistic defense set the tone in the 49ers' thrilling 36-32 playoff win the same way it has all season. From Justin Smith and Aldon Smith harassing Drew Brees all day, to Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman shutting down the running game and Dashon Goldson making punishing hits and key plays from the secondary, the defense is the biggest reason for the resurgence in San Francisco that has the 49ers (14-3)

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Eagles' playoff hopes ended Saturday, and so might have LeSean McCoy 's chances to win the NFL rushing title or set an Eagles rushing record. McCoy had just 35 yards on 13 carries, giving him 1,309 for the year. Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 103 yards Saturday, giving him 1,437 for the season, a 128-yard edge heading into the final week of the season. "I laid an egg today, so I probably won't get to get it," McCoy said. He left the game briefly with what coach Andy Reid described as a "tweaked" ankle, and then briefly returned before giving way to backup Ronnie Brown . Wilbert Montgomery 's team rushing record of 1,512 yards in a season now appears safe.

IT WAS LITTLE MORE than four years ago (September 2007) that Diablo Cody burst onto the movie scene at the Toronto International Film Festival. She was a screenwriter who, dressed like a kid at a roller rink, didn't look like a screenwriter. She had a backstory - a former stripper from Minnesota, she was discovered by a producer who loved her blog. She had a cool name. And most importantly, she'd written "Juno," the soon-to-be breakout hit from the film festival that would win Cody an Oscar.

BECAUSE HE stands within a smidgen of 6 feet, 6 inches, Michael Mooney gets hit with the basketball question. Again and again and again and . . . Yes, he knows the difference between a dunk and a trey and, as recently as two winters ago, he started for Malvern Prep's junior varsity. Even now, he appreciates a spirited game of two-on-two or three-on-three with schoolmates and/or family members. But Mooney's sport of choice is football, and it would appear, strongly, he has made a wonderful decision.