Eagles Euphoria

My friend PK sent me the following email after the Eagles beat the Ravens.

"January can't come fast enough." That was how Jeff [my brother] summed up the Birds situation in a message last night. Very true.Let's face it, the Eagles have been around since, what, the 1920s.We've never been 7-0. Never. Not once. Never.Until now, we're 7-0 now. 7-0.

OK, we're going to lose somewhere along the schedule here, and I predicted two weeks ago that it would happen in Pittsburgh, a "trap door" game because we'd be looking ahead to the Cowboys the following week on MNF.

Well, having looked through the entire schedule the rest of the way, there is NO WAY the Eagles should get caught looking past the Steelers.This is The Game of the Year, a possible Super Bowl match-up, the toughest team on the schedule at this point. Throw in the fact that the Steelers played above themselves today in beating the Pats, they might be headed for the letdown game, not us.Christ, we were in complete control of that game today against the Ravens and yet somehow they came out statistically ahead of us in everything, total yards, rushing yards, time of possession. Not sure how that happened.

A couple things that concern me, beyond the obvious thing (Westbrook's health):* we seem to have come down with a case of the not-quite-able-to-punch-it-in-the-end-zone-itis. Drives that just don't get finished off and instead we get an Akers field goal. If TO doesn't make that incredible move for the lone td today, that would have been another Akers field goal.*

D-backs. Lito and Brown have played OK this season, but I still have concerns about them in a really big game, big situation, against someone like Favre. In previous years, with all-pro corners who could go man-to-man without any worries, Jim Johnson could load up B-Dawk and the other safeties and the l-backers to stamp out the running game. He's still doing that to some extent now -- Dawkins and Lewis were the leaders in tackles today -- but it scares me to leave Lito over-exposed, which is exactly what happened on that heave by boller that led to the ravens lone td.those two things aside, holy crap, why not us? If Westbrook can come back healthy and play the rest of the season, we're looking seriously great. With two games against the Cowboys and two against the Skins, as well as a season finale against Cincy, that's basically five wins in the bag right there. There are only four other games against teams that should have a chance at beating us.And we're basically three games ahead of hte NFC field, given that the Giants and Vikes have two losses each and we beat them so we hold a tie-breaker over them.Another huge concern could well be getting to something like 12-1 and having home field wrapped up in early December and then not playing meaningful football for another month or so.

The emerging MLB theory is that wild cards win the World Series so often because they scratch and claw all the way down to the last weekend of the season while division winners often have huge leads and coast down the stretch.I sure hope that we don't do something like 14-2 or 15-1 only to lose our zing down the stretch.

Shut up Schilling

Curt Schilling has just concluded one of the gutsiest postseason performances in MLB history. And this blog's admiration for big #38 is well-documented. But I must say how disappointed I've been with Schilling's recent comments every time he opens up his mouth.

First it was all the God talk and him being a born again Christian. Then came some controversial stuff in an on-line Boston fan site interview. And then there was the Schillling as the Bush partisan. (I'm sure that played really well up in Boston and New England.).

For the love of Curt, would Schilling just shut up and let us bask in the glow of his post-season glory and his leading the Sox to their first championship in 86 years without hearing the stuff that is only detracting from his still forming legend.

TO's Ray Lewis Dance

Before the season (in my preseason prediction no less), I said a win against Baltimore and its punishing defense and nobody getting seriously hurt would be the best possible outcome from Sunday’s game.

Well, notwithstanding JR Reed’s hamstring and Pinkston’s pending knee injury, the 15-10 win was the best possible scenario. Sure the Ravens had 3 pro bowlers out on an offense that heretofore has been anemic to date (under the unsteady leadership of that noted field corporal, Kyle Boller), but a win is a win is a win. And is it the Eagles fault that Jamal Lewis’ suspension for drug charges happened to coincide with the Eagles matchup?

And what to make of TO’s TD celebration mocking Ray Lewis? It was instantly recognizable to any NFL fan. And it certainly didn’t sit well with the all-pro LB, nor many of his defensive teammates who were already stewing from TO’s slap at Ravens’ GM Ozzie Newsome’s comments to TO during the off-season trade/free agent debacle. (Oddly, two Ravens d-backs, Deion and Corey Fuller, took a different take by noting that the best way to shut up TO was to shut him down or shut him out of the endzone.)

My brother equated the dance to TO’s spiking on the Dallas star two years ago. Whatever the case, TO’s recent matchups with opponents in back-back-back weeks (Carolina’s Ricky Manning, Cleveland’s Jeff Garcia, and Baltimore’s Ray Lewis) has certainly brought a swagger to the Eagles this years. And like TO, the Eagles have backed up the talk, and walked the walk.

Heck, it ain’t bragging if you do it.

B-Dawk interview with P. King

Peter King poses THREE QUESTIONS WITH ...

Philadelphia safety Brian Dawkins, who teaches me about the word "crunk.''

MMQBTE: You got a pretty big scare against the Browns. Do you think it was good for you?

Dawkins: "I loved it. We needed it. There are going to be times when you come into a stadium on the road and get their best game and the fans are all crunk to beat you.''

[Editor's note: "Crunk'' means "excited,'' or "fired-up'' in some facets of our nation.]

MMQBTE: Why is that good for you?

Dawkins: "Because we've got so many young guys on this team who need to learn what it's like to play in a big game, a high-pressure game. We need the guys who are new to these games to get used to playing in them. Guys like [running back] Reno Mahe. Every time he touches the ball, he makes something happen, and it's good to see him do it in a tough road game when it counts.''

MMQBTE: The way you use your entire roster reminds me of the Patriots.

Dawkins: "The Patriots are amazing. What's so amazing abut them is they always play well in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line. In today's football, to win 20, 21 in a row, I don't know how they're doing it. Just amazing. I really admire what they've done.''

Donovan's detractors reconsider

Peter King has a new appreciation for Donovan McNabb and the explosive impact Terrell Owens has had on the Eagles' West Coast offense. see link attached.

McNabb getting national props

Peter King gets a new appreciation for Donovan McNabb and the explosive impact Terrell Owens has had on the Eagles' West Coast offense. Link attached.

Zook: Fights are Ok, Losses Aren't

The U. of Florida leadership may have wanted to send a strong message when it fired embattled head coach Ron Zook, but the message may not be the one the SEC power wanted to send.

Zook’s teams have played well with winning records, just not as well or as many wins as Steve Spurrier’s teams. And then Zook got into an “altercation” with members of a fraternity a day or two after several of his players got into a fight at the frat house.

That was disturbing enough, but even more disturbing was the way the Florida administration tolerated it, until Zook got thumped at home by Mississippi State. At which point, they fired him.

So the message from Florida is: it’s ok for a coach to get into it with university students so long as he is winning. But any coach that can’t back up his misbehavior with victories will be shown the door in Gainesville in a hurry.

hello again

I apologize for not posting in a while, I’ve been out of town and unable to access a computer or the Internet. A lot has happened in the interim.

We’ll have to get to all the Schilling stuff later. And to Terry Francona’s continued mismanagement that hasn’t seemed to impeded the Red Sox. Hey, Bob Brenly mismanaged his team to a World Series ring.

Anyway, back to the Eagles.

Last week’s win vs. Carolina was very encouraging for the manner in which the Eagles achieved it. It was a business-like approach. There didn’t seem to be any point, either before or during the game, that there was any sense – by the players, coaches or fans – that the Eagles were not going to win this game.

I liked TO’s trash talking to the Carolina secondary before the game. Heck, that’s part of the reason he was acquired. So guys like Ricky Manning can’t push are WRs all over the field. TO knows it. We know it. Todd Pinkston knows it. Even better, TO backs it up on the field. The message was unmistakable clear – this is a whole new year. A whole new team. And you aren’t beating us.

Eternally Schilling

My love for Curt Schilling is well documented on this site. And yes, I have given up the ghost that he will win the AL Cy Young this year. Johan Santana just had an extraordinarily monster season while Schilling only had a monster year.

But a similar fondness for Schilling extends to my brother and another friend, PK. We’re all from Philly, and acquired our appreciation for Schilling during his years with the Phillies. We all appreciate his big-game pitching talents and rooted for him when he won his World Series ring (and LCS and WS MVPs) with the Diamondbacks.

As disappointed as we are that the Phillies weren’t able to land him this off-season, Boston seems the second best place…kind of like Philly-North.

We are all still rooting for him and the Sox to beat the Yankees. One- cause we hate the Yankees and 2) another World Series will burnish his Hall of Fame credentials.

But there is a sense of melancholy were he to win with the Sox. As my brother notes, Schiling has always had a fondness for Philadelphia. As witnessed by his interest in being traded back here last off-season and for the home he still maintains in Chester County.

But should the Sox win the championship, we will probably lose that Philadelphia connection for good. He would achieve, literally, God-like status in New England were they to win it all – and as an added bonus deposing the hated Yankees. Clearly, their victory would be in large part to Schilling. All of which is to say that should they win and Schilling get into the Hall later, he will probably be inducted as a Red Sox. The D’backs stint doesn’t count. They’re an expansion team for chris sakes.

So while I want to see him do well, it will be bittersweet to realize that he will gone from us (Philly fans) forever and belong eternally to Red Sox Nation.

Eagles to catch a break with Lewis pending suspension?

If Al Michaels' sources at NFL HQ are to be believed, then the pending suspension of Jamal Lewis as mentioned on MNF last night is good news for the Eagles. According to Michaels, Lewis will plead guilty to lesser charges in his drug trafficking indictment, and spend 4-6 months in jail during the off-season. The league will suspend Lewis after next week's game for between 2-4 weeks which likely means that he will be unavailable to play in the Ravens-Eagles October 31st game. Lewis is the Ravens offense. Forcing shakey QB Kyle Boller to carry the entire load is great news for the Eagles in what could shape up to be an easier game than previously thought.

All according to plan

So, the Eagles are undefeated at the quarter mark of the season and go into their bye week 4-0. If you were scripting this, it couldn’t go much better:

TO has TDs in each of the four games, and 6 overall.

Westbrook has held up well to the added load, but 32 touches in Chicago is too many even if Westbrook wants the work.

McNabb has been nothing short of the league MVP. Remember when critics complained about his accuracy? 70% completion rate this season, baby. Amazing what a premier WR in your lineup will do for your QB’s performance.

Remember when the big concern was whether Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown could fill in for Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent? Don’t hear much about that anymore, either, do you? Containing Randy Moss will do wonders for your reputation.

Kearse? The other big-time off-season pick-up? He’s a one-man wrecking crew nearly singlehandedly wreaking havoc in offensive backfield’s. (Taking nothing away from the fine play of Simon, Walker and the revitalized Huuuugh Douglas. McDougle is also coming into his own.). Plus, Dhani Jones is playing really well.

Perhaps the biggest concern was the “handling” of TO and the fear that the Eagles would get off to a slow start a la last year – with McNabb underthrowing Owens, TO ranting about it on the sidelines, and dissension in the locker room unlike the steady, stable response to last year’s season on the brink. Obviously, that hasn’t come to pass. Winning and TDs have a way of mollifying everyone.

The only problem has been injuries. Shawn Andrews was a big loss (even with the injury, you don't hear many people questioning the decision to move up and pick Andrews 16th overall.) So was the veteran play of Jon Ritchie. Add in ND Kalu and Buckhalter and that it is a lot of starters gone for the season at this point in the season. It’s a credit to the personnel office that the team hasn’t missed a beat. But the big concern is that depth is now terribly thin and the team can’t afford more injuries at these positions. The NFL season is a marathon and the victor is often the one who survives the attrition best.

The added bonus is that the Eagles are drafting behind the New England Patriots whose 18 game winning streak is drawing all the national attention while the Eagles go quietly (relatively speaking) about asserting themselves as the best team in the NFC. Here’s hoping the Pats continue to win cause looking ahead, the Eagles should be 6-0 going into their Halloween matchup with the Ravens. A win in this game and even the Pats streak won’t keep eyes off of Philly then. Scary indeed.

How does Vegas do it!?

How do they do it? But for the foregoing of an extra point in lieu of a two-point conversion to get within 8, the margin of difference in the Eagles-Bears game would have been 9 (19-10), the exact line posted by Vegas oddsmakers! How do they do it? How could they have foreseen the Eagles' difficulties in the red zone resulting in 4 Akers' FGs - and 2 misses! that would have well exceeded the line. Amazing! Now, I know it is the sports books that originally set the line but then it is adjusted accordingly based on the amount of "action" being wagered on either team in any given contest, so much of the credit goes to the collective wisdom of the sports betting public - half of whom thought the Eagles would win by more than 9 and half of whom thought the Bears would lose by less than 9. Collectively, then - we're all geniuses. Individually, however, is a totally different story. And I mean that in a totally why does it always seem like i'm losing way. At least this time I was on the winning side (as I noted in an earlier post when claiming the Eagles would cover the 9.) One incomplete two-point conversion is the difference between winning and losing. Amazing.

Schilling Cy Young/MVP Watch

Schilling didn't get his last start on Friday vs. the Orioles since the games were meaningless after the Yankees clinched the division on Thursday and the Red Sox were already in as the Wildcard. He finishes 21-6, with 3 20 win seasons in the last 4 years. One of the knocks on Schilling in years past when it has come to the Cy Young is that it was difficult to vote for him as the best pitcher in the league when he wasn't even the best pitcher on his own team (ie, Randy Johnson). Similar criticism was, or could have been made earlier this year. But in the year he has been with the Sox (and with the decline of Pedro), Schilling is the undisputed ace of the Boston staff. Check out ESPN's the "Sports Guy's'" column on the Sox and his high praise for Schilling (note: the Sports Guy is a Boston native who is a diehard Red Sox fan). In fact, here's a little sample: "The torch has been passed: Pedro to Schilling.
At dinner last Sunday, my father mentioned that he liked our chances in October because we had "two aces." I patiently explained to him that Pedro wasn't an ace anymore; Dad vehemently disagreed.....Classic Pedro had another gear on his fastball. Aging Pedro rarely makes guys swing and miss in big spots. Against the Yankees in Game 7 and last Friday, both nail-in-the-coffin singles came on dink hits, mainly because Pedro can't fall back on that 97-mph heater to save his ass anymore. He's just a different pitcher, a No. 2 starter with a B-plus ceiling. He's certainly no Schilling.
My first Schilling/Fenway experience coincided with his 20th victory, which came against Tampa, a team we played 78 times this season. Of every development this season, the connection between Schilling and the Fenway fans has been the happiest. He's one of us. There's no other way to say it. If he wasn't a professional athlete, you can imagine him posting on message boards, calling radio stations and gulping down flat beer at games. For that reason, he resonates with the locals in a "Bird and Neely" kind of way. "

Mayberry's injury

Now, I'm no doctor but someone really needs to explain how Jermane Mayberry can be playing with a torn biceps tendon when Brian Westbrook was unable to late last year. I recall from Westbrook's injury that the arm becomes nearly useless. Obviously, that is a problem for a running back. But it would seem to me, that such an incapacitation would present similar if not greater difficulties for an offensive lineman. I mean, how do you pass block? One handed? Or do they just harness the arm to your torso and Reid's only going to call running plays over Mayberry so he can use his shoulders? I admire Mayberry's toughness and desire to play, but how he is going to play really needs more elaboration.

Phils finish strong...again

Boy, too bad the Phils didn't play this type of baseball in August...and July...and June...and May...and April. Had they, we wouldn't have to hear all about the amazing season the Braves put together and would instead be talking about the playoffs and how the Phils fulfilled all of the pre-season expectations by finally..finally deposing Atlanta. Nobody closes out a season by reeling off victories in meaningless games to attain that mystical milestone of 88 wins than the Philadelphia Phillies under the direction of Larry Bowa.

Bye, Bye, Bowa

Larry Bowa's firing before Saturday's game is just downright bizarre. If you were not going to let him finish out the season, why didn't you fire him a month and a half ago when the Phillies were playing uninspired ball, but still in contention for a wildcard berth? And having made your decision in August, why bring the ax down now, just before the season concludes? Perhaps Ed Wade was unnerved by the strong finish the Phils were putting together and didn't want to a repeat of years past when the final weeks managed to color the judgement of the front office and the fans as to the underperformance through most of the season.

Oh what a feeling

A couple of weeks ago in a post about the Giants game, I mentioned the atmosphere in the stands among the fans and the pervasive feeling that Philly fans get when they are optimistic but still have a general sense of foreboding that it is too good to be true and something bad will happen.

I think that unique combination of hope and dread is particular to Philadelphia and perhaps some other snakebit sports towns like Boston (the Red Sox) and Cubs fans. It's the mood that prompted my brother to comment in the days before the Eagles-Buccaneers NFC title game that was awash in stories about how the Eagles had set out to get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and the impressive record of the home teams in those championship games by saying, "we're such losers, we'll probably lose." It was the same feeling that descended when they saw McNabb being helped off the field after Carolina LB Greg Favors dove into him in last year's championship game.

Now, Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan has expanded on "the feeling" and maybe its exorcism this year. (see attached link)

Schilling Cy Young/MVP Watch

It looks like Curt Schilling will get one more start in the regular season with the possibility of maxing out his record at 22-6. He's scheduled to pitch Friday night. Of course, he probably wouldn't pitch if the Sox can't catch the Yankees for the division title and would instead rest up for game 1 of the divisional playoffs which start Tuesday. Still, stay tuned to today's doubleheader between the Yankees and Twins. From an intangible factor, it would be in Schilling's favor for his hopes of a Cy Young to pitch Friday night with a chance to narrow the Yankees lead over the Sox heading into the last two games of the weekend.

Also, check out Peter Gammons' column (attached link) on the candidates for the Cy Young and MVP awards. Note that he mentions Mariano Rivera for MVP. If a reliever can be an MVP candidate, why not a starter, specifically Schilling?

Eagles deny trade rumors

Several Philly media outlets are now reporting the Eagles have "emphatically" denied that they will try to trade for Chiefs RB Larry Johnson.

9 ?!

The Eagles' line for this week's game against the Bears opened at 9!!?? And will probably go higher closer to game time. The Bears secondary is decimated by injuries and they'll be starting their backup QB, Jonathan Quinn. Nevertheless....9 points is a lot of points to favor a road team in the NFL. It's an indication of how much respect the Eagles are getting. I mean, 9 points is the sort of line you saw with the '99 Rams or the '03 Chiefs, two of the most prolific offenses of the past two decades. Heady company. Man, that is a lot points. (I think the Eagles will cover.)

Another LJ on the roster?

Ok, take this news for what it for what it's worth considering it's second hand and its associated with sportsline.com, the same outfit that fell for an Internet hoax and erroneously reported that Clinton Portis had injured himself in a weight room accident and would be out 8-12 weeks, but according to Sportsline.com KC Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is on the trade market and the Eagles are shopping. Sportsline. com says, "The Kansas City Star reports that not only is Miami interested in trading for Johnson, but Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Dallas have also held discussions with the Chiefs about the former first-round pick. The team is reportedly asking for a veteran player at linebacker, wide receiver or cornerback or a draft pick." Interestingly, the Eagles have the Chiefs' 3rd round pick obtained in the trade of John Welbourn (as long as he meets playing time goals). Perhaps the Chiefs would like that pick back? Larry Johnson is a big back, 6'1", 230 lbs. With Buckhalter an unrestricted free agent after this season (to say nothing of coming off a second season ending knee injury) adding Johnson now, in addition to bolstering a depleted backfield, is the type of long-range move Andy Reid and the Eagles personnel office is renowned for.

Schilling Cy Young Watch

Schilling won number 21 yesterday as the Bosox beat up on the Yanks. Had Francona not left Pedro in the 8th inning Friday night just before the Yankees busted that game wide open, Schilling's win would have put the Red Sox only a game and half behind the Yankees with 6 to play. Since Schilling needs all the intangible factors he can get if he has any hope of beating out Johan Santana for the AL Cy Young, Francona's Friday night gaffe is no small miscue. (And what is it about Red Sox managers and them being incapable of taking Pedro out in the 8th inning of must win games vs. the Yanks (see game 7 2003 ALCS?).

A friend of mine who lives up in Boston and is a Sox fan says he considers Schilling the MVP of the team and of the league. Which begs the question, can Schilling win the MVP? and has any pitcher not won the Cy Young but won the MVP?

Taming the Lions, 30-13

Noting that the Eagles' most impressive win of the season at this stage would come against the...Detroit Lions? ... would likely count as one of the most surprising pre-season comments. Still. And it wasn't the "why" of the Eagles win that was most encouraging - not the potent offense, with the multiple threats; not TO catching another TD (a now regular Sunday occurrence); not the stifling D, the rampaging Jevon Kearse and the heavy pressure put on young Joey Harrington; not the solid special teams play. NO, the most impressive feat was how the Eagles won. They came in after a short week (MNF), on the road, against an upstart undefeated team --- and they put the hammer down. A quick and clean kill that practically crushed any thought of a Lions upset (they were getting 4 1/2 points) after the first quarter. In years past, the Eagles would have let such a team stay with them and struggle to keep their lead and the victory till the bitter end. But with this offense and downhill playing defense, it's score early, score often and don't let the opposition catch up. Hammer time, indeed.

Free LJ Smith from special teams!

In light of TE Kellen Winslow, Jr's season-ending broken leg suffered while trying to recover an onside kick, I think it's fair to ask when the hell Andy Reid is going to get LJ Smith off of special teams!?!

This guy is an emerging star. He's got size and speed (which is probably why he's on the sp. teams to begin with). But, c'mon. He's going to supplant Chad Lewis any day now as the starting TE. He's a terrific weapon. So why not move Lewis to special teams, where his loss would not be as devastating to the offense?

Schilling Cy Young Watch

Curt Schilling pitched 8 shutout innings vs. the Orioles the other night, but Keith Foulke's blown save cost him win #21. Of Foulke's 6 blown saves this year, 3 have come at Schilling's expense.

The failure to lock down win #21 considerably dimmed Schilling's chances for the Cy Young. Johan Santan is having a phenomenal second half (he's undefeated) and is leading the AL in strikeouts (Schilling is 3rd) and in ERA (where Schilling is .4 behind).

I figure at this point the only way Schilling can get the Cy Young is if he wound up with at least 3 more wins than Santana (making him 24-6) and helping the Sox catch the Yankees in the homestretch.

Even still, Schilling's season is remarkable. He's top 3 in the 3 main pitching categories and got to 20 wins for the third time in four years.

Eagles 27, Vikings 16

Lito Sheppard didn’t necessarily grow up last night, but his play certainly justified his selection as a first round pick three years ago. He was solid in coverage – where he was matched up with Randy Moss most of the night -- and he was surprisingly and impressively physical in making tackles and stopping runs. So can someone explain to me how come he wasn’t getting any props from the media on Tuesday morning? Randy Moss caught 8 balls for 69 yards. Let me repeat that to make sure it sinks in….8 balls, 69 yards. That, my friends, is essentially shutting down one of the NFL’s premier receivers (the premier receiver to hear Moss tell it.)

Heck, the whole Eagles’ secondary played well. Sure, Culpepper threw for 350 yards, but it sure didn’t seem like it. And the Eagles’ D limited the Vikings to 2 TD total, only one of which was a pass. All week leading up to this game all anybody could talk about was Randy Moss (and TO). So how come after the game, in which Lito and friends basically took Moss out of the game – certainly making him a non-decisive factor – there is so little praise, much less acknowledgement, of their accomplishments?

Sheldon Brown had a solid game too. And Michael Lewis! He brought the wood last night, flying around the field and hammering Culpepper on a key goal line stop. Dawkins was, well, typical Brian Dawkins…which is to say the standard by which all other free safeties in the league are measured.

My astute friend observed last night. Could Bobby Taylor or Troy Vincent have played better or been more effective than Sheppard last night? The answer is an emphatic no. Note to Philly media: the much maligned Lito Sheppard had a coming out party vs. the Vikings. A pity you didn’t notice..

Other thoughts and observations:

Dhani Jones had an outstanding game, seemingly everywhere on defense.

It was most likely the worst officiated game of the season, or that I’ve seen in some time. The “penalty” on the lateral to Freddie Mitchell and then the pass back to McNabb was further marred by the fact that it was initiated by Mike Tice’s challenge. He basically challenged a play cause the refs didn’t call the penalty. How can that be reviewable? Couldn’t you challenge holding on every play if that were true?

Mike Tice was challenge happy, but inexplicably didn’t challenge TO’s controversial TD “catch.” Was he out of challenges? On the flip side, Andy Reid strangely didn’t try to challenge Brian Westbrook’s fumble just before the half. Boy, you’d hate to lose a timeout in the first half on the off chance you might retain possession!

Jevon Kearse’s stats don’t tell even half the story of the havoc he wreaks on an offense. He lined up at end, interior line and LB.

The crowd was feisty and intense. The noise volume was noticeably high when the Vikings had the ball.

With regard to Randy Moss’ offensive pass interference: beyond it being a dumb, dumb play, it did highlight the need to make this penalty more punitive. Defensive pass interference is a killer penalty. Offensive pass interference is hardly equivalent. The league should also mandate that it results in a loss of down.

All things considered, getting home at 2:00 am wasn’t too bad. Traffic dissipated quickly.

I’ll give my friend TD the final word. Heard after the game, he said, “I don’t want to get caught up in the hype of a big win, but I think the Eagles could go 16-0.” Ummm, I think you just got caught up in the hype.

How is that the Vikings had the ball for 38 minutes – 38 minutes! – yet the Eagles only punted once?

There was no wind when Morten Andersen came up woefully short on his attempted 44 yard FG. Way short.

1 down - 15 to go

Wow! TO and Jevon Kearse played as advertised! 3 TD's for TO?! Kearse was all over the field. My favorite Kearse play was when he ran from across the other side of the field and caught Tiki Barber from behind. No wonder he has problems staying healthy! The guy is in on every freakin' play cause he's unGodly fast.

The Linc had a playoff intensity yesterday. And also that weird Philly feeling where you have such high hopes but secretly in the back of your mind are terrified the team is going to fall flat on its face (you know, like losing three straight nfc champ games.).

Unbelievable. Did Terrell Owens singlehandedly open up the entire field for the rest of the Eagles offense? Westbrook, Mitchell, Pinkston, Lewis, Smith all looked like they had plenty of space to operate. (BTW, what was Westbrook still doing in the game with 6 minutes to go and the Eagles up by 3 TDs?)

I know its the Giants and they're not very good, but is it possible that one game breaker can open things up for everyone else to the extent that he did in the Giants game?

Other thoughts and observations:

* I couldn't believe how thin Ron Dayne looked! Jeez, he actually looked quicker than the plodder we've all come to love (at least those of us rooting for rival teams in the NFC east).

* Tiki barber remains one of the few gints bright spots.

* Honest to gosh true story. Eagles get in the red zone for the first time. I think McNabb called a timeout just after they spotted the ball on the 20. My buddy sitting next to me says, "for all the hype surrounding TO and for as much talking as he does, Owens better score a TD here. On this play."

I say, if he scores on this play you've got to go buy a #81 jersey. My buddy says deal. Of course, the very next play McNabb hits Owens in the end zone. True to his word, he went out to the concourse and bought an Owens jersey.

Speaking of uniforms, there were an awful lot of Brian Dawkins jerseys yesterday. I would even hazard a guesstimate that I saw more #20 jerseys than #5, which as hard and as blasphemous as that may seem, appeared to me at least to be the case.

Also on the subject of the unis, those black "alternate" jerseys are ugly. And soooo original. Black. Wow. Like no team has a black jersey.

*Only a few of us suckers were there at the bitter end praying to God the Jints weren't going to score a garbage TD and cover the 8 1/2. Thankfully, McDougle(?) knocked Manning into next Thursday.

* What a pity for Shawn Andrews. He was playing like a veteran. Here's to a speedy recovery. Can't wait to see you next year. The injury will also have ramifications for next year. Did the Eagles coaching staff see enough of Andrews play to make an informed decision on the status of soon to be free agent Jon Runyan?

* Don't know if they showed this on TV, but after his 3rd td, they showed Owens on the sidelines on the jumbotron. The crowd is going wild. Owens sees himself on the big screens and puts his hand to his ear a la Hulk Hogan. The place went absolutely bonkers and ratcheted up the decibels even higher.

* Did anyone see Kearse start from the other side of the field and run down Barber in the 1st half?! Amazing!

* I know the Giants aren't very good, but they've always given the Eagles trouble. Still, a very encouraging start to the season. If the Eagles play like that vs. Minnesota, they'll be 2-0 and looking real, real strong.

2004 - Here We Come!

After three straight appearances in the conference championship and the acquisitions of Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse in the offseason, Eagles fans can’t be faulted for believing that a fourth championship game appearance and, hopefully, a Super Bowl victory are within the team’s grasp this year. Unfortunately, preseason expectations of most teams too often don’t hold through the actual season. Just ask the Buccaneers, who looked like world beaters vs. the Eagles in the season opener last year but failed to even make the playoffs. That oblong ball has a funny way of taking unusual, game changing, season shifting bounces. There is simply no guarantee that the Eagles will make the NFC championship and even earn a playoff berth.

The return of Joe Gibbs is just another reminder that one of the keys of the Eagles success over the past three years is that they basically have had their way with their division rivals. The Redskins have been in disarray ever since Dan Snyder bought the team. Cowboys coach Dave Campo was incompetent,(in addition to having a roster with little talent.) And the Jints, while always tough, were perennially dealing with the fate of Jim Fassel.

All that has now changed. The Eagles will be lucky to split with the Skins. And the two games vs. Parcells should be tough (but winnable). Ironically, the toughest division foe of recent years, the Giants, should now be the easiest.

Moreover, the pressure is really on Andy Reid now. Not only does he have to get over the hump of the conference championship game, but for a team whose best player is on offense and whose head coach calls the offensive plays it has been the defense that has carried this team for his entire tenure. It’s time for the offense to carry the burden. One need only look at the final scores of the three championship games to discern the trend. The high powered Rams offense scored 29 points. The Buccaneers scored 20 offensive points (discounting Barber’s INT TD). And the Panthers scored 14 points. The Eagles defense has allowed less points in each of the three games.

Unfortunately, the vaunted Eagles offense has also scored less points in those three games. 25 vs. the Rams. Only 10 against the Bucs. And a measly FG put up against the Panthers. With the emergence of Westbrook as a triple threat out of the backfield and the trade for premier WR TO, Reid will not be able to avoid the blame if the offense fails to live up to expectations this year. This is particularly true since this is probably the weakest Eagles defense of the past three years.

Of course, we got a flashes of the offense’s potential potency last year, most notably in the high scoring game at Miami. Here’s hoping that it wasn’t a tease but finally comes to fruition in 2004.

NFC East predictions:
Eagles 12-4
Redskins 10-6
Cowboys 9-7
Giants 5-11


Game by game breakdown

Giants – If Eli Manning were starting this game, this game would be a blowout. Jim Johnson’s defenses eat young QB’s for lunch. Even still, this should be a win. Heck, the Eagles are 8 point favorites. It will be interesting to see how shell shocked Kurt Warner is. My own theory is that he took too many shots, especially blows to the head, while standing tall in the pocket and delivering pinpoint passes to fleet Rams receivers during the “Greatest Show on Turf’s” glory years. Those blows have caught up with him. Hard to believe the Giants were considered a playoff contender last season but begin this year in full rebuilding mode.

Vikings – I would have likely listed this game as a loss were it being played in Minnesota. It’s not, so it’s an Eagles’ win. C’mon, I mean, Mike Tice? This could be the game where Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown earn their stripes covering Randy Moss, or it could be the game that prompts a flood of calls to WIP Tuesday morning demanding the return of Bobby Taylor.

@ Lions and Bears, oh my! - These two North division teams get lumped together. Thankfully, the Eagles don’t have to play these teams in a year or two when they should be very tough. The Lions are still young and the Bears are rebuilding. These are wins. Even with a loss to the Vikings, worst case scenario is the Eagles enter the bye week at 3-1.

BYE

Carolina – Rematch of the NFC Championship game. The Eagles are a better, healthier team than they were then. Somehow, Jake Delhomme throws a twenty yard out that turns into an 80 yard TD in the Super Bowl and he’s the second coming of Archie Manning. We’ll see. Eagles win.

@ Cleveland – Tough game against an improving team. Should be a win, but is trap game coming on the road a week after the revenge game vs. Carolina.

Baltimore – Jamal Lewis may have broken Dickerson’s season rush record had he played against the Eagles last year. Alas, this is not last year. And did you see Kyle Boller in the preseason? He’s shakier than a Polaroid picture. The Ravens defense is still ferocious, so let’s hope there aren’t any serious injuries coming out of this game

@ Pittsburgh – See Cleveland above. Duce will have a good game. Win.

@ Dallas (Monday night) – If Vinny Testaverde is still upright when the Eagles come to Big D, he won’t be for long. If he’s not and Tony Romo’s the starter, this is definitely a win. On the other hand, Parcells inexplicably got 10 wins out of Quincy Carter.

Washington – The Eagles will split with Joe Gibbs’ team, so this home game is a win and their away game is a loss.

@ NYG – Eli Manning will likely be playing at this point. It’s a win.

Green Bay – Rematch of the divisional playoff. I think the Eagles will win this game, but for the sake of margin of error I’ll put it down as a loss.

@ Washington – See Washington above. If the Eagles can steal a win vs. the Redskins and sweep them, they’re probably on pace for homefield advantage in the playoffs. That’s a good thing, right?

Dallas – If the Eagles are going to lose a second game within the division, it will be against this team. This game in particular? Probably not.

@ St. Louis (Monday night football) – Although St. Louis might be a contender for the team with the highest expectations that falls flat on their faces, until the games get played and we see if it’s true, put this one down as a loss at the RCA Dome.

Cincinnati – Cincy will be much improved, but Carson Palmer doesn’t scare me and this is probably a meaningless game for the Bengals while the Eagles may be playing for playoff seedings, including a bye. Win.

For argument’s sake, you can assign another loss among one of the following games: Minnesota, Carolina, Baltimore, Dallas --- and the Eagles should still go 11-5 (10-6 at absolute worst). Good enough for the playoffs, maybe even a bye, but probably not homefield advantage. That’s ok, the most important thing is to get the bye. The rest will care of itself.

Howard Eskin's Rumorville

Wow, I always thought Howard Eskin's reports from "Rumorville" on George Michael's sports machine were intended to be tongue in cheek. But given the legal settlement reached between Eskin, WIP, and Allen Iverson's lawyer - it is fair to ask if Eskin just makes this stuff all up as he goes along. Sports radio and a lack of facts? Do you think?

"Howard Eskin, the afternoon drive-time host on sports talk-radio station WIP-AM (610), has been suspended for 30 days to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Richard Sprague, a lawyer for 76ers star Allen Iverson." from the Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/9/04

A Last Look Back

Before posting predictions and projections about the upcoming 2004 season, let’s take one last look at 2003- and what might have been. Certainly the biggest lesson learned from 2003 is how fickle the NFL and the Eagles in particular can be. The season started off with so much promise, then descended into near unbridled panic, and finally wound up with the Eagles hosting the NFC championship game again. The other lesson from last season is how important momentum can be and how large single plays and certain games ultimately loom for both the Eagles and their opponents.

I couldn’t decide of whether to do two separate top 10 lists of the best and worst plays of the season or just to lump them all together. What I settled on was to do label it the most critical plays (both good and bad) and see how that turns out.

11. 1 LJ Smith drops the touchdown pass from Koy Detmer on 4th and goal vs. Tampa in the very first game at the Linc. Who knows how that game plays out if the Eagles actually go up 7-0 in the first quarter. As it was, they got shutout and gave a subtle hint at how anemic their offense would be in the early part of the season.

10. The onside kick to start the game in Dallas that backfired utterly when the Cowboys retuned it for a TD. It was the margin of difference in the final score, but spoke volumes of Andy Reid’s psychology. It was the onside kick that started the season vs. Dallas in 2001 that sent the unmistakable message that the Eagles were a team not to be taken lightly. The 2003 onside kick seemed to be an attempt to reclaim some of that magic and some of that swagger. Instead it highlighted that the Cowboys were now being coached by a professional and not Dave Campo.

9. The Eagles defense stuffs Stephen Davis on 4th and inches inside the red zone during the Panthers-Eagles game. Carolina didn’t score, but the play was a huge lift to a defense that had come under withering criticism for being unable to stop the run. John Kasay inexplicably missing 3 FGs and an extra point also helped the Eagles cause.

8. Brian Westbrook’s 62 yard TD run in Buffalo that sealed the win for the Eagles in the must win game of the season. That the must win game came in week 3 speaks to just how horrid the start was in the first two games of the season.

7. Eagles deflect Patrich Ramsay’s 2 point conversion attempt that would have tied the score with less than a minute to go as the Redskins late rally falls short, 27-25. I think much maligned Lito Sheppard was the one that defensed the pass, but can’t say for certain. The Eagles were comfortably ahead for most of the game and having Washington tie it, much less perhaps winning in OT would have been a disaster. Somehow, this play is kind of forgotten in shaping the Eagles’ season, probably because it came a week before Brian Westbrook’s punt return TD against the Gints. The loss knocked Washington into a tailspin from which they never really recovered.

6. The Eagles stuffing Green Bay on fourth and goal from the one in the divisional playoff. I believe it was Jerome McDougle who made the tackle, but Corey Simon? Who blew up the play with his penetration.

5. Koy Detmer’s INT at the goal line with five minutes to go in the game. In some ways, it was eerily similar to the pick McNabb threw the year before to Ronde Barber. In both instances, the Eagles were rallying on long drives that would have put them within one score in the last five minutes of the game and with the momentum shifting to the home team. Each pick was game, set, match.

4. DeShaun Foster breaking tackle after tackle, most of them Simoneau’s, before scoring the Panthers’ second TD in the champ. game. How different would the fourth quarter have played out had the Panthers only been ahead 10-3 instead of 14-3.

3. Freddie Mitchell’s 4th and 26 catch. ‘Nuff said on this fantastically amazing play. A pity the Eagles didn’t make the super bowl at which point this play becomes legendary as opposed to merely stupendous. It’s also worth noting that for a passer who experts say has questionable accuracy, McNabb threaded the needle on the pass with the entire season on the line.

2. McNabb being “tackled” by Carolina LB Greg Favors in the NFC championship, separating McNabb’s ribs and assuring that the Eagles’ best player would not be 100% healthy for the second straight championship game. For all of the league’s emphasis on protecting QBs, the fact that an LB was allowed to dive into a prone QB --- one of the league’s premier players in the second biggest game of the season --- without some sort of penalty being called, unnecessary roughness? remains mystifying.

1. Brian Westbrook’s game winning TD punt return in the last minute of the Eagles-Giants game. It’s hard to overstate just how bad and listless the Eagles looked during this game. Westbrook’s return shifted most of the focus on McNabb’s thumb (remember that issue?). The Westbrook play also had the twin benefit of dealing a severe blow to a division rival. Although the Jints won their next two games, its to ponder if NYG wouldn’t have gone into the nosedive they did if they hadn’t loss this game in such gut wrenching fashion.

A Pessimistic Preview

Here's SI's Peter King's negative thoughts about what happens if things go bad with TO in Philly appearing in this regular MMQB column.

Now, about Philly. I have the same questions all of you do. I just think many of you are thinking all the questions will be answered positively. I don't. There's too much risk in this team for me. Does Jevon Kearse make all the difference to the defense?

"He tilts the field when he's in there,'' his former defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, told me. When he's in there. Those are the key words. This is the ultimate speed rusher, and in the last two years he's missed 16 games with a broken foot, a sprained foot and sprains of both ankles.

I love Brian Westbrook, and my gut tells me he'll be more Tiki Barber than Amos Zereoue, a little back who can touch it 320 times and stay healthy. If he can't, Philadelphia's in big trouble, because I don't think Donovan McNabb's the kind of keep-the-chains-moving, eat-the-clock quarterback you need in a runner-weak offense. I've heard him counter my claim about him not being accurate enough at 57 percent in a passer-friendly offense (not that it's just me who's saying it) three or four times this summer. And McNabb's such a good guy I hope he proves me wrong. Maybe a very good receiver takes you from 57 to 63 percent. Think of it. If you throw 450 passes in a season, the difference between 57 percent and 63 percent is 27 completions.
The addition of Owens could do that, right? Well, the addition of Owens also means McNabb will likely be throwing downfield more than he has in the past. No matter how good, and how open, Owens is, I'm dubious McNabb can jack up the completions that much.

Now about Owens. I spent some time with him a month ago at camp, and I give him credit for doing so, because he knows what I've said about him. (Last year, in the midst of his Tour de Destruction of San Francisco, I said, "Terrell Owens is everything that is wrong with pro football.'') He and McNabb said all the right things about how Owens wouldn't be a distraction if he wasn't getting the ball, as long as the Eagles were winning. I guess I'm going to view that skeptically. Let me show you a little chart here (left).

So this is what was so hard to live with. This was what Owens just couldn't stomach anymore. When I sat with Jeff Garcia in Cleveland a month ago to ask him about it, I was surprised to find him so, so ... sad.

All he'd ever done is show up to work every day and worked his rear end off to be the best player he could be, yet his co-star kept dissing him in the press for his lousy arm. How lousy could it be? I mean, look at those numbers. For a four-year period, 2000-2003, Garcia-Owens was more productive than Daunte Culpepper to The Great Randy Moss, by 15 catches and seven touchdowns. Culpepper has the huge arm and Garcia the piddling one, right? Maybe not. The average Culpepper completion to Moss went for exactly 12 inches longer than the average Garcia hookup to Owens.

You're asking why I bring this up. Simple. If Owens found so much to bitch about in San Francisco catching 87 passes and 12 touchdowns a year, how's he going to feel in the Philly, where there's a chance he could have lower numbers in both categories? How's he going to feel going from a 63-percent career thrower (Garcia) to a 57-percent career passer (McNabb)? Will he grow alligator arms reaching for McNabb's errant throws?
I''m not predicting doom. I'm really not. I am raising the point that it's easy to be on an NFL honeymoon on Labor Day. Everything's beautiful today. I just don't know if everything will be beautiful two months from today.

I think there's a good chance Owens will be on much better behavior with a quarterback he respects and considers a good friend in McNabb. And McNabb is the king of his locker room, the way Derek Jeter lords over the Yankees' clubhouse. McNabb will be able to keep Owens in line if he strays. Probably. I emphasize "probably.'' There is much at stake for Owens, because he begged to come to Philadelphia. That's the biggest reason I think this has a good chance of working.

As that noted football philosopher Bill Parcells once said: "That's why they play the games.''

Levens Leaving

I'm not sure what is the most surprising thing about the whole Dorsey Levens experience.

1) That he was waived two weeks after he was signed to add some size and veteran experience to an otherwise thin and young RB corps?

2) That he was waived without a hint that it was coming and after getting a substantial amount of playing time in the Eagles game vs. the Jets.

3) That Andy Reid has decided to enter the season with Westbrook, Mahe, and Thomas Tapeh (Tapeh?!) as the front line halfbacks. (Hardly Staley, Buckhalter and Westbrook).

4) That Dorsey Levens, at 34, would have been the second oldest RB in the league!

5) That Andy Reid came to the same conclusion EaglesEye had two weeks earlier. To wit, Dorsey Levens was in serious decline as an NFL player.

Take your pick.

Right back at Huuuughh!

Hugh Douglas has always been a fan favorite so it's nice to see the admiration is reciprocal.

"The Philadelphia fans are the greatest," Douglas said.

Thanks. You're great too.

Schilling watch

I'm still a huge Curt Schilling fan, years after he stopped wearing Phillies' pinstripes and criticizing management.

I'm a nutty optimist, but I still hold out hope that #38 can get into the Hall of Fame. I figure he needs at least 225 career wins to have any shot at enshrinement. Even then, he will have to rely on a number of intangibles associated with his play. To wit, his World Series co-mvp award for one thing.

Along those lines, a Cy Young award would also help bolster his case immensely. He took a huge step toward that accomplishment last night with his 17th win of the season. He's now tied for first in the AL in wins, 3rd in ERA, and 3rd in strikeouts.

If he can get to 20 wins, maintain those other numbers, and if he helps carry the Sox into the playoffs, and particularly if they can catch the fading Yankees, then a strong case can be made for his first Cy Young.

Schilling watch

I'm still a huge Curt Schilling fan, long after he stopped wearing Phillies pinstripes. He's one of the game's premier big-game pitchers.

I'm a nutty optimist, but I still hold out hope that #38 can get into the Hall of Fame. I figure he needs about 225 career wins to have any shot of enshrinement. Even then, he'll have to rely on the intangibles associated with his candidacy. To wit, his World Series co-MVP award will help bolster his case.

What would also help tremendously would be if he won at least one Cy Young award (that would help address one of the criticisms that he hasn't even been the ace of his own last two teams). He took a big step toward that accomplishment with his 17th win of the season last night.

He's now tied in the AL for wins, third in ERA and third in strikeouts. If he were to get to 20 wins and helped the Red Sox get into the playoffs, and doubly if they could catch the fast falling Yankees, he would have a very strong case for that first Cy Young.

Bush Twins- Party Hearty

Even non-partisans can agree that the appearance/speech last night of Jenna and Barbara Bush was the most cringe-inducing event of the Republican National Convention. Maybe it seemed like a good idea to humanize the leader of the free world by showcasing his daughters (but really, First Lady Laura Bush would have sufficed in and of itself), but the Twins' five minutes of fame (it seemed painfully, painfully longer) was just downright bizarre.

The tag-team speech itself didn't help - an odd mix of homage and humor - and the girls' woo-hoo delivery merely confirmed their vapidness and party hearty reputation. This is the next generation of the Bush dynasty?!!?

Having shown little interest in world events or the family business for the past 22 years, the girls now want to participate in their dad's last campaign. Now we know why they've been AWOL this entire time. They're insipid dolts. They may want a role in the presidential campaign, but what good can they accomplish on the stump after that disastrous appearance?

BTW, did anyone else think it strange that while the President spoke to the convention via satellite after his girls' intro that the people in the background continued to play softball as the President spoke?

Another Prodigal Son

My brother called me last night about 10:30 pm. “You’ll never believe who the Eagles got,” he asked. “A former player…like Trotter,” he hinted. Now as I tried to answer the question of which prodigal son had returned, a surprisingly long list of names came to mind: John Welbourn, Duce Staley, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, etc.. To be honest, it took me a couple of guesses to get Hugh Douglas. He’s only been away one season, but it seems much longer than that.

Perhaps the bigger shock of the Eagles re-acquiring their former star D-end, is the fact that Jacksonville waived Douglas only one year after signing the big multi-year contract. They will take a cap hit of $3.6 million next year on Douglas’ pro-rated signing bonus. Reports from Jax indicate that the team wanted more speed from the edge rush than Douglas could provide, and it seems clear that coach Jack Del Rio didn’t get along with Douglas and cut him to send a message to the rest of the team about job security and performance. (With a $5 million salary for 2005, Douglas would likely have been cut before next season anyway. Now, Del Rio gets his message across and accelerates the cap hit the team will take while they are still in full rebuilding mode. So really, the only remaining question is why the Jaguars threw so much money at Hugh to begin with.)

Like the Trotter signing, getting Douglas back makes a lot of sense along several fronts. Douglas comes back to a defensive system in which he excelled and knows well. He adds depth to a position that has been depleted by injuries. Douglas and Trotter add a veteran presence and also leadership in the locker room --- a not insubstantial consideration given the departure of defensive leaders with the stature of Taylor and Vincent. Plus, the Douglas signing – like Trotter’s – is cost-effective. Close to the veteran minimum but with incentives that the Eagles would gladly pay for more sacks and big plays.

The Douglas saga also appears to validate the personnel decisions of the Eagles’ front office. The uncomfortable truth was that Douglas had devolved into a situational player in his last year with the Eagles: a pass rushing specialist. Albeit, a successful pass rushing specialist with 12 ½ sacks. Still, the Eagles were willing to re-sign Douglas, but only at a level that was commensurate with his future role on the team. Instead of paying millions for a 3rd down specialist, the Eagles will be paying approximately $700,000 for a pass rushing specialist.

The examples of Trotter and Douglas are evidence of the Eagles’ astute player evaluations and salary computations. It must really put a scare into the teams that signed Staley, Vincent and Taylor who must now begin asking themselves, “why did the Eagles not try to re-sign these guys? What did they see that we haven’t?”

ESPN radio's Eagles' predicition

ESPN's morning sports radio program, the Mike and Mike show, analyzed the Eagles 2004 prospects today. "Analyst" Mark Schlereth addressed the cornerback concerns about Sheppard and Brown being able to fill the shoes of Taylor and Vincent by noting that both 2nd year players saw (and started) a lot of games last year while both all-pros were injured.

There was also some debate about whether the Eagles had "underachieved" by failing to make the super bowl in either of the past three years (the consensus was that was likely the case vs. Carolina). They also highlighted the glaringly obvious observation that the passing game should be much improved this year with the addition of TO. Duh.

The three personalities then gave their predictions for the Eagles regular season record. Schlereth had them at 12-4 same as last year. Former Eagle Mike Golic said they were as good as last year but still thought 11-5 was more likely. And the guy filling in this week for Mike Greenberg predicted 13-3 based on the soft road schedule the Eagles have this year, which he contended is the hardest thing to do in the NFL and separates good from great teams - winning on the road.

Steelers vs. Eagles

Well, at last the preseason period has ended for the starters, so we won't have to endure any more pictures of first-teamers being carted off the field like we did tonight with Nate Wayne. I hope it wasn't serious.

The game vs. the Steelers was just weird. It was weird to see Duce wearing #22 for another team (but I was pleased to see him get a warm welcome and his signature "Duuuuuce" cheer); it was weird to see Pat Summerall doing games on ESPN with the two clowns Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann; but it was truly weird to see the bizarre interview with McNabb and TO. And I don't mean McNabb's Krusty the Klown afro. Was McNabb supposed to be imitating the press with his rhetorical questions? Was he just goofing with funny voices. Very strange indeed.

Having said that, that taped interview was a harbinger of McNabb's mood captured on the sideline in the second half. I know it's only preseason, but he sure looks relaxed out there.

Other thoughts and observations:

* Can Mark Simoneau tackle? Duce Staley must have run over him at least three times. His futility even caused the announcers to comment on how much bigger he looks this year and wondered why he was having such difficulties bringing runners down.

* A more perfect contrast to Simoneau's physical failings couldn't have been scripted than when Michael Lewis stood up Duce for a solo tackle on 3rd and inches.

* How great was it to see TO busting his ass blocking downfied...during an exhibition game!?

* Reno Mahe looked pretty good. So did McCoo and Tapeh against the Pittsburgh backups.

* Shawn Andrews looked pretty good. He even manages to make the mountainesque Runyan look svelte.

* In the discretion is a better part of valor department, Andy Reid gave a slight lie to his standard "injuries happen we have to move on" posture by holding out B. Westbrook from the game. It was a wise move.

* Duce Staley played very well, and he was very well-spoken during the sideline interview after he was finished playing for the evening about his time with the Eagles and why he went with the Steelers .

Please no more injuries before the home opener!!!!

Another Eagles' preview view

ESPN's NFL beat writer Len Pasquarelli offers his observations on the Eagles and their upcoming season based on a visit to training camp on Aug. 18. Click on the link below to go to the article. Highlights of his take:

* He notes the rash of injuries that are once again decimating the defensive line, but that Jevon Kearse will "add another dimension" to the defense.

* Is impressed by Shawn Andrews.

* Sees TO as a model citizen on the field, but speculates what effect he will have on the other WRs and D. McNabb (with the comment that he is not the most accurate passer.)

* Calls the LB corps suspect but says Jim Johnson can camouflage their deficiencies (and predicts that Trotter will make one game winning/saving play this season).

* Marvels at the stability of the coaching staff and the long tenures the assistants have had with Reid, nearly all of whom have have stayed in Phily since Reid arrived..

What do I know...not much

Well, what do I know. The Eagles did indeed go out and sign Dorsey Levens to fill the RB hole left by Correll Buckhalter's balky knee.

I shouldn't have discounted Levens' familiarity with the Eagles offense and Reid's familiarity with Levens, going all the way back to their days with the Packers, as primary selling points in him being reacquired. With only three weeks till opening day, those are not inconsiderable considerations. Levens does have the requisite size and his price tag (the league minimum) is right, but at 34 how much does he have left? I know he averaged 5.5 yards/carry with the team back in 2002, but he looked downright done with the Giants last year. And that's a team that kept Ron Dayne!

It's a safe bet - getting Levens - but I can't help but think the Eagles will be keeping close tabs on the waiver wire to see if anyone comes available whose an upgrade over Levens. An addition would be a long term move with the second half of the season in mind when a new back could be expected to be up to speed - literally and figuratively- with the Eagles offense.

Schlereth...stink indeed

Admittedly, I was channel surfing right through ESPN, but did I hear ESPN "analyst" Mark Schlereth reviewing the Redskins say that they would "surprise" teams this year with their improvement? Is it possible to surprise a team when you've got a former pro bowl QB, an all-pro RB, Arrington on defense and a Hall of Fame coach with three - 3! - Super Bowl rings?!?! The Skins aren't sneaking up on anyone.

Time out! Sideout?

Hey, since when did the rules of volleyball change - the rules I learned in gym class, er... P.E. - about the basics of keeping score? Now either team scores a point on the play regardless of which team is serving. When did this happen? What happen to only being able to score when you were serving?! Does this apply to all volleyball, or just international play? The beach volleyball still plays by the old rules, right? NBC really needs to elaborate on this instead of showing Michael Phelps for the gazillionth time.

Brookover's Overly upbeat analysis

Inqy Eagles beat writer Bob Brookover has taken it upon himself to blow sunshine up the wazoon of Eagles fans in the aftermath of Correl Buckhalter's season ending knee injury. Thanks, Bob.

Alas, the "analysis" is shortsighted and misses the larger point. Ultimately, the issue isn't the durability of Brian Westbrook--the Eagles remaining quality RB-- but of his effectiveness. Are we really to take comfort, as Brookover suggests, in the fact that Westbrook carried a large load at Division I-AA Villanova and only sustained one serious injury. And that somehow this experience equates to the pounding he will take over the course of a full NFL season as the Eagles feature back (and I say that as a proud Andy Talley-fan, Villanova alum.)

The issue isn't if Westbrook will get hurt, but the accumulation of the hits taken from his "touches" that could impede the quickness that is his most important quality. Westbrook is a compact 5'9" 200 lbs. He is solid. But he is not a grinder. He is more in the mold of a David Meggett. A scatback. A dangerous triple threat weapon. He simply is not a between the tackles battering ram (although, who knows, maybe he steps up and proves he's more Emmitt Smith than D. Meggett.)

Eagle fans should take little comfort in Brookover's argument that Westrbrook can handle a heavy load. The mych more salient question is whether the Eagles want him to carry such a heavy load.

And by the way. I would be very surprised if the Eagles stood pat in the RB department. You don't go out and sign TO and Jevon Kearse only to rely on Reno Mahe as your #2 back (no offense, Reno. You are a fine role player. But this team is built for a Super Bowl this year.)

I would be surprised if they signed Dorsey Levens, whose name has been in the paper this weekend. Levens has some size, but his last go round with the Eagles indicated that he had less in the tank than Eddie George.

With $7 million cap room, the Eagles have plenty of money to make a move for a quality player. Even figuring they spend alot of that to extend Corey Simon alot of that cash will be use it or lose it.

Adieu, Kalu

Not to be overlooked is the season-ending injury to DE N.D. Kalu. Not only does it hurt the depth at d-line, but Kalu was the kind of player teams need these days to succeed: knew his role and played his position well. After coming to the Eagles as a free agent from the Redskins, Kalu was a man in search of a position. At first, the Eagles kept at d-line. Then asked him to cut weight and move to LB. When Derrick Burgess went down with his first foot injury, they asked Kalu to put weight back on and go back to the line.

He did all of this without complaint and played very well considering all of the shifts he experienced. He was rock solid if unspectacular last year which is all you can ask for when your line is being decimated by injuries. Of course, he was also a finger away from blocking the Rams last punt in the NFC championship game.

Here's to a speedy recovery for ND. and let's hope the line and the team don't have too many more serious injuries from here on out.

Bucky's Knee Buckles

Dammit! We have to presume Correl Buckhalter's right knee buckling and him getting carted off the field mean that he blew out his knee and he's done for the season, pending medical confirmation (and the fact that they didn't update his condition during the telecast tonight is not a good indication).

Him going down on the second possession overshadowed the fantastic TO TD on the Eagles' first offensive play. Everyone in the stadium except, apparently, the Ravens' corner knew the ball was going to Owens and he blew by him and McNabb laid a perfect throw in there for an 81 yard pitch and catch. Let's hope we see a lot more of that this year.

Alas, the Eagles might be throwing even more than they envisioned when they brought Owens in. What a loss! The Eagles three-headed RB monster from last season is down to only one head (Westbrook's). And the simple fact is that Westbrook is not a 25 carry a game back. So what to do?

Well, you must have noticed the increased reps for Eric McCoo in the 2nd half. But I've got to think they will probably bring in another back, a veteran, preferably someone with some size for short yardage situations at a minimum. Who's going to get the tough 3rd and 2. You lieutenant Mahe? Humph.

I think former Cowpoke Troy Hambrick is still looking for work. Or maybe the Eags' can pick up someone else's castoff in the next week or so when rosters get reduced.

Other thoughts on the game vs. the Ravens:

* Both returners, Reed and Wynn, looked good. Heck, Reed took one kickoff to the house. Will be interesting to see who they keep.

* Much maligned Lito Sheppard looked to me to have a good game. Maybe he's coming into his own.

* Did anyone else's heart stop when Kearse was being attended to on the field on the Ravens first possession?

* What color cleats did the Eagles wear last year? The black shoes this season look new/different to me for some reason.

* When will the Eagles injury problems stop?!

* The announcers said that Owens' 81 jersey is the league's top seller. I'm assuming that 99% of those purchases are being made in the tri-state area.

* Even the announcers called Freddie Mitchell, "Hollywood."

From Phillies to Eagles

My brother went to the Giants-Phillies game Friday night. Here's his report:



Went to phils Friday night and went to McFadden’s at 8 to watch the eagles. Many eagles chants and there was a line to get into the place (Phils were up 5-2 at the time).

After about 5-10 minutes of the Eagles game enough people complained and they moved the eagles to the big TV and put on the audio (switching from the Phils game)

We left after the 1st quarter and headed home (Phils getting crushed by then). Turned on WIP and every call was about the 1st teams performance against the Pats. I think the city has turned off the Phils. They still pack the ballpark, but only because it’s new and the tix were already bought.

Stick a fork in them

After being swept by the Giants and essentially ending the Phils playoff hopes, why is Larry Bowa still coaching the team? Lieberthal is still blathering on about how they are still in contention, yada yada yada. Has he looked at the standings? We're 8 back of the Braves and 6? back in the wildcard, with 4 teams ahead of us?

Does Ed Wade just want to wait till after the season? Does he not want to hire Charlie Manuel now and feel pressure to carry him over next year if the team responds to him?

The only sure thing is that, even if Bowa goes, Vuckovich will probably catch on with whoever is the next Phillies manager. He must have a lifetime contract, or pictures of Bill Giles with a goat.

Perry done

Disappointing news coming out of Lehigh with the season ending shoulder injury to Bruce Perry. Perry's a Westbrook clone whose quick and shifty. Not sure he would have made the team, but at the very least probably would have made the practice squad and he could have been in reserve to add some depth to RB if it were needed as the season progressed. Interestingly, the one knock on Perry was that he injury prone and/or didn't play with injuries. Roger that.

Que Pasa, USA basketball?

As if the losses and close calls in the preliminary games leading up to the Olympics weren't enough of an indication, the 19 point loss by Team USA to Puerto Rico in their first tournament game signals the end of the US's domination in a sport we not only invented but have owned since, well, the Olympics first started.

But the bumbling stumbling American team has to be a very troubling development to Maximum Leader David Stern. A 19 point loss! To Puerto Rico! I don't care how you cut it, a team with Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson should not be blown out by a tiny island commonwealth. Whose PR got on its team? I mean, is Ramon Rivas still playing? Ramon Ramos?

Commentators, and I heard any number, pooh pooh the loss as not having any impact on the US's gold medal hopes, since 4 of the 6 teams in the US pool advance to the medal round. Are you kidding me? After a 19 point loss, I don't think you can count on them getting that far at this point. (i've also heard commentators try to explain away the loss as American players being unfamiliar with zone defenses. Note to commentators: NBA rules now allow zones).

Skeptics will say that the blowout, and that's what it was - no two ways about it - was just the natural evolution of the world improving in the sport in response to us sending the pros over since 1992. And let me just say, that that decision was very questionable. Sure the Dream Team made a great story, but the whole thing had a scent of bullying and overkill. We don't win the gold which the national psyche thinks is our birthright after losing by 6 to the Russkies in '88. All the sudden its a national scandal and we fall back on our pros to show the world whose really boss in basketball. Well, whose the boss now?

Up to '92, we always held the moral high ground when it came to Olympic matters like this. The commies sent their pros, and we sent our young amateurs. The subtext was that we played by the rules and the Eastern bloc cheated. The Dream Team perhaps accelerated the whole professionalization of the Olympics (with a big help from the collapse of the Soviet Union. The games no longer have that overt good vs. bad theme going.) I mean, everyone competing now has an agent. Jiminy, swimmer Gary Hall, Jr's agent was the one commenting on his disappointment of not racing in the final when the US team came up 3rd in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Can you imagine that happening 20 years ago! And by that I mean Hall's agent speaking for him while the Olympics are underway and of the relay team being soundly beaten and coming in 3rd.

As disappointing and shocking as the loss to Puerto Rico was, it has to be most troubling to David Stern. This team and this loss perhaps encapsulate what is wrong with the NBA: an uninspiring individually oriented brand of play (as opposed to the fluid team play of international teams), the astonishing inability of American pros to consistently knock down a mid-range jumper (the ESPN highlight revenge - everyone wants to take to the rim and throw it down. Apparently few Americans can hit a basic 15 footer anymore), and the lack of star appeal of the NBA players in general. International players have vastly improved their fundamental basketball skills, while American players' basics have regressed to the point where they rely primarily on their athleticism.

Yes, Shaq, Kobe, and KG aren't playing. But, c'mon. (Shaq and KG aren't going to help with the perimeter shooting anyway). More to the point, there was an ad of the USA team in Newsweek with a picture of the entire roster. I only recognized Duncan and AI. Now, as a 36 year old white guy, I'm not the NBA's key demographic, but I am more sports-oriented than the average guy. And if I'm not a key audience, why was USA basketball advertising in Newsweek to begin with? The whole thing speaks to the the mediocrity and genericness that now passes for what was the most glamorous and expertly marketed sports league in the world.

Emmons aches

Did the Eagles' medical staff see something in their treatment/recuperation of Carlos Emmons' broken leg that led them to believe it would be a chronic or nagging injury well past the normal recovery time? Did it have any bearing on the personnell side's decision to let him depart via free agency? Those questions have been raised in my mind after seeing reports that Emmons missed three straight practices with the Giants last week because of pain in the leg he broke in the Niners game late last year.

Mistress with a lawyer

Can someone explain to me why Amber Fry, the "other woman" and key witness in the Scott Peterson murder trial, has her own attorney? And not just any attorney, but Gloria Allred. Fry isn't remotely involved with any of the alleged wrongdoing surrounding the murder of Laci Peterson (right?). So why does she have a lawyer of Allred's stature by her side at all times? Is Fry already angling for the de rigeur book deal? Is Allred a full service attorney who provides public relations assistance to shape the public image of a client who jumped into bed with a married man on their first date?

To my knowledge, Kato Kaelin didn't have an attorney for his star turn during the OJ prosecution. I know Paula Jones' lawyer was glued to her hip, but Paula Jones was the named defendent in her case against Clinton. Now, I understand that any lawyer will tell you to get a lawyer when you are in anyway remotely involved in a legal matter. But I always thought that was part of the full employment lawyer strategy they teach in law school.

Is your own attorney the new "it" thing to have for anyone involved in a celebrity trial? You'd think with all the coverage of this story - from Court TV to Larry King - that someone would at least explain why Fry needs an attorney and why Allred is with her 24/7.

Ugly debut

Well, that was an ugly pre-season opener...and not just the miserable weather. 14 penalties, 8 Eagles carted off the field, a blocked punt and only two FGs for their effort. Of course, it is only preseason, or as some call it, exhibition games - i.e, they don't count.

Let's not put too much stock in this "matchup" between the defending super bowl champs and one of the main contenders in the NFC. This was a game to get everyone broken in and to finally get to hit someone other than your teammates. Most importantly, this was a game in which players should have been most focused on not getting hurt. Unfortunately, the Eagles failed in that regard.

Eight injuries! Not sure if it was the miserable soaking rain condition or what. Already, we lost a safety for the year with a season ending knee injury (Quinton Mikell). Anyone who saw the play in which Matt Ware was carted off the field also had to be worried that he was also done for 2004. I certainly thought he broke his leg or ankle. It did remind me of they way in which Carlos Emmons was injured - with a defensive teammate rolling into a leg that was planted. Amazingly, Ware only suffered a leg contusion, albeit one that has him on crutches.

If any good can be taken from the injury report it is that at least none of the starters went down and the injured have a full month to recover before the games that count actually begin.

Other than that, let's forget this game ever happened. Which is how the record books will handle it anyway.

The other receivers

With all eyes on the breathtaking #81, Sports Illustrated's Peter King offers this very encouraging observation of another Eagles' WR: "I think Freddie Mitchell is one heck of a football player. You talk about having a great training camp, fearless and sure-handed. He's catching everything, even the impossible balls. He might be having the best camp of any player I've seen this summer."

High praise indeed. Maybe the TO effect is having some some spillover in the receiving corps and is pushing First down Freddie to fulfill his God-given potential. If so, signing TO isn't just adding one free agent, it's like getting 1 1/2 players in the deal. Or maybe Freddie's 4th and 26 catch vs. Green Bay last year was the very thing to give him the confidence and kick start he needed and it's carrying through to this year. Either way, it is very encouraging. Let's hope he keeps it up.

The TO effect

One of the primary rejoineders of anti-Eagle fans regarding the bright prospects for the upcoming season come down to the negative effect Terrell Owens could have on the team. The main points seem to be that he will be a problem/distraction in the locker room and, more specifically, he will get in the face of team leader Donovan McNabb. Let's debunk these two "criticisms" and offer a counter-theory.

First, the locker room/sideline scenario. This line of thinking goes that Owens' me-first attitude will quickly be at odds with Andy Reid's team approach. Now, as my brother has pointed out - TO doesn't get in trouble for having handguns, speeding, or altercations at nightclubs. By all indications, he is an upstanding citizen off the field. On the field, however, his antics have drawn attention and contempt. My most vivid memories of TO are three-fold: 1) spiking the ball on the Dallas star, 2) Signing a ball with a sharpie after a TD and 3) hyping up his teammates during their amazing come from behind playoff win vs. the Giants in 2002.

Ok, as an Eagle fan how can you hold the Dallas spiking incident against him? I hope he has the opportunity to do it 8 times this year. Sure, it was unsportsmanlike and he probably shouldn't have done it twice, the second time precipitating the brawl at midfield, but in the scheme of things this appears to be a molehill made into a mountain.

Second, I still don't know how to feel about the sharpie. It was flamboyant, showy, but it didn't hurt anyone and he really didn't show any opponents up, certainly not compared to some of the celebrations that are performed today. Now i'm not sure about playing with a permanent marker in your sock, but hey, that's his call. (As an aside, the sight of TO grabbing the pom poms and joining the cheerleader line after scoring was HYSTERICAL.)

Third, does anyone remember how out of that game the Niners were? They were down by 3 touchdowns. Owens was still competing, still trying to fire up his team. That competitive, never say die spirit is exactly what I want on my team. Indeed, you could make the case that TO's sideline "problems" - really rants- stem from wanting to win and to succeed too much. You think Todd Pinkston's got that kind of fire? Hell, he can't even get off the line of scrimmage after being chucked by a 5'9" d-back. As Brian Dawkins said, I want a guy with TO's intensity and craving to make a play on my side when the big games are on the line.

Now for the McNabb issue. Again anti-Eagle fans take a perverse glee in suggesting that the TO honeymoon will end after McNabb, as per usual, doinks his second pass to TO in the ground. McNabb has gotten this rep for not being the most accurate passer. And while it is true that he usually begins games either under or overthrowing his recievers, I believe it is because he is too hopped up. When he gets in the flow of the game, his accuracy improves.

But here's another perspective, and one that should strike fear in the rest of the NFC. What if the presence of Owens pushes McNabb's game to an even higher level? Undoubtedly, Owens is the best receiver the Eagles have had in McNabb's time, and closest to his equal in terms of talent. What if McNabb accepts the challenge of stepping up his game so that can continue to assert that he is still the best player on the offense in particular and the team overall? At the very least, McNabb's confidence should be higher than its ever been. And when McNabb plays with confidence, look out.

Playing the percentages

As a follow up to the previous post, here's some discomfiting stats for homophobic athletes to ponder in the locker room. With an accepted estimate that 10% of the population is homosexual and 1696 football players in the NFL (32 teams and 53 man rosters), there are 170 gay players currently playing. Or, put another way, 5 players on each team. Even if you low ball the homosexual population as a percentage to 5%, that still works out to 85 players and at least 2 per team.

TO and Ho-mo

You would think after the tempest stirred up by Pat Burrell's comments about sex in a Playboy pre-season issue several years ago that any Philly sports star would steer clear of skin mag interviews during training camp. Alas, TO didn't get the memo from the Eagles' public relations department on that.

His comments in the September Playboy magazine insinuating that the rumors are true about former teammate QB Jeff Garcia being gay just further fueled the perception of the NFL, and professional sports in general, as rampant with intolerance and homophobia. What Garcia's sexual orientation has to do with his performance on the field has never been established. Worse is the perpetuation of this despicable whisper campaign. But what made the whole episode even more bizarre was the color and context included in the story about the interview by Philly Inquirer's Bob Brookover.

What to make of Brookover's reference that Owens is 30 years-old, single and childless himself? Heck, why didn't Brookover just mention that Owens wears tights in practice! Was Brookover hinting that Owens is gay? Or was Brookover taking the high road and merely pointing out that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover---or lifestyle choices in the cases of Owens and Garcia.

Incredibly, the Brookover story was picked up by DC sports radio where the whole thing plunged even further in the muck, if that was at all possible. Sports personality Steven Zaban noted that in today's professional sports world most athletes have fathered at least one child out of wedlock--- even Mr. Whitebread himself, Larry Legend (Bird)---and thus hinting that perhaps BOTH Owens and Garcia were gay. What a damning indictment of the ethical and moral standards of today's stars where out of wedlock births are the norm and responsible upstanding adults without children are the ones who are looked at askance.

New York vs. Boston

Could there have been a better contrast between the Yankees and the Red Sox than last night's game being broadcast on ESPN and the deuce? The Yankees' rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the A's and then won it in the 11th. The Yankees are relentless and you never, ever get the sense that they are out of a game.

Over on the deuce, the Bosox were unable to hold a two run lead and then, when they finally did manage to put the tying run on second base in the top of the ninth with no outs totally botched it when the third base coach, former Phil Dale Sweum, sent the runner home on a sharp single to center. He was out by a mile. Game over.

I'm a Yankee hater, so it pains to admit how good they are and the intangible difference between them and the Sox.

When the Left Side is Right

You can almost hear the head-slapping down in Tennessee as Jeff Fisher and his coaches exclaim, "why didn't we think of that!" upon hearing the news that defensive genius Jim Johnson was moving DE Jevon Kearse to the left side of the defensive line.

Ostensibly, the move is about trying to minimize the stress on Kearse's surgically repaired left foot which is the most prudent and wise course of action to protect the investment in your new free agent. But it is also about maximizing your talent, and the Eagles' decision raises a league-wide question of whether putting your best pass rusher on the QB's blindside (the right side of the d-line) is an outdated or overrated strategy.

Because of the defensive emphasis on the blindside, the left tackle position has developed in response as the premier pass blocking position. But is this situation a chicken or the egg phenomenon? That is, which came first--- the refinement of the left tackle as a pass blocker to protect the backside which then forced defenses to match up their best pass rusher? Or did the best pass rushers get placed on the blindside and it was offenses that responded by matching with their best pass blocking linemen.

Any Eagles' fans who has seen Michael Strahan blow past Jon Runyan can appreciate the havoc a defense can create by counterintuitively placing their best pass rusher head up against the offense's right tackle. In many ways, the Strahan-Runyan example is illustrative of the benefits of ignoring the league's conventional wisdom.

Jon Runyan is a pure drive blocker. It's been almost unfair to have Strahan pinning his ears back to attack the QB and not really playing or respecting the run (have you ever noticed how much Runyan has neutralized him when the Eagles actually have the lead and Strahan can't presume pass on every play? I've also wondered why they didn't run at Strahan more and play to Runyan's strength, but that's a different story).

Runyan's physical rofile is the standard across the league for right tackles. Imagine how Kearse will excel, like Strahan, in going against tackles who may be stronger, but are not as quick or agile as the "Freak" (as opposed to the dancing bears posing as left tackles.) And Strahan was going against one of the most mobile and athletic QB's in the league. Being able to see him coming didn't seem to help McNabb out too much. Do you think it will matter much to the statutesque Vinny Testaverde that he will see Kearse an instant before he gets hit?

Sure there is the whole theory that the TE lines up most times next to the right tackle and who, theoretically, is available to help block Kearse, but that takes a whole receiver out of the pass play. It also means, in theory, less opportunities for Kearse to cause a fumble from the blindside. But turnovers are just an added bonus. His primary responsibility is to get to the QB. And it will be easier to do it from the left side of the d-line than the right side.

Run, baby, run

Interesting trivia question (from my desktop Eagles calendar). Can you name the six players in Eagles' history to gain more than 1,000 yards in a single season?


Duce Staley
Wilbert Montgomery
Ricky Watters
Herschel Walker
Earnest Jackson
Steve Van Buren

Kudos to Conlin

The Daily News' Bill Conlin is probably the city's best baseball columnist and he's really stepped his A game over the past few weeks. The columns on Pat Burrell, Ed Wade, and his memo to David Montgomery were insightful and engaging.

Bo Must Go

It is a sad day, but the conclusion has been reached that Phillies manager Larry Bowa has to be fired. Now. Before the team completely implodes and any hopes of making the playoffs are irrevocably dashed.

I take no pleasure from making this call, having grown up watching #10 play SS for the 1980 World Series team. Bowa's fierier demeanor was a refreshing change from the sleepwalking Terry Francona, and we all had high hopes that he could instill in the roster the sense of urgency and balls out play that epitomized his own playing career. Alas, the players appear to have tuned him out and he appears not to have an improvement strategy beyond his animated antics.

Sure, the pitching staff injuries have not helped the team this year, but injuries are a part of the game. Perhaps it may have been overcome if the supposed "ace," the not-soon-enough to be leaving Kevin Millwood, and offensive "studs" like Burrell, Lieberthal, and Byrd hadn't gone in the tank. It's also worth noting that such play can't be laid at Larry's doorstep. (I for one don't buy this whole national media storyline that the Phils are underachievers. Were they that good to begin with?).

Still, the ultimate responsibility still resides with the manager. It's obvious Bowa will not be the manager here next year. So why not make the change now, especially when the Phils are only trailing another no-account team--- the highly overrated Braves --- by 5 1/2 games? Especially when you've got a ready replacement in Charlie Manuel?

The season's not yet lost, but Bowa's tenure is. It's time for him to go.

Trotter and the story of the Traitor

The second game of the 2002 season was a MNF down at FedEx Field in Washignton, DC. It was Trotter's first game against the Eagles. In addition to my nephew being born that night, and my brother vacillating between going to the game and being present at the birth of his first child, one of the more memorable sights that night (in addition to the whupping the Eagles laid on the Skins) was the Eagles fan walking into the stadium with his old #54 jersey. In masking tape he had taped over the "O" in Trotter and penciled in "AI." Sure it was spelled wrong, but we all got the unmistakable message. Trotter had become a "Traitter."
 
Welcome back, Jeremiah, to the town and the team you should have never left.
 

Trotter no longer a Traitor

Wow. If there was one free agent acquisition that could have overshadowed the signing of Terrell Owens, this was it. Jeremiah Trotter isn't the playmaker #81 is---certainly not now coming off a torn ACL -  but the return of the prodigal son and the pyschological ramifications it has for both Trotter and Reid will be a story worth talking about all season.
 
First off, it looks like the Eagles got a steal. They just got the leading tackler of a division rival for the veteran minimum hit to the salary cap and added some size if not some toughness to a LB corps that became considerably smaller after the departure of the 6'5" 255 lbs. Carlos Emmons. Trotter can still play. And odds are he will be that much better in Jim Johnson's defensive system that plays to Trotter's strengths. Best of all, this will be Trotter's second year after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his knee to repair the ACL he ripped up on Thanksgiving day 2002 vs. the Cowboys. Historically, most players take a full two years to recover from such an injury and even at that, Trotter played pretty well last year, leading the 'Skins with almost 130 tackles. (This timeline is also encouraging for Correll Buckhalter who is also now two years removed from tearing up his knee in an Eagles mini-camp that year. Here's hoping Bucky returns to the form he showed in the NFC championship game vs. the Rams).
 
While the media has focused on the large helpings of humble pie Trotter has been eating in returning to a team and a regime he very loudly and very publicly trashed on his way out of town, there is a fair amount of crow being eaten by one Andy Reid as well. The fact is, Reid never satisfactorily replaced Trotter. Kirkland was a mere stopgap measure, and Barry Gardner was, well, Barry Gardner. Simoneau has played well at MLB, but wore down over the season, especially with a decimated defensive line playing in front of him. Would DeShaun Foster run over Jeremiah Trotter...twice!...at the goal line? I think not.
 
Still, while fan attention and angst has been focused on Simoneau I will say again that among the coaches the weak link appears to be Nate Wayne. Note the line buried deep in one of Paul Domowitch's articles. "Bottom line is if Trotter is able to recapture his Pro Bowl form of three seasons ago, when he was named the Eagles' defensive MVP, he'll be on the field a lot. Johnson always has the option of sliding Simoneau over to the weak side, where Nate Wayne was often inconsistent last season."
 
The Inqy's Bob Bookover also adds, "Though the Eagles have insisted this off-season that they were happy with the play of Simoneau as their starting middle linebacker last season, the arrival of Trotter opens the door to speculation about who will be at middle linebacker when the season begins Sept. 12 against the New York Giants.  Simoneau, however, is not the only linebacker who should be feeling the pressure. When the Eagles initially obtained Simoneau in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons last year, he was penciled in at weakside linebacker."
 
My money says that Trotter starts the season at middle LB and Simoneau starts at weakside.

It's worth asking if Andy Reid would have made this move if he had won at least one of the last three NFC championship games. It's also worth asking if he would have won at least one of the last two NFC championship games if Trotter had been playing middle linebacker. Forget the NFL's famed "window of opportunity." If And Reid can win the big game in 2004 then the team's inability to win the previous three doesn't look nearly as bad as if they lose again and become the Buffalo Bills of the NFC, albeit without the conference titles to provide a smidgen of solace.
 
The bottomline is it took two grown men to come to terms with their egos and their history and reach this rapproachment - and both are bigger for it, which is saying alot considering how big Trotter and Reid already are.

Boston roadtrip

I was in Boston the other weekend for the Phillies-Red Sox series at Fenway. There were a tremendous number of Philly fans in attendance for the 3 games. In particular, the Saturday game must have had 4-5,000 Philly fans in the stands.

Much to the annoyance and bewilderment of Boston fans, the first "E-A-G-L-E-S" chant began in the second inning and didn't let up for the rest of the game. Boston fans were simply baffled by this initially and not sure how to respond. Sure, the Pats won the Super Bowl, but it's not like they're rivals with the Eagles. They were also unsure about this since it was, after all, a baseball game in the middle of June. In fact, Red Sox fans seemed a bit reluctant to call attention to this situation since Boston has a worse record of ineptitude in America's pasttime than the Fightin' Phils. Hey, at least we've won a World Series in the last fifty years!

Many Boston fans settled on taunting red-clad Philly fans with a common jeer to the effect that "TO is going to be a disaster for the Eagles." I was simply astounded at the number of people, both Red Sox/Pats and Phillies/Eagles fans, that made reference to TO and/or had an opinion on his play for the upcoming season. Everyone, literally, was talking about him. Poor Jevon Kearse. He got a signing bonus three times as large as Owens', but it's like he's the forgotten free agent acquisition.

Finally, I was struck by the similarities between Boston and Philly fans. Both passionately root for their teams, both drink staggering quantities of beer, and each has a pessimistically fateful outlook for the prospects of their teams. The Pats' super bowl is too much for many to handle. As a friend of mine in Boston observed, "Boston fans aren't happy unless they're miserable." A similar case could be made for Philly.

BTW, major props to the guy masquerading as Smarty Jones in the Phillies powder blue throwback unis and a black horse head. What a terrific getup.