A Philadelphia Eagles Blog

It seems like it may be an old obsession for Eagles fans, but once again I found a new reason the Eagles may bring in a dynamic play-making wide receiver. During the off-season, it was McNabb, Reid, and one last dance for the Eagles. Now, what with young DeSean Jackson, most people have forgotten all about it.

It may be just nostalgia, but thinking about it recently brought up several logical points for the rest of the Eagles’ 2008 season.

The Eagles’ recent loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday signalled another wasted season for many Eagles fans. The disappointing 2007 campaign was brought up fresh in fans’ minds as the vicious NFC East fell out of sights for the Eagles, at least for a few weeks. The Eagles, at 2-3, were by no means close to the likes of the Redskins and Cowboys, both at 4-1, or the Giants, at 4-0.

It almost seemed unfair.

Hadn’t we waited so long for this season, only to be disappointed? Could it really turn out as bad as last year, or worse? We were told it would be a new season, a fresh start for the Eagles. Instead, starters like Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews are injured and out of action while Donovan McNabb struggles to silence the critics in what was supposed to be his one last year as a Philadelphia Eagle.

The truth is, it is not the defense or offense that has struggled outright, but instead McNabb’s — and the offense’s — consistency. One brilliant game could be soured in the next. of course, there are ways to help the cause — like firing Andy Reid, or bringing in somebody new.

Somebody new? Like who?

Now, to my point: Although Roy Williams was one of the wide receivers the Eagles reportedly pursued this past off-season, the GM who dealt with them is now fired. What with Matt Millen out the door, and the recent blowout to Chicago, the new GM knows that he needs to shore up the defense as well as get draft picks so that the franchise can rebuild.

Now remember, the Eagles have both of those commodities. They have Lito Sheppard, a Pro Bowl corner who hasn’t been seeing the field much anyway, and they have not one, but two first round draft picks that the Lions would potentially be interested in. Lito Sheppard, especially, could help them now — the Lions currently have the worst overall defense in the league, allowing 147 points over five games, which is over twice more than that of seven other teams in the league.

Additionally, Reggie Brown could potentially be packaged in the deal, because the new second rounder, DeSean Jackson, has already pretty much taken over his place.

Now, as I have just explained how sweet this deal would be for the Lions, what would the Eagles get in return? First of all, it looks like Westbrook may have an injury-plagued 2008. Without Westbrook in the backfield, which potent receiver on the Eagles will be charged with carrying out Andy Reid’s pass happy offense? DeSean Jackson? Kevin Curtis?

Besides, Roy Williams would bring experience to a young Eagles’ receiving corps, as well as make everyone around him better. Also, need not be mentioned is the fact that Roy Williams would not only help Andy Reid’s and Donovan McNabb’s credibility, but bring consistency to an offense and a quarterback which direly need it.

With Roy Williams aboard, I am fully confident that his swagger would affect a newly rejuvenated Eagles team and lead them to contention in the tough NFC East.

So, will the Eagles make this trade before the October 14th deadline? I wouldn’t rule it out!

Yeah, as if we didn’t know it before. What with television, ESPN, every sports magazine in the country, and the Internet repeating it over and over again, you’de think we as fans might be just a little whacked.

But it was only this week when I finally fully understood why Eagles fans are called crazy. I finally understood why we’re considered the most die-hard fans in the country. Lastly, I finally understood what it really means to be an Eagles fan.

It was Sunday, October 5th, 2008 — two days ago. The Phillies had, for the second year in a row, and for only the second time in 15 years, won the N.L. East division. They had, in the playoffs proven that they were not going to go out so quickly as last year, when they were swept.

They won Game One handily, behind Cole Hamels’ miraculous two-hit outing. In Game Two, they beat possibly the best pitcher from the last decade in the reigning Cy Young award winner, C.C. Sabathia — and in doing so, hit the first Grand Slam in Phillies playoff history.

In Game Three, they were turned down behind veteran Jamie Moyer’s rocky start. The Phillies wre to play one more game in Milwaukee before having to face C.C. Sabathia again in a potential Game Five. Knowing that the season was on the line, the Phillies went out to give the Brewers a ball game, advance to the N.L.C.S., and look towards possibly the first World Series berth since 1993.

There was, however, one tiny little problem.

The Phillies would be playing Sunday’s game at 1 PM, exactly the time the Eagles would be playing. One question was going through my mind: Who will Philadelphia be watching? The question resonated through all the Sports Radio stations in Philly, in the newspaper, and even on Philly’s popular blogs.

As the game approached, I became more and more curious. I already knew who I was going to be watching, but I was hoping that most people would be going the other way. I, the nutcase, was planning on watching one game on Sunday and that was…

The Eagles.

Sure, the Phillies were going for the N.L.C.S. Sure, it might be a once in a lifetime experience (as it later proved to be). But for some inexplicable reason, an unexplained force in me had me glued to the TV set, watching the Eagles square off against the Washington Redskins.

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, as did the Phillies. Jimmy Rollins slammed a home run in the game’s first at-bat, setting a tone for the game. But I didn’t want to have anything to do with it, yet.

You know the rest of the story — the Eagles lost in one of the worst games I have ever seen them disgrace themselves in, and there’s been a lot. The Phillies, on the other hand, had advanced to the N.L.C.S. and were looking to break Philadelphia’s streak of 25 years without a championship.

And I missed it.

In fact, I don’t even regret that I did, because despite whatever anyone says, this is a football town through and through and that is one thing that will never change. Not the Phillies, not the Flyers. Definitely not the Sixers.

After the Eagles game, I couldn’t even appreciate what the Phillies had done. The Eagles were all that mattered to me. I was depressed.

In the end, the weirdest stat of all was that not only did the Eagles dominate in the overall ratings, but even at the end of both games — when the Eagles couldn’t stop the Redskins from getting first downs as Brad Lidge closed out the ninth in Milwaukee, the Eagles still won out in the ratings.

I now know what it mans to be a true football fan in the beautiful City of Brotherly Love.

The Eagles, Philly’s favorite team, are just not the same any more. 2008’s slackers — DeSean Jacksons, L.J. Smiths… other personality names like Dave Spadaro do not bring back memories of the Eagles of old.

If you are a longer tenured Philadelphia Eagles fan, you remember Randall Cunningham, and Reggie White. You probably watched the Body Bag game against, who else? …The Washington Redskins. You may even remember — even further back, Ron Jaworski. Yup, he’s the same dude from those Aamco commercials, but everything was different back then.

Perhaps, if you had started following the Eagles only a short time ago, you must of course remember the glorious Terrell Owens days. Admit it, those were the good times. We rallied back from heart-breaking defeats back then, and the Eagles were always a true contender.

Now, it’s the Phillies making all the noise. It’s the Phillies in the mix to make and win the NLCS. It’s the Phillies who everyone is talking about and the reason is that the Eagles have changed. They are simply not the same.

So, what is it exactly which is different in our modern Eagles? The way they play? Their record? It is certainly both of those things, but they also seem to not play with the same heart, the same vigor.

Can the Eagles ever get back on track and become the Eagles team of old? The answer, again, is simple.

The Eagles can get back on track, but only once we see them starting to win those 3-point games. Only once we see DeSean Jackson not skip out of bounds, but instead fight for an extra yard. Only once we see L.J. Smith actually catch a pass over the middle as advertised, and only once we see Donovan McNabb drive down the field with one last effort, reliving the glory days.

We do not want Dave Spadaro’s annoying optimism. We do not want people telling us that we are still good enough to win the Super Bowl. In true Philly fashion, we first want to see it all happen. The way it hasn’t been happening in 25 long years.

Is that why Philly’s attention is now adverted to the Phillies? Is is because truly, simply all we want is a Championship, and the Phillies have the best chance of getting it? Or is it because the Phillies fight back, showing the resilience that Philadelphia has always loved.

If the Eagles prove that they do not have “it,” Philadelphia may very well become a baseball town. It is an impending reality, as well as a pattern that only the Eagles can change.

Simply put, they need to win. Win and win again. Nobody wants to see them pull off an upset, just to be surprised by a lesser team the very next week. Philly wants gritty wins, we want dominating wins. We want them to defeat every team — but if that’s not going to happen, we at least want to see the Eagles fight.

Fight like the Phillies. Fight like the Philadelphia Eagles team of old.

When was the last time you saw the Eagles drive down the field with two minutes remaining and score the TD to come within one point, then go for the two point conversion and complete a comeback for the ages?

OK—that might be pushing it—but when exactly was the last time you saw the Eagles actually get into the touchdown when it really counted, at the end of a long and frustrating game, and given four downs to do so?

Lastly, can you even remember the last time they won a game decided by three or less points?

I can’t.

Yes, that’s how frustrating Philly’s favorite team can be; but on closer look, Philadelphia’s other beloved team, the Phillies, tends to be quite the opposite.

While I, like many Philadelphians, am as die-hard an Eagles fan as there are in any major league sport, I do enjoy turning on a Phillies game whenever I get a chance. And what do I see?

I see comeback after comeback—clutch hitting, ninth-inning homers, crucial hits, outstanding defense—so, yeah…the team just doesn’t quit. In fact, had Phillies games ended after the seventh inning all season long, we wouldn’t be seeing a division-leading playoff team, but instead a third-place Phillies, seven games back of the hated Mets.

Year after year, the Phillies are near the top of the league in come-from-behind victories. They play well when they need to, they can go on a hot streak when all seems lost—they play all twenty-seven outs of a game, and make opponents’ bullpens pay for it. They always seem like they can be in it—not because of sheer talent, but instead a willingness to play and keep fighting with a heart unmatched by any other baseball team of the modern era.

However, from a statistician’s point of view, the Eagles may be one of the best teams on paper in the NFL. Still, they could go from a sure playoff contender to the “best” 2-2 team (like they are now), to the “best” last-place team, to the “best” team to not make the playoffs—and go absolutely nowhere, all while still being the best at doing nothing of any importance.

More specifically, however many wins Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb may have together (175 to be exact), in the last quarter of the game, with everything on the line, the Eagles came up short on four downs. This, in my opinion, epitomized the Eagles of the last decade. So close, but no cigar.

Yesterday, it was a glorious Sunday for the City of Brotherly Love. For the second straight year, and just the second time in fifteen years, the Phillies had clinched the N.L. East and were on their way to the playoffs. But that night, the Eagles went nowhere and took another tough loss, reminding beleaguered Eagles fans of the disastrous 2007 season.

No matter what may happen to the Phillies in the upcoming weeks, they have earned Philadelphia’s respect for the second straight year. Meanwhile, the Eagles—who had played with no passion whatsoever—were, like the Mets, coming home again to lie low until the next game, whenever that would be.

Were they deserving of the loss? Absolutely.

In retrospect, everything was the way it should be.