It's been a busy week in Philadelphia sports on several fronts, so here's my take on some of these developments:
• I was perhaps the least surprised person in the world when the Phillies chose to put closer Brad Lidge on the disabled list. There had been stories in the papers for a while about his bad knee, but Lidge kept insisting the situation was improving.
As I read his comments, though, I kept thinking about last season and how Chase Utley downplayed his hip problem — until we learned after the World Series championship run that the damage was serious enough to require surgery.
I think it's natural for athletes, who are often used to performing with pain, to try to play through injuries. But in Lidge's case, I'm glad to club stepped forward and placed him on the DL. It was clear something wasn't quite right with him physically, which affected his mechanics.
• Ray Allen he's not, but the Sixers took a major step toward improving their anemic outside shooting by trading Reggie Evans to the Toronto Raptors for Jason Kapono. A 6-8 small forward, Kapono makes three-pointers at a 45.4 percent clip, tying him with former Chicago Bull Steve Kerr for the best career percentage. He also won the three-point shooting contest at the 2007 and 2008 NBA all-star games.
Last year, the six-year veteran out of UCLA averaged 8.2 points and played almost 23 minutes a game.
In a teleconference Wednesday, Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski told the media that the club has been "sorely missing" a player like Kapono.
Given that Philly shot a league-worst 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, Stefanski's comment could be actually considered an understatement.
• The Flyers took a definite risk last week in agreeing to contract terms with goalie Ray Emery, given his off-ice problems with the Ottawa Senators, but I'm willing to see how this plays out.
The club apparently didn't want to give incumbent starter Martin Biron the money he sought, and inking Emery to a one-year deal at $1.5 million — less than what Biron earned last season — could free up money under the salary cap for the team to make other moves.
The 26-year-old Emery, who most recently played in Russia after being released by Ottawa, is an intriguing talent. He led the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007, so he has a track record of success.
And the fact that the Flyers are giving Emery just a one-year deal should increase his motivation to play well and be a model citizen, so he can earn a longer NHL contract down the road.
• With the recent news that Eagles running back Brian Westbrook will likely miss training camp and preseason following surgery to remove bone chips from his right ankle, Birds fans everywhere are understandably worried that Westbrook won't be ready to go in the opening game against the Carolina Panthers.
The 29-year-old Westbrook's running and pass-catching skills have long been obvious, but while I was watching "Daily News Live" the other night on Comcast SportsNet, Ray Didinger made a great point I hadn't heard before.
He said Westbrook is probably the best blocking back in the game when it comes to picking up blitzes, and that his two current backups — Lorenzo Booker and rookie LeSean McCoy — can't hold a candle to him in that area.
So with all the pass plays Coach Andy Reid calls in the West Coast offense, Didinger said, quarterback Donovan McNabb could be a lot more vulnerable if Westbrook is out for an extended period.
Paula Wolf, a sports enthusiast who uses a wheelchair because of rheumatoid arthritis, is a staff writer for the Sunday News. E-mail her at pwolf@lnpnews.com. 
