Steve McNair has been charged with drunk driving in Nashville based on what has to be the dumbest DUI law in the country. McNair’s brother-in-law was driving McNair’s car while impaired. Even though McNair was the passenger, he gets charged under Tennessee law because it was McNair’s car and he was in it.
What to make of the McNabb reaction to the Kolb pick?
First, McNabb is positively Alan Greenspan-esque in answering, or not answering, or offering obscure circumlocuitous words to direct questions.
2nd, for all of the ambiguous language McNabb utters, he knows how to convey a message to the audience he wants. Holding his press conference away from the NovaCare complex certainly got the attention of Jeff Lurie and Andy Reid.
3 – McNabb is getting serious about his public image and perception by hiring Rich Burg. In addition to getting a PR professional to advise him, Burg has the added benefit of having worked for the Eagles and knowing how they operate and think PR-wise.
4 – To wit, McNabb said all the right things in his PR blitz this week.
5 – Ultimately and most importantly, it is clear that McNabb now realizes that for the first time in his career with the Eagles that his fate and interests are no longer intextricably entwined with those of his head coach Andy Reid. That is a powerful realization. We’ll see if McNabb continues to be the loyal company man he has been (and been criticized for in some quarters). It will certainly usher in a new era in this evolving coach-franchise qb relationship.
Donovan McNabb goes retro in sporting his 1970s Isaac Hayes look. I remain confident #5 can lead the Eagles to the promised land.
Takeo Spikes’ encouraging attitude and intensity would seem to be marked contrast to the too cerebral Dhani Jones. Is there any question that Jones is doing everything he can to make himself and the Eagles defense the best that it can be? (Though the line about working from 8am through “lunch” was kind of funny. So much for sun up to sun down.)
For the next two months, beginning with tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby, I am the biggest horse racing fan in the country.
Here’s racing guru Andrew Beyer’s take on tomorrow’s race.
I like Any Given Saturday and Street Sense in a boxed exacta.
My brother responds to the Sal Pal “Make or Break” year analysis for Donovan McNabb:
I know we never had a "future" qb the past few years, but wasn't 2004, 2005, 2006 and now 2007 make or break years for McNabb? The media always had him having to prove something. Can he finally win w/ a superstar WR? Can he overcome the last 2 minutes of the super bowl? Can he come back from the T.O. thing? Can he come back from ACL and prove he's STILL an elite QB?
I'm confident if healthy he will be the QB for a long time.
Anyone clamoring for Kolb should look 90 minutes north. The Giants aren't bad, but not contenders and they have a #1 overall pick with the best quarterback genes in the nation, and he isn’t getting it done.
It's almost to the point where I want to give up. It's beyond ridiculous at this point (it's been past ridiculous for some time now).
Wow. I just got off the phone with a friend who is a member of the “I Hate McNabb Club.”
I thought that maybe he and his fellow McNabb haters would be having second thoughts about their intense dislike for #5 and the long-term implications and repercussions for the team now that Kevin Kolb signals the beginning of the end of the McNabb era.
I thought wrong. My friend is unchastened, unapologetic, and can’t wait to get rid of McNabb after this season and usher in the Kolb era.
I’m truly astounded. I could maybe, maybe, understand this thinking if the Eagles had taken Russell or Quinn. But pinning your hopes on what some had as the 6-7th best QB in the draft when you have one of the 5 best QBs in the league (albeit coming off major knee injury)?
I’m betting my friend has NEVER seen Kolb play in a college game. But it doesn’t matter. He’s not McNabb, so he must be better.
Sometimes I’m embarrassed by the stupidity of Philly sports fans.
A friend writes:
Sal Pal's on ESPN last night reporting that this season was make-or-break for No 5 with the Eagles. Really?
If so, I'm gonna have to think about just giving up. I'm not ready to cheer for a team led by the next David Klingler or any of the line of "great" Houston Cougar QBs.
Sunday marks the 70th anniversary of the explosion of the german airship, the Hindenburg, in Lakewood, NJ. 36 people died in the fiery crash. The 36 died in the flames or the fall as they tried to jump out of the dirigible. NONE of the passengers that remained in the cabin perished.
With Flash Gordon headed to the DL, it’s funny to think how things have played out on the Phillies pitching staff over the past two months. Lieber was going to be used as trade bait to get relievers to bolster the pen in spring training. That he was kept was insurance in case of an injury to one of the other Phillies pitchers, though I think everyone presumed at the time that the concern was an injury to a starting pitcher.
Now Lieber is filling in the starting rotation hole created by a pitching injury…only the injury was to a reliever, and the hole was created because the staff ace was moved to the bullpen.
Has there ever been another instance of an opening day starter finishing the same season as a team’s closer? Surely there has never been an instance of an opening day starter moved to the pen to serve as middle relief/set up man…4 weeks into the season!
Only the Phillies. Only in Philadelphia.
The acquisition of former Bears tackle Ian Scott likely signals the end of the Sam Rayburn’s tenure with the Eagles.
Rayburn, a former truck driver, would appear to be the odd man out in the defensive line game of musical chairs - where there are 6 players, but only 5 seats.
Bunkley, Patterson, Reagor, and Scott would seem to be assured spots. That leaves Rayburn battling LaJuan Ramsey for the last roster spot for d-tackles. Indeed, that’s already the way it’s listed on the Eagles official depth chart. Though Ramsey is 12 lbs. lighter (303 vs. 291; both are 6’3”), he is younger and entering his second season and so can be expected to improve. With Rayburn in his 5th year, what you see now is what you get. Ramsey also has the advantage of being drafted by the Eagles, while Rayburn was a undrafted free agent. All things being equal between two players, surely management would keep the one that was drafted in order to improve their draft “success.”
All the draft talk has been on who would be drafted and where. Now in the wake of the post-draft decompression, Fox sports’ Michael Schrager takes a look at the top 10 players who weren’t drafted – where Schrager had them projected to be drafted - and with which teams they’ve since signed free agent contracts.
Is it good or bad that in this top 10 are 2 players who Schrager had the Eagles selecting: ND WR Rhema McKnight (who remains unsigned) and Tennesee FB Cory Anderson?
The Eagles continue to bolster their defensive line with players from Super Bowl XLI. First Colts d-tackle Montae Reagor and now Chicago d-tackle Ian Scott has just signed a 1-year contract.
At 302 lbs. he’s the kind of run-stopping interior d-lineman many have been clamoring for. Now maybe Trotter won’t find an offensive guard in his lap every running play.
ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli recently noted that Scott’s continued availability on the free agent market was a “mystery” and likely based on his poor game vs. the Colts. A one-year contract for a proven run stuffer is a steal for the Eagles.
Are other cities like Philadelphia when it comes to sports soap operas? Or is the city of Brotherly Love unique for its sports neuroses, its fan man-crushes and frenemy relationships with its pro athletes, and truly bizarre behind the scenes developments? If so, is the press part of the problem, or merely a reflection of fans’ fixations?
The Daily Snooze’s Dana Pennett O’Neil expends nearly 900 words in a self-ironic piece about Donovan McNabb’s dad’s reaction to the Kevin Kolb pick.
Sam’s reaction? “No comment.”
Undeterred, O’Neil tries to generate some controversy by characterizing Dad McNabb’s statement that that he is “not concerned” about the Kolb pick and entirely accurate observation that “My son works for the Philadelphia Eagles right now and when he doesn't any longer, there are 31 other NFL teams he can play for" as a “grenade” launched at the Eagles.
Bizarrely, at the end O’Neil admits how inane this whole McNabb-Kolb controversy is and, by association, his (her?) very own article on the matter.
Sam McNabb explains that he doesn’t worry about things that are out of his control. And the Eagles draft and QB depth chart are, he says, out of his control. So why all the fuss? O’Neil concludes without a wink, “Well, because it's Philly, Sam. That's what we do.”
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated mania. Bob Brookover has a story today headlined, “Speculation Fueled by McNabb’s Silence.”
To recap. McNabb and Reid haven’t spoken since the draft…controversy! McNabb’s father says the issue is out of his hands but if the Eagles cut McNabb he could play for any of the other teams in the league….controversy! McNabb has not spoken about the Kevin Kolb pick…controversy! And you can bet when McNabb does speak it will be, you guessed it, controversial!
It’s the same old story with Philadelphia and its love-hate relationship with its sports stars.
First, we had the Eric Lindros ordeal. Lindros breaking down while accepting his MVP award because he wanted to win a championship for Philadelphia. The Red Wings sweep and the “choke.” Accusations the Flyers nearly killed Lindros by insisting that he be flown back to Philly from Nashville while suffering from what turned out to be a punctured lung. (Ponder that for a moment: has a similar suggestion ever been made regarding a pro athlete, much less one of the best in his sport? And why would the Flyers insist Lindros receive medical treatment in Philadelphia when he was in such medical distress in another city? Bizarre)
Throw in his and his dad’s feud with the Bobby Clarke, teammates taking sides, unpublished rumors about adultery, Roger Neilson suggesting that he wasn’t reinstated as coach after undergoing cancer treatment because management didn’t want a cancer survivor who liked Eric Lindros behind the bench, etc.
So it goes with McNabb now. The TO debacle (a nearly 3 year ordeal), Rush ripping McNabb, assigning blame on McNabb for wanting Garcia gone because his presence on the roster would undermine #5, Mama McNabb’s quote that it would be bittersweet if the Eagles won the Super Bowl and her son wasn’t the starting qb.
Now, we’ve got whole articles devoted to what McNabb’s dad thinks about the drafting of Kevin Kolb and why McNabb has not issued a statement on the matter.
My gosh, any contact Reid and McNabb have had since the draft, when and in what entrance each entered/exited the NovaCare complex, and if they talked about McNabb’s status with the team and the implications of the Kolb pick are being covered in the Philly papers like Fleet Street covering every movement of the royal family.
Certainly, most other cities don’t have this. There are only a select few who care that deeply and passionately about sports: New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland (an editorial in the paper about the Thomas/Quinn draft!). Others?
But do even these cities experience such inanity and have media outlets that whip up such high school antics as who thinks who is cute, and who was seen talking to who in the hallways?
Actually, come to think of it. Boston might give Philly a run for its money in this department.
Tried to do this as a clip of the week, but for some reason it isn’t working. Anyway, here is the You Tube clip of on-site fan reaction to the Kevin Kolb selection. Reminds you of Jets fans.
… a big, big hole to be dug out of.
Stat of the week: The 1979 Pirates are the only team since 1935 to lurch out of April more than three games under .500 and survive to win a World Series.
At this point, I’d settle for just making the playoffs.
I’ve noticed a glaring discrepancy in published accounts of the Eagles-Cowboys first round trade in Saturday’s draft. The contradiction raises the question of who initiated the trade? Bob Ford at the Inqy is the latest to report in that paper that it was “Owner Jeff Lurie who] was given the assignment of calling Dallas owner Jerry Jones and brokering the deal.”
On the other hand, SI’s Peter King says that “Jones got on the phone, calling every team after Kansas City. He took a stab at offering Philly owner Jeff Lurie, sitting at 26, the pick acquired from Cleveland (36th overall) plus third- and sixth-round picks. Lurie came back and said, ‘Give us your third and fifth and it's a deal.’'
Now, the reported inconsistencies may not amount to a hill of beans. In the scheme of things it probably doesn’t matter who called whom. But I am intrigued that apparently both camps are trying to publicly take credit for initiating the deal.
Presumably the Eagles traded down to #36 because the 1st round players they had been targeting were already off the board. I don’t think even Andy Reid would try to make the argument that they had their sights set on Kevin Kolb the entire time and intended on making him their very first pick of the 2007 draft.
So the question is why the Eagles didn’t trade UP to get the player/position they wanted rather than stand pat at #26 and miss out because teams ahead of them took their desired players. Certainly, Reid has shown a willingness to trade up in the first round to get the player they want, having done it with Jerome McDougle and Shawn Andrews. So what to make of their inactivity.
Sadly, we’ll likely never know since top management reveals internal workings and discussions as often as the Bush White House (in the first term, that is).
Having said that, here are my educated guesses.
1) Miami LB Jon Beason and S Brandon Merriweather were the two players at the top of the Eagles’ board. They are also the two players taken immediately preceding the Eagles pick. Beason is a fast, Omar Gaither-sized LB (6 ft, 230 lbs) and Merriweather, of course, would have been B. Dawk’s heir apparent. It is conceivable that the Eagles figured one of the two would be available. What are the chances that Carolina AND New England would take both of these guys. Pretty good chances as it turned out. Not sure if Beason was actually under consideration since I’m not sure what a Gaither-clone would have gotten the Eagles, but the Merriweather pick being taken just under the noses makes this scenario plausible.
2) Were the Eagles somehow spooked by having given up their 4th round pick in the Stallworth trade last year? If so, perhaps they wanted to move up to assure themselves of getting their player but couldn’t. Having already lost one 4th round pick, I think they were reluctant to give up another mid round pick (a 3rd?) to move up a couple of slots to assure themselves of a safety.
3) Conversely, maybe they were willing to take any of several defensive players (Nelson, Griffin, Merriweather, Beason) but when none of them were available became focused on getting a mid rounder back to fill the Stallworth/4th rounder hole and made up for it by dropping down from #26.
Of course, we’ll never know until Andy Reid, Tom Heckert, or Jeff Lurie publishes their tell all memoirs. But it is amazing to consider the vagaries of the NFL draft. It’s not enough to properly identify and evaluate talent. The other 32 teams impact your choices. You can only select the players that haven’t already been taken. Because New England took Brandon Merriweather immediately before the Eagles, they wind up with Kevin Kolb.
Riffing off my friend PK’s theory about how NFL GM’s become raving lunatics on draft day to try to impress their peers with “visionary” (i.e., questionable) draft picks, I want to expand on another issue we’ve discussed (and I will elaborate on much more in the future). To wit, fans routinely know as much as the “professionals” when it comes to sports matters.
Watch the Youtube video of the Jets’ draft blunders. The fans are screaming for them to take Warren Sapp after he plummets down the draft order. The Jets wind up taking Kyle Brady and they lustily and deservedly boo (this becomes even funnier when you read the later stories from that season about how Brady says he had a TE position coach at Penn State, but doesn’t with the Jets and so feels adrift – sometimes working with the linemen, sometimes working with the receivers, but never working with the tight ends. Rich Kotite, Jets head coach and former tight end, explains that he’s got a lot on his plate but will work with Brady in the ensuing offseason).
This outsmart yourself mindset would also explain how the Eagles took San Diego St. LB Matt McCoy, a 2nd team all Mountain West conference honoree, and passed on his teammate LB Kirk Morrison, the first SDSU All-American since Marshall Faulk. Guess which one has been a better LB in the pros? (Hint: Morrison started his rookie season and had 127 tackles last year. McCoy lost his starting job in his second year after being dragged all over the RCA Dome by Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes).
This would also help explain why the Ravens have done pretty well in past drafts. They discount combine workouts and emphasize what a player actually did on the field. They target certain players and stick with it and don’t try to “reach.”
When the Eagles stop being clever – in the later rounds – they usually wind up with some decent players – Brian Westbrook 3rd), Todd Herremans (4th), Derrick Burgess (3rd), Omar Gaither (5th), Trent Cole (5th). And which is why I have some hope for Stewart Bradley and Tony Hunt.
Along those same lines I think a lot of teams overthought Quinn – especially the Dolphins. I mean, when your new head coach has to try to placate angry fans for not taking a potential franchise qb by pointing out how great the #9 overall pick will be as a punt returner, clearly we are in the twilight zone. Major props to Cleveland for seizing the moment and taking advantage of this ridiculousness.
The other part is, everyone wants to be the new Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson, in wheeling and dealing picks. At some point, after all the trades are completed, you still have to pick good players.
Don’t think. Just draft.
