Goodbye, Andy Reid

As a freshman in college, I started what only now can be considered a Crossing Broad-esque blog entitled Fire Andy Reid Now!  I was dumb, 19-years old, dumb, and was not a fan of seeing the Philadelphia Eagles tie the Cincinnati Bengals.*  The remnants, that I prefer you not read, can be found in the archives of whatever you want to call this sham-mockery that I mainly use just to host chats with friends.  Since then, I have wisened considerably and learned to look at meaningful advanced metrics and logic to judge teams as opposed to trusting my eyes, media narratives, and gut feelings.**

*My 23-year old more intelligent self recognizes the fact that the 2008 Eagles were actually one of the NFL's top teams that season and were more deserving of their NFC Championship Game appearance than they were 9-6-1 record.  They only lost one game by more than 7 points and that was the game against Baltimore where Reid benched McNabb.

**Big thanks to my friends Mookie (@SSReporters) and Keith (@KSJ49) who convinced me to join SB Nation, which forever changed the way I look at and think about sports.

Earlier today, the Philadelphia Eagles officially announced the firing of Andy Reid.  And with that, Jeffrey Lurie ended an era of unprecedented success in Eagles history.  From 1999-2011, the Philadelphia Eagles went seemingly overnight from a team with a young QB and a bunch of random filler parts to a force to be reckoned with and one of the most consistently dominant teams in the league.  Things went downhill in 2012, but one season should not define the tenure of a coach who lasted 14-years with one team.  The first year the Eagles made the playoffs was 2000.  Look at the other teams who made the playoffs in 2000.

Denver Broncos:  Inconsistent from one year to the next, endured an extended period of time with Josh McDaniels as their head coach.

Baltimore Ravens:  Perhaps one of the closest to matching the consistency of the Reid era Eagles, the Ravens still went through a down period, a coaching period, and a time when Kyle Boller was a starting QB.

Indianapolis Colts:  The Peyton Manning led Colts were one of the AFC's dominant teams of the 2000s, but last season Peyton Manning got injured, ending an era, getting the #1 draft pick and a new franchise QB in Andrew Luck who started his career with the worst 11-5 team in NFL history.

Miami Dolphins:  Scarce playoff appearances, once traded a 2nd half draft pick for A.J. Feeley. This ended as poorly as you'd think.

St. Louis Rams:  The Greatest Show On Turf spent most of the decade in the NFC West cellar, perhaps only now starting to get out of it thanks to a rebuilding project and cashing in big time on the number two pick of the 2012 Draft.

New Orleans Saints:  Bounty scandal aside, the Drew Brees and Sean Payton led Saints have been so successful in the latter part of the decade that it is easy to forget how poor the early-mid decade Saints were under Aaron Brooks and Jim Haslett.  Remember this game?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Went from contender to Super Bowl winner to painful decline to re-build to stagnation to re-building again all in this time period.

Tennessee Titans:  Enjoyed a nice run in the early-mid part of the decade, but have been struggling for a few years now.

Oakland Raiders:  Lol?  Lol.

Minnesota Vikings:  The Culpepper-Moss Vikings were tremendous to watch, but Moss is a shell of his former self, Culpepper is out of the league, and the Vikings managed to play Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson at QB during Reid's tenure.  They got one good year out of Brett Favre, too bad they had him for two.

New York Giants:  Saw some stagnation toward the middle of the 2000s before drafting Eli Manning and being on a roller coaster of Super Bowls and epic late-season collapses.

It is easy to think of the Steelers as consistent contenders in this decade, but that is because people conveniently forget the Tommy Maddox era*.  The obvious winner of the past 12 years, the New England Patriots, would not emerge until 2001.

*Not a hard era to forget.

That leaves us with the Eagles as the only team between 2000-2011 to be consistently competitive.  The hiccups few and far between, the long-term success unrivaled.  But all good things must end at some point, and just because a mutual parting of ways may be beneficial for everyone involved now, it does not mean the past was filled with failure or that Reid was not successful or that his time as head coach was unsatisfying.  A team consistently in the mix for a Super Bowl is the only thing sports fans could ever ask for, and indeed, it was exactly what Andy Reid for Eagles fans.  The goal of sports should be to win a championship.  But with a possible exception of the NBA, playoffs are largely determined by small sample sizes and chance.  Therefore, the best way to achieve that goal of winning a championship is to build a team that can contend for the long-term and hope that one of the lottery tickets pays off in the playoffs.  That is precisely what Andy Reid did.  That is success, and that success should be satisfying, for success is satisfying by nature. Unfortunately for Andy, he never hit the jackpot.  But if as a fan your sole basis of satisfaction  is the happy ending that stems from hitting the jackpot in the playoffs, then you are never going to get it right.

Andy Reid provided consistent stability while most everyone else endured periods of instability.  Andy Reid provided an offensive innovation felt more and more every day as the NFL becomes more and more of a passing league.  Andy Reid led the Eagles to four NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl, a Super Bowl where the point differential was three.  From 2000-2011*, with very few hiccups, the Eagles were a dominant force in the NFL that was at the top of the league for an astounding length of time. As teams around the Eagles came and went, the Eagles under Reid were still there almost without fail.  In the playoffs. With a chance for a Super Bowl.

*I standby every word I have ever written about the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles.

Who knows how long it will be until fans realize what they had in Reid, but that time won't be soon enough.  I am normally against hiring retreads, but when Andy Reid decides to coach again, whether that be in 2013 or later, someone will be hiring one awesome head coach.

Goodbye, Andy Reid.  And thank you.

Fire Andy Reid? (A Link To) A Debate With Brian Solomon

After posting my rebuttal to Phil Sheridan on Sunday night, Philadelphia Eagles blogger Brian Solomon sent me an email asking to debate him on whether or not Andy Reid should be fired.  Having a great respect for Brian's wanting a chance to engage him in a fun debate, I accepted.  You can read the debate for yourself at his site, McNabb Or Kolb.

The debate was his idea and for his blog, so I will not takeaway his pageviews by doing a straight re-post, but if you want to read the debate, you can CLICK HERE AND READ IT.

I thank Brian very much for this opportunity and hope all you will read his blog and follow him on Twitter.

I'm No Conspiracy Theorist, But Something Ain't Right here

"Rush out, out from the center, not like one side is any better. Stand up, as they bend reaching."

When the pre-season started back in 2009, laughing at how Chris Mortensen's son was an inept quarterback never did I once think that by Week 3 of the 2010, the Eagles starting QB would be Michael Vick. It's incredible. From being a starting NFL QB to a convicted felon to once again being a starting QB in the NFL. You couldn't write this.

But how did it happen? And why is it happening? And why did it come out the way it did? Andy Reid has, in typical Andy Reid fashion proclaimed again and again Kevin Kolb is his man at QB. Now all of a sudden that has changed. Now it's Vick. What changed? A game tearing apart one of the worst secondaries in football? And why did he make his decision on a Tuesday? If he was so wowed by Vick and his performance against a defense that employs CC Brown, why did he not make him the starter yesterday, after having reviewed the game film?

Andy Reid may be an idiot play caller, but he when it comes to personnel management, he is anything but. He may be stubborn, but he knows how to work players and a locker room. Think about this: when Vick was signed, half the people wanted no part of a formerly convicted dog-killer on their team. Now all of a sudden, the entire city has been clamoring for him to start for the Eagles over the past few weeks. I'll admit it, what I have been advocating over the past couple weeks in regards to Kolb has been the minority opinion of Eagles fans. Most people in Philly wanted a guy to start for their favorite team who they did not even want in their city a year ago. What does that say about the job Andy Reid and the Eagles organization have done in helping Vick and his 2nd chance, in addition to the work Vick has done to redeem for his past mistakes? Dare I say it, they've done too good of a job. PETA has not even ranted against the Eagles the past couple weeks. What does that say? To those who were anti-Vick because of the dog fighting, but have come around so much to support him and clamor for him as the Eagles QB, I salute you. Even the people at PETA. Perhaps the hardest thing to do in life is to forgive those who have wronged you.

I told you this post would be coherent, I didn't say it would be organized. I had no original intention of making a paragraph about morality on a football related post about what the fuck happened late in the afternoon on September 21, 2010. But that is what happens when you write about things that floor you. Andy Reid wavered and changed his mind in a way he never did before. He may have made surprising moves before, but there was always a plan in mind. When the Eagles traded McNabb, he knew what he was doing at the time. When the Eagles opted to not resign Brian Dawkins, him and the rest of the Eagles Front Office felt he was asking too much. Reid has always held steadfast along with the rest of the FO. Reid does not backstab players. The Eagles FO do not backstab players/QBs he claims he is sticking with. He is loyal to his players and he likes to see things through. He does not change the QB position because one guy had a bad 10 passes, got hurt, and the replacement had a strong 6 quarters. At least not before this.

People clamored for A.J. Feeley after the 2002 season, Reid stuck with McNabb, people clamored for Jeff Garcia after the 2006 season, Reid stuck with McNabb, people clamored for Kolb during the 2009 season, Reid stuck with McNabb. People clamor for Vick in the 2010 season when he has said time and again Kolb is his man…..and he goes with Vick? Most bizarre thing Reid has ever done. Ever.

So did Reid backstab Kolb? Who knew what and when? Maybe Kolb knew all along Reid was bullshitting the media before and after the game on Sunday when Reid said Kolb was starting against Jacksonville. But why be so adamant about it as he was? Surely when Reid declared Kolb was starting against Jacksonville before Vick lit up Detroit, he must have known that there was a chance Vick actually could light up Detroit. They are, after all, Detroit. It just does not add up.

Some suggest it is the weak offensive line and he wants to protect Kolb until the line improves. But wasn't this known, especially when Jamaal Jackson went down? Nothing on that front changed in the last day.

One of the writers of Bleeding Green Nation has some insider contacts and stated he heard a report that Kolb was experiencing some head pain in practice. While believable, why is not this getting published mainstream? Reid and the Eagles refute that this is not concussion/injury related. Everything else about his health over the past couple weeks seemingly has re: the concussion tests. If the report is true, why is it being kept secret?

Is Reid panicking? Highly unlikely. Reid just signed an extension last year. His job security should be safe with Kolb for at least past this year. If anything, this just turned a secure job into a potentially unsecure one. If anything, he put his job on the line when it was never there to begin with.

Donovan McNabb was Andy Reid's guy. The Front Office wanted to make the move to trade McNabb. Andy Reid was the last one on board with that. Is this Reid's revenge?

Reid said in his press conference that he was blown away by Michael Vick's rapid acceleration the past couple of weeks. Now that is something I believe. Small sample size or not, no one and their mother could have ever predicted that Vick would have been successful as he has been the 1st 2 games of this season. But while no doubt impressed, was it really that impressive to give a guy you promised the world to a big "fuck you?" 6 quarters of Vick and Kolb is riding the bench again.

Is there a trade going on here? A couple of months ago, former Philadelphia Eagles GM and current Cleveland Browns GM Tom Heckert said he would give 2 1st round picks to the Eagles for Kevin Kolb. Though they have been denied, reports have surfaced that the Browns have contacted the Eagles about Kolb. Is Heckert serious about giving up 2 1st round draft picks? If he is, Reid should make that trade pronto. This is the Cleveland Browns we are talking about. The probability that one of those 1st round draft picks is a top 5 overall pick is rather high. Andy Reid would have to be crazy not to say yes to that deal, if it even exists.

What is going untold here? What happened today was not Andy Reid. One thing we do know, the Eagles FO is very secretive. What happened and what changed may not be known in a while, if at all. Is it the offensive line theory? Is Reid panicking? Is it Kolb's health? Is Reid telling the truth and this is all about Vick? Is there a Vick extension in place? Is the potential of a work stoppage in 2011 clouding Andy's thoughts, causing him to think this is the Eagles last year and that it is all in or not at all? I don't know the answers to these questions. I want to know. But I don't. And I probably never will.

"My best theory? It's already in me."

The Eagles New Starting QB: Mike Vick

The Eagles only had a national media manufactured QB controversy before.  Now they have a real one.  I give you the stupidest thing Andy Reid has ever done.

Andy Reid has announced that Michael Vick is the Eagles starting quarterback

Has nothing to do with Kevin Kolb or his injury, his future is "not slighted one bit." Still says he can be a franchise quarterback.

Says it's all about Vick's "accelerated play." Calls Vick "the hottest quarterback in the NFL." Says Vick deserves to play, Kolb will be allowed to continue his maturation process.

Says it's his responsibility to continue evaluating and Vick's accelerated play prompted the decision to make a change.

Was asked whether one half of play was enough to evaluate Kolb. Andy says it wasn't about judging Kolb, he'll still be a Superbowl level QB. However, when you have a guy playing at the level that Vick is you have to let him play.

Reid says that this will help Kevin Kolb's maturation process and he will get to continue to learn.

Reid says he didn't expect the accelerated play of Vick when he made the decision to go with Kolb in preseason.

Says he's been meeting with Kolb over the past two days and that he wants to be the starter, but has accepted the decision. He says Kolb is unfortunately stuck behind an "Ex superstar that has now regained his abilities."

Reid says the team has seen the great play from Vick over the past two weeks and that has factored into the decision.

This team needs to win the Super Bowl now. If not, this move is a failure.

The entire franchise is set back a year now. The 1st rendition of the "Kevin Kolb era" lasted 10 passes. This year was always the developmental year. Now it's next year. I've defended Kolb on here for weeks. You know where I stand. I won't re-iterate my same talking points.

And, although I think this is the dumbest move Andy made in 10 years, maybe (read: I hope to fucking god) he sees something in Vick that includes more being able to tear up a defense unprepared for him and a defense that flat out sucks. It is absolutely unlike Andy to make a knee-jerk move like this. In a way that's encouraging. In another way, it reeks of desperation. I've always considered Reid very good if not great at player management. Maybe he thinks he is outsmarting everyone again. But, isn't this what everyone has been saying? JasonB of Bleeding Green Nation called this the "most Un-Andy move Andy has ever made." Can't say I disagree with him there. I've never been more shocked or surprised about a personnel move the Eagles have made since the start of Andy Reid's tenure. I admit, I did not see this coming at all. At all.

I've always seen Kolb as a 2-year plan. Reid's job was always safe through this year into last year. If this bombs, I think this could be the last big move he makes.

I hope Reid is right. I want Andy to be right. I want him to be right about this more than he has ever been right about anything in his life. I've always wanted Vick to succeed after prison and I am glad he is being given an opportunity he has probably earned (though I always thought that opportunity would be cashed in elsewhere). Michael Vick is now my quarterback and he has my undying support. If everything I said about Mike Vick and Kolb from the past few weeks is wrong, I will be the happiest Eagles fan ever. Happy not only to have witnessed the most successful reclamation project in football history, but this move being a success means Michael Vick would have accomplished something the Eagles have not done since 1960.

Eagles Draft Brandon Graham

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Okay, maybe not really. Here's the good and the bad real quick.

The good: Tom Jackson called him the best defensive player in the draft. That's high praise from a man who knows what he is talking about. Graham is a hybrid type player and can play either DE or OLB. Look for the Eagles to use him opposite Trent Cole.

The bad: The Eagles traded up for this pick and in doing so,ignored a glaring need in their secondary. They need a CB and they need a safety, and once they traded up, they had Earl Thomas and/or Kyle Wilson at their fingertips and they blew it. They had their guys and instead they took Graham. The opposite of this is a deadly pass rush can help the secondary out a bit, but it starts to become a bit of a problem when you don't have a physical body back there. And now the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant. Yeah we're screwed this year.

The Eagles Have Officially Dethroned The Seahawks For Dumbest NFL Trade In 2010

Wow. Um. Wow.

The Eagles have just let Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren rape the shit out of them with this trade.

Eagles trade: CB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong
Browns trade: LB Alex Hall and their 4th and 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (105 and 137 overall).

You've gotta be shitting me?

The Eagles traded a shitty starting linebacker for a shitty back-up linebacker who has only played 2 games. Advantage: Browns.

The Eagles traded the heart and soul of their secondary (not to mention best player in their secondary) for 2 middle of the draft picks. Advantage: Browns.

I have no idea what is going on anymore. The Eagles now have 10 draft picks and instead of filling a need, they have created another one. If there is truth to the rumor that the Eagles are going to trade McNabb and picks for Nnamdi Asomugha and picks, then the Eagles need to realize that Asomugha is only one player. As of this trade, our secondary corps is worse off than it was at the start of the day, our LB corps is worse off than it was at the start of the day (at least Gocong has NFL playing experience), but we have increased our number of draft picks to ten! Yay for draft picks!

Last season the Eagles tried to win a championship around a core of players that had been there for awhile. They built around that corps. They failed miserably. Now they are essentially getting rid of that entire corps. But if you are going to trade Sheldon Brown, at least get more value for him than a 4th round pick and a 5th round pick. Sheesh. And besides, having one or two veteran leaders that can still play the game of football is never a bad thing. Besides, Sheldon Brown is as tough as nails. He will be something that is very difficult to replace. As sad as it is, my belief in the Eagles secondary rests on the completion of a miracle deal involving Donovan McNabb and Nnamdi Asomugha. Save me now.

WIll Hank And Kendra Be Returning To Philly? (UPDATED)

We all remember Kendra in Philly. In fact, she was the best part about having the less than stellar undrafted wide receiver who is now a scapegoat for the Colts losing Super Bowl XLIV thanks to his onside kick fuck up. Good news: Kendra might be coming back to Philly. Bad news: Her husband, Hank Baskett, might be an Eagle again. From CSN Philly.

Hank Baskett may be returning to Philadelphia.

Baskett and running back Justin Fargas are scheduled to visit the Eagles on Friday.

The 27-year-old Baskett spent his first four seasons with the Eagles after making the team in 2006 as an undrafted rookie. He was released in September of last year and signed with Indianapolis. Baskett played sparingly for the Colts, making four catches for 28 yards in 11 games.

Baskett has accounted for three of the top 10 longest plays in Eagles history, with touchdown receptions of 90, 89 and 87 yards. His muffed onside kick in the Colts’ Super Bowl loss to the Saints aside, he is also a solid special teamer.

The 30-year-old Fargas would give the Eagles much-needed experience at running back. A third-round pick by the Raiders in 2003, the USC product spent the last seven seasons in Oakland. His most productive season came in 2007, when he recorded career highs in rushing yards (1,009), carries (222) and touchdowns (four).

Primarily a backup throughout his career, Fargas has piled up 3,369 rushing yards, averaging 4.1 per attempt, and scored 10 touchdowns (all rushing). He also has 77 catches for 523 yards. Last season, he rushed for 203 yards on 40 carries (4.1 per attempt).

I think it is safe to say that the "visit" is nothing more than a formality. I think Reid and co. felt bad about letting Baskett go and even though he is next to useless on the football field, the Eagles do need depth at the wide receiver and he is an all right special teamer when he is not bobbling onsides kicks. I'd still rather the Eagles go after someone else than Baskett.

As far as the other name in the report (i.e. Justin Fargas), all I can say is, YES PLEASE! Huggy Bear, Jr. has been a solid back up his whole career and despite the fact that he may very well be one of the ugliest humans alive not named Evgeni Malkin, he could combine with Shady and Church Van to create one heck of a 3-headed monster at back should the Eagles choose to sign him. Brian who?

Updated: Kendra's back!!!!!! Which sadly means her useless husband has signed a 1-year contract with the Eagles. Bleh.

I guess I can try and look on the bright side a bit. While he is certainly no starter, the once training camp darling of 2006 can be a role player for this team and for better or worse, adds depth at WR to the Eagles. He is familiar with the system and he was always considered a good special teamer before that Super Bowl debacle. Now let's just hope that he gets rid of his harmful case of the drops.

On Anniversary Of The Week I Started This Blog, Andy Reid Reminds Me Why I Did

McNabb had 450 yards.

Jason Avant has a break out game.

The Eagles got a pair of redzone TDs.

Surely they won the game, right?

Not so fast. Thanks to horrible coaching by the master of it, Andy Reid truly did win the Battle of Inept Coaching. Being way too passive early in the game including not running a QB sneak during a 3-play series of down and goal at the 1 and then not going for it on 4th down despite never losing yeards combined with early failed redzone conversions and other field goal attempts when the Eagles should have gone for it on 4th down resulted in the loss.

Make no mistake about it, they deserved to lose that game. But make no mistake about it, they damn sure should have won it. The Chargers and Norv got completely passive on defense at the end of the game by playing a soft zone instead of bringing what was effective in the first couple of drives when the Eagles could not move the ball for the life of them.

Reid blew what would have been two critical timeouts in the 2nd half. And while the offense eventually got a rhythm, the Eagles 4-minute defense is just deplorable. They could not get the stop last week against Dallas and they failed to do so again until much too late this week against San Diego. As much as I hate to say it, the Eagles really do miss Jim Johnson.

Another thing they need to do: avoid penalites. Penalties killed so many drives that game it is not even funny. Bad discipline will kill you each and every single time, especially when you play as inconsistent as the Eagles like to do.

Just a terrible coaching performance by Reid wasting a stellar performance by Jason Avant who channeled his inner Miles Austin and a very good performance by Donovan McNabb who despite early struggles, threw for 450 yards and did not make any major mistakes.

Andy Reid Is Not A Fan Of Your Reporting Stories Without Getting The News From Him

My sincerest apologies in being so late on this story, but aside from being in 25 places at once, quite many times I found myself quoting Glenn Beck in the past few days. God, I'm such a paranoid douchebag.

Enough about me, though, and on to this hilarious story. With the news of Stewart Bradley being out for the season (a huge loss, if you ask me), a very interesting story came with the reporting of it. Little known fact of reporting: all reporters must confirm all reports with the coach before that story is reported. Well, at least that's how Andy Reid sees things. From a very pissed off Ray Didinger of CSN Philly that sums up both the story and his feelings.

The Eagles coach was livid because several reporters actually did some reporting without his permission. They tried to find out what happened to middle linebacker Stewart Bradley in Sunday’s Flight Night practice at Lincoln Financial Field. That, Reid said, is a violation of the rules.

Gee, I thought it was just a couple of reporters doing their job. I’m so out of touch.

According to Reid, a pact was breached. Funny, but I don’t recall signing a pact with the Eagles. I guess I’d better look into this before I violate some rule and the coach has me pushing a blocking sled down the field like poor George Hegemin. I mean, that has to be next, doesn’t it?

Football coaches are all about control, I understand that. And the Eagles are all about controlling the message. I get that, too. But Reid’s handling of the Bradley injury was outrageous. It was more than arrogant, it was unprofessional.

By now you know the details. Bradley, the Eagles starting middle linebacker, left the field early in Sunday’s practice and headed to the locker room. It was reported he would undergo an MRI on Monday. That’s what is called a “big story.”

Several reporters placed calls to Bradley’s cell phone to learn what was going on. By the time the Eagles went on the practice field at Lehigh, the news had leaked out that Bradley suffered a torn ACL and was likely lost for the season. That’s what is called a really big story.

The media gathered in the interview tent after practice, waiting for Reid to address the situation. The coach who typically begins every press conference by saying, “Injuries…” this time said, “We won’t talk about injuries today…”

Huh? Why?

“Some of your colleagues here decided that they would go to the players and/or other personnel here and ask about injuries,” Reid said, beginning his lecture. “I made a pact with you guys when I first got here that I would disclose to you the injuries, that you just stay away from the players, stay away from the other personnel in the organization and I would take care of you with that.

“That part was breached, so we’ll get on with the Flight Night part of things…”

With that, Reid began talking about what a great night it was, yada, yada, while the reporters looked at each other in disbelief. Did the coach really intend to not address Bradley’s injury? Would he clarify Bradley’s status at all?

“He did not practice today,” Reid said.

Thanks, Coach, but we already knew that. We did watch practice and there was no No. 55. Could you tell us a little more? Like, what did the MRI show? Are the reports about the ACL tear accurate?

Reid would not elaborate. He was going to teach us all a lesson. He gave us a good rap across the knuckles.

Asked when he might disclose more information regarding injuries, he said: “When I decide that people can abide by the rules.”

Andy’s rules are these: He is the only person in the organization who is allowed to talk about injuries. On the rare occasion, they will bring the trainer Rick Burkholder into the auditorium at Nova Care to address, say, a Brian Westbrook surgery, but most of the time all that information comes from Reid. The doctors aren’t allowed to talk, even the injured player is ordered not to talk.

So when a few reporters tried to reach Bradley directly, Reid considered it a breach. No, Andy – they were doing their jobs. When the starting middle linebacker is hurt, reporters have a responsibility to find out what’s going on. They have a pact with their employers and their readers, not you.

Reid must think he’s proving a point, but it is hard to see just what it is. He won’t talk about a major injury and he won’t let anyone else talk about it. If there’s not a league rule against that kind of stonewalling, there certainly should be.

I've heard of and am well familiar with "Coach-speak" but for goodness sake, this is ridiculous. I definitley agree with Didinger in this piece. In this day and age with Twitter and Blackberries and what not where people break and receive news faster than ever before, we want the current information now and unlike in old times, the coach is not the only one to supply us with the information. I don't understand what the problem is with contacting Stewart Bradley about the injury. I mean, after all, he is the injured one, him (along with possibly Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder) would be the ones who know the most about the injury in the first place. And I have not even gotten into the arrogant way in which Reid declared that he would not talk about the injury.

Alas, this is just reason #598 why Andy Reid is not a competent coach in the NFL.

Eagles Commandment: Thou Shall Not Criticize The Eagles' Organization For Not Re-Signing Brian Dawkins

I'm pretty sure the Eagles' organization is taking this Brian Dawkins' thing a wee bit too far. And when I say a wee bit too far, I mean the Eagles' Front Office is quickly turning into some sort of Stalinist regime; firing employees for criticizing the not-resigning of Brian Dawkins. And when I say criticizing the Eagles, I mean he put up his criticism as his Facebook status! Seriously, the man was fired for something he said on Facebook! Inquirer Columnist John Gonzales has the story.

It's not personal. It's business. That was the cold cop-out the Eagles used when Brian Dawkins signed with Denver. But you can't fully appreciate how heartless the organization actually is until you learn how it apparently treated Dan Leone.

For the last six years, Leone was one of the team's many game-day stadium employees at Lincoln Financial Field. For longer than that - for his entire life - he's been a fan of the franchise.

Leone grew up in the shadow of Veterans Stadium in a red-brick rowhouse near 10th and Oregon. As a kid, he'd walk over to see his beloved Birds play. The trip was never easy. Leone has a neurological disorder called transverse myelitis. Because it causes muscle fatigue and limits the range of motion in his limbs, Leone was sometimes forced to use crutches as a child.

When he grew older and the Linc opened, Leone crossed his fingers and filled out an application. The Eagles hired him almost immediately. He was ecstatic. Leone called his friends and family and gushed about going to work for the team he's always loved. He couldn't have been happier if he'd been named the Eagles' starting quarterback.

On game days, Leone served as the west gate chief. The gig required Leone to hustle to different areas of the stadium as needed. That was tough. His left leg is weaker than his right, and standing for too long gives him severe pain in his right knee and hip because that's where he shifts all his weight. While on duty, he sometimes needed a wheelchair to get around.

"They had me running all over the place like a nut, but I didn't care," Leone said. "I was so proud to work for them. It was my dream."

Last week, the Eagles fired Leone.

Like a lot of Philadelphians, Leone was upset when Dawkins became a Bronco. So he did what a 32-year-old does these days: He vented on Facebook. "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

It was a rash, stupid thing to do, and Leone regretted it almost instantly.

"I shouldn't have put it up there," Leone said. "I was ticked off, and I let my emotions go, but I didn't offend any one person or target a specific individual. I was just upset that we lost such a great guy. Dawkins was one of my favorite players. I made a mistake."

Less than two days after posting the Dawkins remarks, Leone said, he was contacted by Leonard Bonacci, the team's director of event operations. According to Leone, Bonacci said they needed to talk about Leone's Facebook page, and Leone agreed. Leone - who deleted the comment - figured that the two would sit down and that he could apologize to Bonacci in person. But Leone said Bonacci never got back to him after that.

Two days later, Leone said, he received a call from Rachel Vitagliano, the team's guest services manager. Leone said she fired him over the phone. The conversation lasted less than 10 minutes.

No warning. No suspension. No face-to-face meeting. Just a quick call to tell Leone he'd been terminated.

"I tried putting in my case to Rachel," Leone said. "I told her I worked there for six years. I did whatever they asked. I only missed one Eagles game the entire time I worked there, and that was because I'm a Mummer. I told her it was my dream to work for the Eagles and that I'd never do anything like that again."

Leone said Vitagliano didn't want to hear it. He said that she told him he couldn't be trusted, that the post made the team look bad, and that the only way to resolve the situation was to fire him.

"I apologized for it," Leone said. "I apologized 20 million times. I never bad-mouthed the organization before. I made one mistake and they terminate me? And they couldn't even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. To get done dirty like this, I can't believe it. I'm devastated."

Messages left for Bonacci and Vitagliano weren't returned. Through a representative, the Eagles said, "The only information we can share is that Dan was a seasonal game-day employee and not a full-time member of the Eagles staff."

It's anyone's guess what that means. Perhaps the franchise thinks hourly-wage workers are disposable and, therefore, don't deserve consideration. At the very least, it appears the Birds don't think workers like Leone deserve a second chance.

The truly remarkable part about all this is that Leone isn't bitter, and he doesn't want revenge. He simply wants to be part of the team again.

"If they called me right now and told me to come back to work, I would," Leone said. "I'm not holding any grudges. I just want to do my job."

The way the Eagles appeared to have treated Leone seems so cruel and merciless, and they should be ashamed of themselves for it. Then again, how can you feel shame when you don't feel anything at all?

All I can say is wow. I love the Eagles players, but damn, the people in their Front Office can be such douche bags that it is not even funny.

"Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!" Can you imagine being fired for saying that? I mean, if my college had a rule where everyone who criticized anything about them was punished, I would be kicked out of school if they saw what I said about their food. For example, my current Facebook status, "Justin is fairly certain he just ate powdered potatoes." I love my college, but the food is, in fact, disgusting. And don't even get me started on some of the things that I post in order to allude to the one regret I have in life when I am thinking about it (2-year anniversary of that day coming up, thank goodness I'll have March Madness to keep me occupied that day). But back to the point, to no longer have a means of income for something you say on your Facebook status is just flat-out wrong.

Maybe there's a story to it that we don't know, but hopefully the publicity that this story is getting will convince the Eagles to re-hire the man.

A Reason To Never Work For The Eagles (Keith's Sports Journal)

Reason #15 Why The Eagles Need To Draft Beanie Wells

This is like the 3rd or 4th time I've told myself that this is going to be my last post of the day, but good grief, stories are flying left and right in all directions that I just can't get away from it all. The latest is a report from Chris Harry on The Morning Call

But Sunday marked the start of March, which means NFL offseason programs are mere weeks away. Before long, work will be heavy on players' minds.

In Westbrook's case, a key step toward that front was taken recently when he underwent knee surgery and began a rigorous rehab he hopes will whip him back in the form he displayed for most of the 2008 season, during which he wore down in the home stretch.

''It's getting better all the time,' he said.

Westbrook's agent is downplaying the situation considerably saying that he is already at 100% and this won't be an issue at all come the start of Mini-Camp. But there is a bigger issue at stake here.

Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid, you are losing your team. You lost the only credible back up to Westbrook to the Broncos (I have problems calling Lorenzo Booker credible; he's been an Eagle for a year now. Really. He has.), you lost your emotional leader, Brian Dawkins, to the Denver Broncos as well. But now, your starting running back is breaking down, Andy, he is breaking down! An injury-plagued season. Off-season surgery. The cruel, cruel monster that is age. It's all happening to Brian Westbrook. This is not the young team it used to be. Brian Westbrook, now, more so than ever, is not the guy for 3rd and 1 situations! The man is not equipped to plow through people and get a yard. And the outside pitch has been figured out by pretty much NFL team on that situaton when the Eagles are playing. Look, Andy, I know you have much better things to do than listen to some blogger who is calling for your job, but for goodness sakes man, get a grip! This team needs a back-up running back that can plow through the hole and get you those tough 2 yards every time he touches the ball. The Eagles need Beanie Wells, and I do not care how on earth you go about it, even if it means trading up to ensure that you get him, just get him!

Westbrook had surgery (Russakoff Rules)

THE EAGLES SIGNED A FORMER BENGAL!!! Wait.....What? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Sorry, I have very little time so I can't give you an article or site you any sources (this is being typed in 1-minute), but the Eagles have made a move and have signed a Cincinnati Bengal. Meet the newest Eagle......Stacy Andrews!!!!!

Well, they do need an offensive tackle, but for the love of God Andy, GET YOUR QUARTERBACK THE FUCKING RECEIVER HE DESERVES!!!!!!!!!!! SIGN T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH OR TRADE FOR ANQUAN BOLDIN!!!!

Can't you tell how happy I am? I'll have a recap of everything later on tonight.

Eagles Week 16 Recap (To be read like a Keith Olbermann Special Comment)

I didn't initially plan on doing it like this, I was more planning on combining this with the playoff scenario, but the more I think about it, the more it must be done like this. The playoffs will come either tonight or tomorrow. So even though it wasn't planned, a special comment on the play of the Eagles last night.

This weekend was the absolute perfect weekend. Perfect. Everything went beautifully. Beautifully. This was gonna be it. The week where Philadelphia magic once again happened. Everything was so beautifully laid out.

Too beautifully laid out. It was too easy. Everything was there and now it's come and gone. Dallas got humiliated the last game at Texas Stadium, Tampa Bay lost. Yeah, the Bucs lost! That's what the Eagles needed. This was going to be the greatest day in Philadelphia sports since Wednesday, October 29, 2008! All the Eagles needed to do was beat the Redskins. The measly Redskins who have been laying a turds in their last 6 games.........

The Eagles were the ones who laid the turd. It was all nice and polished as well. When the Eagles knew that they could win out and get in the playoffs with a Tampa loss, what happened? I, I'm speechless. HOW IN THE BLUE HELL DO YOU PLAY LIKE THAT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WIN OUT?!?!?!

The Detroit Lions, despite being 0-15 and getting blown out by New Orleans, looked like a more competent football team. No wait, I take that back. The Detroit Lions' offense was more competent than the Eagles' offense.

Eagles fan couldn't have been happier with the play of the defense. Time after time the Redskins would get the ball at midfield and time and time again the Skins went 3-and out. At least half of the team showed up. At least half of the team wanted to win. At least half of the team cared.

Cared. That's the keyword. Where was the passion from the offense? Where? What happened? There was no life. Balls were dropped left and right and right and left. McNabb constantly threw behind his receivers. It's as if they were going through the motions. Like they didn't want to be there.

And they couldn't have been happier with where they ended up playing! Look, not everyone can end up in sunny, 70 degree, Tampa Bay, but did they not realize how lucky they were! Teams ended up playing in snow. The weather in Kansas City was 10 degrees. The kickoff temperature tonight in Chicago is 5 degrees! 5 DEGREES! FAHRENHEIT! Comparitively speaking, the weather last night in Landover, MD was 41 degrees at kickoff.

So what was the problem then? Why? Why play like garbage in the game you need most? Why throw away everything you got back after tying the Bengals and getting creamed by the Redskins? Why? Somebody please tell me why.

As much as I want to start the "FIRE ANDY REID!" chant for abandoning the run in the second half, the offense was just as futile in the 1st half when they were running the ball. But alas, we all know Andy Reid. That being said, though, he's not off the hook. I don't even need to watch his press conferences to know what he said. I'm sure it was something along the lines of, "It was my fault." or "I have to do a better job at getting our team prepared." or "We got outplayed by a better team" or "I was really craving a cheesesteak at the time and couldn't concentrate."

Okay, that last one was meant as a joke. But what happened last night was not a joke? Do you really expect, Coach Reid, that you can please Philadelphians with that kind of performance. Do can you, sir, honestly be proud of yourself? Can you be proud of the Eagles? Do you honestly feel, sir, that the Eagles gave it 100% last night. And lastly, and maybe most important of all, can you, Coach Andrew Walter Reid, look yourself in the mirror and not be ashamed of yourself? If you can, then you should never coach another game in the NFL again.

Good night and good luck.

Week 12 Eagles Recap

Normally I'd get this up earlier in the day but because of my busy schedule, this is just now the first time I have had ample time to collect my thoughts on the game and write them down in a nice paragraph form without every word being preceeded by profanity.

Well now it's over, and that was bad. I can describe that game in 6 words. We suck. We suck. We suck.

Well, most of the Eagles suck at least. The Eagles' defense once again played a very good game, but they received absolutely no help from the offense with all of their turnovers. There is no rational way you can blame the defense for last night's clusterfuck. Heck, even our special teams showed up. Kickoff return for a TD, but what does that get you when Ed Reed returns a poorly thrown Kolb pass 108-yards for a TD. Yeah, exactly.

And now the Eagles' controversy du jour. Should the Eagles have benched Donovan McNabb? I say no. It was a three point game at the time, at the end of the half, McNabb looked like he was finally getting into a rhythm. And when Kolb came in you could just tell that the Eagles' morale was so low. It was something that they could not overcome and it showed.

The Eagles next game is Thursday and Donovan McNabb will in fact be the starter against the Arizona Cardinals on Thanksgiving. If you're a Philly fan in Philly who still wants to see the Eagles but don't get the NFL Network, the game will be simulcast on 6ABC. I'll have more on this and a full preview of this game Wednesday afternoon and a recap on Friday but (tragically) there will be no live blog. Thanksgiving is a day that should be spent with friends and family, not alone in front of computers typing up play-by-play of an Eagles game.