Eagles Coaching Search Continues, Baffles, Amuses
The circus is in town, and it has settled into Lincoln Financial Field and it’s environs. I teased in an earlier post about the absurdities of the names that are being bandied about for the position. I maintain that Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher will not be the next Eagles coach. They’re pipe dreams, and I believe, the wrong men for the job.
Now I hear that Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly has been tapped for an interview. After his team’s scintillating performance against Alabama, I can see why they’d be so hot to trot. Just remember the Chip Kelly and Bill O’Brien lesson: both will likely look for more money from their respective schools, and neither, I believe, had any intention of taking a pro job.
So what else was on what passes for my mind? The Eagles will apparently be interviewing former Chicago Bears head man Lovie Smith. He’s an interesting coach, but, in essence, he’s very much like Andy Reid. Appearances in the playoffs, losses where there should have been wins, and considered a disappointment despite an overall enviable record. If your team is the Seahawks or Browns, Lovie Smith would be a great coach.
Not if you’re the Eagles. The Eagles need someone who is no-nonsense, a regular guy. Someone who comes with little fanfare, has a fairly deep NFL coaching resume, and – most important of all: Can get players to believe in his way and has a strong coaching tree.
In the last 20 years, few coaches have impacted the NFL more than Bill Parcells. His coaching tree includes Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, who have five Super Bowl wins between them. Parcells is pretty much responsible for the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys having been competitive teams. All of these teams were in pretty dubious shape when he took over, and all of them improved immediately and for a good long while.
And then there’s the Dolphins. Parcells was named Executive VP of Football Operations in 2008 and named Tony Sparano coach. Sparano led the Fins to an 11-5 record in 2008 and a playoff appearance. Things didn’t go as well after that, and both Parcells and Sparano were gone after the 2011 season. Sparano then resurfaced as the offensive coordinator of the Jets in 2012. He was fired on January 7th after a lackluster season.
The Eagles could do a lot worse than Tony Sparano. The Dolphins were thin on talent in 2011, but they never quit on Sparano, winning six of the last nine games. This was done under great duress, during a time when the Dolphins managment very publicly and unprofessionally wooed coaches while Sparano still held the job. With this type of base leadership, it’s no wonder Sparano couldn’t make a truly decent team there.
Now, stop that scoffing and reread that last paragraph. When was the last time any Eagles team played with that much heart? They quit on Reid. It’s clear that Reid was gone anyway, but there was no team unity and no indication that the team felt anything for their coach. All I got from them was that they were waiting for the season to end. And so it did. With a big splat.
Sparano had to deal with his management interviewing other coaches while he was trying to save a sinking ship. The Fins started the season 0-7 and finished 6-10. That means that they were 1-7 and 5-3 if you split the seasons. Compare that to this year’s Eagles: 3-5 and 1-7.
I like the idea of a coach that inspires loyalty in his team, a coach that the players supported. A coach that the players felt that they had let down. A coach that the players were not happy to see leaving town.
Again, compare that to the Eagles. The fans, and seemingly, the players, were not all that upset about seeing Reid leaving. Everyone who bleeds Eagles green seems all too happy to blame Reid for the team’s woeful performance. Not much team unity or coach loyalty at all.
Oh – and in additon to being a part of Parcell’s coaching tree, Sparano has also spent time on the staffs of Marty Schottenheimer, Coughlin and Wade Phillips. This is a pretty good pedigree.
Philadelphia wants a winner, and it’s clear from the coach talk that the fans are willing to divorce reality when they talk about who should replace Andy Reid. More than anything, the Eagles need someone who is accountable, has a good coaching pedigree and doesn’t get into petty skirmishes with media or players. They need a good football coach.
They could do a lot worse than Tony Sparano. I expect some dissension and dismissiveness directed toward this recommendation, but I stand by it. Compared to some of the other names being proposed, is this idea really all that ridiculous? I think not.
That Buzzing You Hear? Don’t Worry, It’s Just Useless, Annoying NFL Chatter
And here I thought that the endless, mindless drivel dedicated to the speculation about the firing of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid could not be topped in terms of annoying the crap out of me.
Sadly, local radio stations ESPN and WIP reminded me that I constantly underrate their ability to turn journalism into used toilet paper. And I apologize to the used toilet paper – at least it is supposed to be soiled from time to time, whereas ESPN and WIP rarely do what they are supposed to do.
That is – report on news. Not speculate on it or create it. Clearly, I have some misinformation when it comes to sports radio. Unlike sports radio (and TV – can’t leave out radio’s big and more obnoxious brother) I have converstations with people about sports that include listening to the other person, acknowledging a good point, thoughtful and reasoned insight and a liberal dose of reality.
Now then – the speculation around Reid’s dismissal was about as annoying as sports talk radio could get. Everyone seemed to have a “reliable source” (Miss Cleo, perhaps?) that gave assurances that Reid was as gone as journalistic integrity is. And many were so smug about it, as though they were providing some heretofore unthought perspective to the proceedings. And the sports radio guys got on the bandwagon – and how – actively talking about the new coaching possibilites days before the announcement was made. It was unseemly and unprofessional at best.
I so wanted the Eagles to retain Reid, just to have this smugness shoved back into their faces. Alas, it was not to be as the team cut Reid loose and opened a new gate to sports hell.
Now we are bombarded with a near constant stream of:
- Good riddance, Andy Reid. Usually accompanied by forgetting that the Eagles were very successful during Reid’s tenure and also forgetting that the person bloviating was a huge Reid fan five years earlier. A pity that Reid forgot how to coach. And a good thing that he had a good defensive coordinator, or else he might not have won a game.
- Reluctant reminiscing about Reid: More thoughtful speakers acknowledging that Reid was a pretty good coach who could have run the ball more. Some even go as far as to postulate that perhaps Reid stuck around too long and got stale.
- Endless, brain numbing speculation about who will be the next coach!
Yes, that’s right. What is more annoying than listening to speculation regarding Reid’s firing? The unrealistic and completely scattershot speculation swirling around his replacement.
Remember that scene in Dark Knight when the Gotham City police had a cork board with pictures of possible identities for Batman? I believe that Elvis, Abe Lincoln and Bigfoot were among the suspects. These four (don’t forget Batman, now) seem to be the only names that haven’t been offered as names for a replacement coach.
Here’s a look at some of the names being bandied about, and my thoughts on each:
- Jon Gruden: Hahahaha. Sure – he beat his former team in the Super Bowl. That’s nice. Remember how his tenure in Tampa Bay ended? Let me help refresh that memory: 7-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-12, 9-7, 9-7 and no playoff wins. Seems that he didn’t do as well against teams that were not the team he used to coach. I think he’s quite comfortable offering nothing resembling actual insight during football broadcasts.
- Bill Cowher: Hahahahahaha. Because it took him 14 years to win a Super Bowl? You just ran a guy with 14 years out of town. Do Eagles fans really have that much patience? I think Cowher might entertain Jacksonville or Carolina. I can’t see him leaving the coziness of the TV studio to coach in a win-starved, overexpecting town like Philly. It’s great that Philly fans want to win. But Cowher is not a guy who would put up with constant armchair quarterbacking easily.
- Chip Kelly: Not sure who he is (Oregon? Yes, this lack of knowledge is a pretty lame oversight on my part, but I don’t watch college football – and I don’t get paid for this, so Suck It, Trebek!). I keep hearing about ‘number of plays’ and ‘option’ when his name is invoked. I just need to hear ‘option’ and I’m ready for the next name.
- Bill O’Brien: Because Bill Belichick assistant coaches have done SO WELL as head coaches in their own right. I know you’ve all pretty much forgotten the Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels and Nick Saban pro coaching tenures. Eagles fans: Do you REALLY want to try your luck with another Belichick disciple?
- Knute Rockne: As so many brilliant speculators have said about Chucky and Steely McBeam: A guy like Rockne would be perfect for the Eagles. Too bad he’s dead (I think).
- Al Pacino or Gene Hackman: Hey – they’d be great, wouldn’t they? They played very driven, successful football coaches. And the prospects of them coaching the Eagles are about as realistic as Gruden or Cowher doing so.
Look – I hate to mock all of this speculation (well, I don’t hate it entirely, I must admit), but Eagles fans: You need to chill out and let this thing run its course. You may think you know better than the owner and GM… but you don’t. Please stop calling the sports shows and pontificating about who would be the ideal coach. It’s embarrasing.
It’s these sorts of callers that fuel the loutish, ignorant reputation that Philly sports fans have. And the freaking Wing Bowl debacle doesn’t help either. Whenever the morning guys descend into Wing Bowl talk, hoo boy! Talk about your can’t-change-the-channel-fast-enough moments.
What you could do instead is look back at the past 14 years and savor that time. It’s unlikely you will ever see one coach at the helm for that length of time. And it’s also unlikely you will see a coach rack up that many wins for the Silver and Green.
So it didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. Would you rather have been a Seahawks, Bengals, Browns or Bills fan these past 14 years? How many coaches have these four teams had combined? 85? 90? And what do they have to show for it? One supremely underwhelming Super Bowl appearance that was won by a clearly superior team. And that team that won had the same coach for 15 seasons.
The consistency Reid brought to the Eagles should be celebrated. Because you’ll probably have four coaches in the next 14 years – and, more than likely, the same number of Super Bowl wins as were collected in the previous 14 years.
I’d love to be proven wrong. Even though I am a Steelers fan, I’d love to see the Eagles hoist that trophy. I just don’t think that changing the coach will bring this about. And even if it does, you’ll need to be patient. Try to cut the new guy some slack. He’s got big shoes to fill, whether you give Reid credit or not.
Another Blog’s 2012 Year in Review
Well, it was a crazy year, wasn’t it? At this time of reflection, we here at ‘Another Blog’ thought it would be great fun to look back at 2012 and revisit the blog’s favorite articles that 2 or 3 people (other than us) had read!
Without further ado, let’s take a time machine carpet ride back to 2012! Damn! That flux capacitor is on the fritz again…
Our thought provoking (and quick) take on The Hobbit:
“Unfortunately, we’ve been conditioned over the years to associate the video tape look with cheapness and I don’t think that’s going to change, at least not for our generation.”
https://anotherblogonthefire.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/quick-thoughts-on-the-hobbit-in-48-fps-3d/
Accurate thoughts on the NFL playoffs:
“you’ve got a recipe for Playoff Stew, hold the playoffs.”
Inaccurate thoughts about the Eagles coaching situation:
“With no financial incentive to do so, why would Lurie make a change? From a business perspective, I think it would be foolish.”
A jealousy-inducing series chronicling “Eurotrip 2012”:
“I didn’t go, so I will keep my comments brief.”
https://anotherblogonthefire.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/eurotrip-2011/
How much the All-Star game stinks (not as much as the Pro Bowl):
“While it’s probably true that the baseball All-Crap game is more worthy of attention than the NFL’s Pro Bowl or the NBA’s All-Crap game, it is still, at heart, a lame-o game-o.”
https://anotherblogonthefire.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/the-all-star-game-and-carlos-ruiz/
One of baseball’s greats and why he isn’t (and should be) in the Hall of Fame:
“Murderers and other hardcore criminals have served less of a sentence than Rose has served.”
https://anotherblogonthefire.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/forgive-or-forget-about-him/
So there you have it – highlights from some great unread writing and an unknown amount of unreposted articles. And now, because we care about you, the folks who will quickly move on to other online content, we’re offering you another chance here to not take a look at the great content within. All you have to do is not click through any of the links!
From our families to yours, we wish you a happy, safe and prosperous 2013!
Reid My Lips: For the Eagles, 8-8 is not acceptable. Or is it?
As the 2012 NFL season winds down, the inevitable talk of coaching changes is picking up steam. As was the case in 2010 and 2011, Eagles fans are frothingly anticipating the firing of head coach Andy Reid.
I will be surprised if this change is made. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has little reason to do so. He hasn’t listened to the fans before this, why would he start now? The fans have been calling for Reid’s removal for at least two years. And there hasn’t even been a whisper of removing Reid.
But before I get bogged down in mocking those fans who are talking about how awesome it would be to have Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher or Vince Lombardi in the main job, it might be interesting to focus on a pivotal question: How do you get rid of a coach? This question supposes, of course, that the owner is not someone like the late Al Davis and that the team is not a team with a similar history as the Cleveland Browns, both of whom have proven that repeated coaching changes does not necessarily translate to winning games the next season.
So – changing coaches if your owner is not a meddlesome prat or a jerk (like Jerry Jones) who can’t stop himself from saying stupid things to the media after games:
- Stop going to the games (less concession money, less parking, fewer ticket sales)
- Stop buying the team merchandise (overrated Quarterback Michael Vick is the league’s 7th best selling jersey in 2012)
- Stop talking about the team (don’t call the local sports radio to discuss the team)
None of this has happened, and it’s likely it won’t. With no financial incentive to do so, why would Lurie make a change? From a business perspective, I think it would be foolish. And make no mistake, the Eagles are business first, and a football team second.
Lest the one or two readers that come across this article think I have completely lost it, I’ll concede that Reid’s ouster could very well happen. I just don’t think it will. And Lurie’s an owner – we can’t really believe a word that they say. A vote of confidence is often a way of letting a coach know that he should go and get some moving boxes.
As for coaches, in this case, Andy Reid – well, you can’t really trust his word, either. Especially if you’re a QB:
- Donovan McNabb gets vote of confidence – released soon thereafter
- Kevin Kolb announced by Reid as the QB of the future – Then he’s often taken out during certain game situations in lieu of Vick, and then eventually replaced by Vick, then released
- Vick – named QB, 2nd year struggles set in, overratedness and fumblerooski/turnoveritis shine through. Concussion, rookie Nick Foles named starter for rest of season. And the fans calling the sports radio are already saying the Eagles will need to find a new QB for next year, so watch out, Mr. Foles.
It’s probably true that Kolb is the only one Reid pretty much, out-and-out lied to/misled, but this particular “not quite truthiness” quirk of Reid’s doesn’t bode well for any QB looking to come to Philly. Add in the poorly handled Terrell Owens, David Akers, Brian Westbrook and Brian Dawkins releases and the past few years haven’t been good from the player perspective.
The time to make a coaching change would have been after the 2007 or the 2011 8-8 seasons. Why now? What’s so special about 8-8? Why was it “acceptable” in 2007 and 2011? If anyone is at fault, it’s Lurie for giving Reid so much power. Lurie should make Reid coach and coach only and then hire an actual GM (I don’t think many Eagles fans would argue with me that Howie Roseman ain’t cuttin’ it). And if Reid doesn’t like that, THEN Lurie should send him packing.
The Eagles, Reid and Lurie could be something special… if only they weren’t so wishy-washy.
For the Fans
So, even though I should just stop listening to ESPN radio in the morning, I was listening yesterday morning. Mike & Mike were talking about Dwight Howard and what will happen with him. I don’t give a rat’s behind about the NBA or anything that goes on within those confines. I’d hoped that they’d blather about this, and then move on to other topics.
But it didn’t just go away. They kept at it, boring me to pieces. Then, just as I was about to change the station, Mike Greenberg mentioned the idea of just letting him go and calling it a day. Guest mouth with no substance Tim Legler hit us with the great sports fallacy that every sports talking head seems to have in their back pocket (paraphrased): “They can’t do that. They’d never be able to sell that to the fans.”
Right. The fans. Because the teams care so much about us fans. Because the teams listen to what the fans think and do what the fans want. Because their actions are taken with the fan in mind. Look – fans aren’t stupid – we know sports is a business, and all teams are in it to make money. We delude ourselves into thinking that the players on a team care as much about team loyalty as we do. And really, we know that this just isn’t so.
But the guys at ESPN don’t seem to know this is the case. Why couldn’t the Orlando Magic just release Howard at the end of the season? What do they care? He won’t be playing for them anyway. Greenberg made it seem as though simply releasing him would clear up some cap space. Sounds good. Use that money for some new ungrateful malcontent who can score points. Done.
Oh, but wait! That’s not what the fans want the Magic to do. No! The fans want the Magic to get something for Howard if you’re just going to let him go. And because the fans want that, why that’s just what the Magic will do. They’ll poll the fans and ask them what they should do. Then everybody will be happy! What a wonderful world. And then the Magic will do exactly what they feel like doing, and what they’ll do will be whatever will get them the most financially.
And as if this nonsense wasn’t enough, the local radio has been humming with talk of “Andy Reid has got to go.” Really? Why? Because of all those winning seasons? Because of the unprecedented success of the past 13 years? While I understand that the Eagles have not won a Super Bowl, the ownership is not going to just get rid of Reid that easily.
Observe the stadium on game day. What do you notice? The place is packed – filled to capacity. And what are most of those fans wearing? That’s right – Eagles jerseys. What did they have to do before they got there? Pay for parking. And what will they do now that they’re in the stadium? Eat and drink at the concession stands.
And why are those fans there? Because every year, Andy Reid puts together a team that the fans get behind and that they hope will win that elusive Super Bowl. Every year. And if the fans keep selling out the stadium, why on Earth would the owners get rid of Reid??
Look, I love to watch football as much as the next guy. I have some hats and shirts with Steelers logos on them. I am part of the problem. But I know the drill. The Steelers are not going to make any team decisions based on fan input. They’re not. I’d love to get a call from Mike Tomlin asking me if they should resign Mike Wallace or if they should draft offensive or defensive line players. They’re the Steelers. I’m pretty sure they can get along just fine without polling Northsiders or Yinzers.
And Eagles fans – despite what Mike Missanelli is bloviating about , the Eagles will not be drafting Robert Griffin III. It’s just not in their makeup to do something like that. They have all the answers, and you have to just go along with what they say. And please – stop presenting your trade scenarios to Missanelli – it’s not going to happen.
And one more thing – for whatever reason, the radio host power tools in Philadelphia have appointed themselves (both WIP and ESPN) the arbiters of what is a ‘violation’ for the callers. In a nutshell, callers call up and present a scenario (using the middle stall, wearing a vest over an NFL jersey) that they think is questionable. Then the pinhead host (seriously, I don’t think there is one worthwhile radio host in the Philadelphia area) weighs in and declares it a violation. There has never been, to my knowledge, any declaration as to what puts these numbskulls in a position to decide such a thing.
Not that it would matter – it’s thoroughly annoying irrespective of how you slice it. I feel that the whole process is a violation and that they should all be forced to stop. As for the callers – why? Why do you play along? It makes me think of these ‘listmania’ people on amazon.com … what on earth would compel you to make a list of “favorite actors” or “best rodeo scene” or “saddest list that nobody reads” or some such. Why would a person spend the time to construct such a list? It’s almost as sad as writing articles for a blog that nobody reads or comments on… 🙂
Related articles:
Catching Up on Combustible NFL Chatter
Good riddance 2011, hello 2012. Here’s to a better year! That’s right, another year has come and gone, and there’s plenty to get caught up on. Before you start reading something else, I only plan to cover a couple of NFL-related topics here. Those crazy cats in the NFL certainly didn’t sit on their hands, did they? Although they may have had some “monster egg nog that my brother makes with lighter fluid”…
Where to start? “Polian Dynamite” seems as good a place as any. And a clever pop culture reference. Fine – I wasn’t the first one to come up with it, but you have to admit, it’s pretty good! Couple that cleverness with the fact that this was kind of a surprise ending, and you’ve got…something. Bill Polian out as GM in Indianapolis??? Didn’t see that coming! And take your little son (Chris Polian) with you as well!
Not to worry, folks, I’m sure Mr. Polian will be just fine. I wonder if this has anything to do with this whole Peyton Manning/Andrew Luck thing? Perhaps a little birdy indicated that there might be interest in trading Manning and starting fresh with the unproven college boy. If that is the case, perhaps Mr. Polian indicated he’d rather not be there when that conversation with Mr. Manning went down. Or maybe Jim Irsay simply decided that 10+ years of sustained excellence wasn’t enough to keep ol’ Bill around.
Then there’s Raheem Morris in Tampa Bay and Steve Spagnuolo in St. Louis, both fired after three unspectacular seasons – always a very curious coaching move if you ask me. I don’t think that three years is enough time to really determine if a coach is moving a team in the right direction. After all, the Bucs and Rams have sucked for a number of years now. And does anyone really think that these two teams will miraculously be better next year with new coaches? I don’t. Not given the track records of those doing the hiring.
In San Diego, there’s Norv Turner, who lives to fight another day, despite turning in yet another average season. With all that talent that ESPN blathers on about, they should be much better than they are… year after year. Bottom line – the Chargers are boring. Average and boring. Speaking of average seasons…
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie caused 30 percent of the heads in Philly to explode when he announced that head coach Andy Reid would be retained for another year to lead the team in 2012, after ‘guiding’ the team to an 8-8 finish. I think that only the most optimistic or most judgment clouded of Eagles fans were really surprised by this. And the non-beleivers in town seemed to be compelled to call in to the local radio stations to semi-literately express their displeasure in fake (and increasing in volume from word to word) exhortations of how much they’re “sick of it”. Most likely, these are the same folks who will continue to go to the games and continue to buy the licensed Eagles items.
Here’s what I truly think is going on. Andy Reid is viewed as being an arrogant putz who can’t justify his arrogance because he hasn’t won a Super Bowl. Immensely (and unjustifiably) sanctimonious local sports ‘experts’ like Mike Missanelli will rail on and on about the NFC title game losses, and never forget to remind us that the Eagles were home favorites in three of these games. After all, Bill Belichick can act like that, he’ll remind us, because he has three rings!
I think that Reid’s close to the vest way of conducting press conferences is the real culprit here. In the early days, there was less chatter about Reid’s handling of the media because it was all so new and because the Eagles were winning games. Over time, losses mounted, and frustration amongst the very faithful fans racheted up. And then I think that the media seized on their own frustration with Reid’s consistent and frequent non-answers and stoked the anti-Reid sentiment to a fever pitch. Since they weren’t getting the satisfaction of actual answers to their questions (and let’s be honest, half of the questions are stupid anyway, but they still deserve polite consideration from the head coach…as he is the face of the team), they turned the fan base on Andy Reid.
It wasn’t hard to do. Reid was losing playoff games year after year. On the flip side of that, unlike many previous Eagles teams, they were at least getting to the playoffs. That said, I must raise a point in defense of the fans – Reid does come off as a standoffish, cocky, dismissive jerk at press conferences. This character flaw (a charitable description) is the only explanation I can think of that would explain why Eagles fans hate the guy when the team has been winning games at an unprecedented clip since he was named coach.
Of course, none of this is saying that the national media folks should not do their homework. Before they condemn Eagles fans (yet again) with circumstantial and unresearched ‘evidence’ of their hooliganism, they should go and talk to the fans. They should be in Philly for a full season of Eagles football. It can be quite frustrating.
They’re very passionate, knowledgeable and loyal fans. To say otherwise is simply ignoring the facts. They know their football. And not just Eagles football. These poor fans suffer – they get their hopes dashed a lot. By a team they love. A team that – sad to say – falsely professes to love the fans. And Reid does nothing to make the fans feel any better about things.
Mid December NFL Thoughts: The Eagles & Andy Reid
In the Philadelphia area, the big NFL topic is: The fate of Eagles coach Andy Reid. He’s pretty much reviled by the local media, and, if the local radio call in shows are any indication, he’s reviled by the fans as well. To wit, the call in shows feature very passionate fans all over the area declaring Reid a dead man walking, and naming possible successors to the role of head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Most of the speculation is pure wishful thinking nonsense. Tony Dungy. Bill Cowher. Jon Gruden. I totally agree that all three of these guys would be pretty good names to fill the job and get the fan base excited. But — it’s time to face the facts: these guys are not going to be the Eagles next coach. Remember when Reid was hired? Nobody knew who he was, and that is likely what will happen when it’s time to name a new coach.
As for the dreamy candidates named, let’s have a quick look at them:
Tony Dungy – a guy who put together a very good team in Tampa Bay, but was labeled as a coach who couldn’t win the big one.
Bill Cowher – He did win the big one, but it took him 14 years to do it.
Jon Gruden – He also won the big one, but it was against his former team. And, based on the ease with which Gruden’s defense (actually, Dungy’s defense) ripped the Raiders offense to shreds, his successor in Oakland, Bill Callahan – didn’t bother to update and/or change the playbook for the Super Bowl.
Now – all of these guys would seem to be a great fit for the Eagles. But I can see problems. Especially where impatient Eagles fans (and they are justified in their impatience) are concerned.
Dungy – Couldn’t win the big one, remember? Of course, he did – when he was coach of a team that had All-World quarterback Peyton Manning. I think that after watching the Colts go 0-for-2011 without Manning, we can see who was the more important cog in the Colts success. I’d have to classify Dungy as important – but I’d have to classify Manning as absolutely pivotal.
Cowher – Just like Reid, he has had problems getting past his Championship Round. In fact, for a short while, Cowher and Reid shared the dubious distinction of having been to five Championship games and one Super Bowl without winning any championship. Does anybody remember that in 1998, 1999 and 2000 (all losing seasons for the Steelers), ESPN was questioning whether or not Cowher would get fired? I don’t think that Eagles fans should be so eager to have someone with such a similar postseason history as the guy they have now – and complain so bitterly about.
Gruden – There is no doubt that he had a good run as a coach and made the Raiders something other than an NFL footnote. That said, when he was traded to Tampa Bay, he did win the Super Bowl. But see the above note for why talk of Gruden saving the Eagles might be a bit premature. Besides that above note, he never did win another Super Bowl, now did he? In fact, Tampa Bay was quite pedestrian – some might even say bad, registering a 7-9, then a 5-11 record in the two seasons after that Super Bowl win.
In fact, Gruden’s Bucs teams were pretty much average (4-12, 9-7 and 9-7 in his final three seasons) for the rest of his tenure. With the exception of the 11-5, no playoff win 2005 season, there was nothing to write home about where Chucky the head coach was concerned. After the 2008 season, he was fired quite unceremoneously – like most coaches, no matter how good or successful that coach has been.
The last thing to consider is that it is very unlikely that the Eagles will even be making a coaching change. All this talk of the Eagles new coach just seems to be a waste of energy to me. But I do agree that the Eagles could benefit from a change in their head coaching. Not because I think Andy Reid is a bad head coach, but because he’s been here long enough to have run his course. Sometimes a team makes a change because it’s time. I don’t get this impression from the Eagles.
Under Andy Reid, the Eagles have experienced a Golden Age. They’ve won a lot of football games and had some good times. I understand the fans who have had enough and want Reid to see himself to the door. But I don’t know if they’ll be able to find what they want on the other side of that door. Sometimes it might be better to stick with the devil you know.
Title Game Madness: Devil’s Advocate
What would be the worst case scenario for a Steelers fan who also pulls for the local-team Eagles? Why, a Ravens/Cardinals Super Bowl, of course.
Could that happen? Sure it could. Arizona and Baltimore didn’t get here because they lost games. They’re here because they won games. Some pretty good ones.
The Ravens beat the Lazurus-like Miami Dolphins and the AFC’s top-seeded Titans to get here, causing all sorts of havoc on defense and taking the ball away from these two teams, that, prior to facing Baltimore did a good job of taking care of the ball.
The Cardinals beat the surprising – and should be good for years to come – Falcons and the suddenly turnover-prone Caolina Panthers. On paper, both teams are better than the Cards. But as the Talking Heads once intoned: “Go ahead, tear it up…rip up the paper.”
Let’s look at some Raven facts for a moment. They’ve already lost to the Steelers twice this season, and they are 1-3 against the Mike Tomlin-led Black & Gold. As if they needed anything to stoke their hatred of the Steelers, all they need to do is remember November 5, 2007 – a Monday Night Football game in which the Steelers destroyed the Ravens 38-7. How could you ask for more in terms of hate than to be humliliated on national television? That was then, this is now.
As for the Cardinals, they could use that 48-20 Thanksgiving Day loss as a stick. I can tell you that the Philadelphia media and fans are never more annoying than at times like this.
And before we go down that road, let me state here that Philadelphia fans are great fans. They don’t take losing lightly and they expect their teams to give their all. The fans get a bad rap, and I am not, in any way, saying anything negative here. What I said earlier is merely the impression one can get when listening to a Philly-based sports radio show. It seems that only the losers and loonies call in. Write it down – Philly has a great fan base.
Now, on to the rhetoric that I am hearing…Arizona has no chance. The evening drive guy on ESPN radio, Mike Missanelli, dismisses without any hope of refutation any talk that the Cardinals even have a chance. As though the very notion is patently impossible.
After hate, there’s nothing like disrespect to get a team going.
The Ravens come at you. Dare you to TRY to move the ball on their defense. They hit hard and intimidate and they prey bloodthirstily on opposing quarterbacks. Especially inexperienced ones. They pride themselves on limiting running backs to sub-100 yard days and on creating turnovers.
With bright, shiny talent on defense – names we all know – like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs (maybe) and lesser known names on offense like Todd Heap, Joe Flacco and Le’Ron McClain (who ripped off numerous solid runs to the tune of 23 carries for 87 yards against Pittsburgh’s number one defense in their December 14th 13-9 loss), the Ravens are not going to be cowed by streaks or a historical numbers and what they say about teams beating teams three times in the same season.
The Ravens might well say, let jerks like me predict that the Steelers will score 30 points on that D. We’ll see who gets the last laugh when there are four zeros on the clock, won’t we?
As for the Cardinals, they’re playing with house money, right? They barely won a crap division, lost badly to the team they’re going to face and have gotten so so so lucky in the playoffs. I mean, who, besides Nostradamus, saw Carolina turning the ball over six times?
With a Super Bowl winning (and losing) quarterback in Kurt Warner, a playoff-experienced running back in Edgerrin James, a playoff-experienced head coach and assistant head coach in Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, why should the Cardinals feel they have anything other than a great chance to win?
In addition to that QB, RB and coaches, they’ve got a couple of great-to-very-good receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. I’m quite sure they’re going to get their fair share of catches.
No team has been more disrespected during this playoff run – and especially this week – than the Arizona Cardinals. I’m sure they’ve heard and reacted to all the knocks and posted some bulletin board material. Will it be enough?
No matter what happens, all four teams have given us some good football to watch and have provided their fans with many great moments to savor forever. Two will lose – it’s just the nature of the beast.
I, of course, am rooting for the Steelers and Eagles. But I would not be shocked at all to see things go another way. Since 1994, Pittsburgh (2-4) and Philadelphia (1-3) are a combined 3-6 in title games and 1-2 in Super Bowls. Quite a dubious result from two teams that have won so much in the past 15 years.
The Bill Cowher-led Steelers exorcised their demons by winning Super Bowl XLII in January 2005. Can Tomlin match his predecessor? The Eagles have known little more than heartbreak in the NFL’s biggest game. Could this be their year?
Or is this the year of the Cardinals/Ravens Super Bowl? I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out!
Andy Blank
Mike Frangione
Depends on What the Meaning of the Word 'Blog' is 
Gotta Do A Better Job
I’m not one to focus on what the usual voices of Philadelphia sports media (like WIP’s morning radio host (more accurately escaped sociopath) Angelo Cataldi, who thinks he does, but does not, represent the typical Philly fan) have to say about much of what goes on sportswise in Philly. As as Steelers fan, I can look at Eagles situations from an outsider’s point of view. I tend not to get bogged down in the hometown rhetoric.
But this is different. Andy Reid, the polarizing former head coach of the Eagles is returning to Philadelphia to coach against his former team. Suddenly, there is something that has drowned out the ridiculous Chip Kelly bombast that has been swirling for the past few weeks. The Eagles fanbase is alive and talking. And, while this is good for sycophants like Cataldi… it’s not really good for anyone who is objective and retains his or her sanity when presented with a delicious situation like a former coach returning to the city.
Reid was maddening. His press conferences went in circles and he provided no answers to any questions. He was repetitive and condescending and evasive. Despite many voices questioning his coaching moves, he plowed on, striding a very similar path week after week, For a while, things went pretty well. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2005 (based on results of the stellar 2004 season), but lost to the very film savvy New England Patriots.
Now, Reid is the head man in Kansas City. The overhyped (he’s 1-1) Chip Kelly is the head man in Philadelphia. The inevitable game pitting Reid against the Eagles (really, the city of Philadelphia) is here. Obviously, there is a great outpouring of emotion over this event. Most callers to the sports radio station are alight with dreams of the Eagles handing their nemesis a “shellacking he’ll never forget…”
As if this wasn’t enough to cause a frenzy in Philly, there’s more. The Eagles are going to honor equally controversial former quarterback (and a guy that was Reid’s main guy for 10 years) Donovan McNabb that same night. Wow! Reid and McNabb – two of the most talked about Philly sports figures back in town on the same night. I am surprised that the ground didn’t open up and swallow the stadium whole.
Let’s recap:
Philly fans are in a lather because, according to ESPN, Chip Kelly has arrived in Philly and presented the fans with an offense that has never been and never will be again seen in pro football. Something that will live forever and make us forget about football the way it used to be. There is no shortage of talk praising Kelly and his offensive schemes, even if a lot of it is simply a backhanded shot at Reid.
Former coach and media and fan punching bag Reid is back in town, tasked with taking on his former team in what is certain to be a somewhat hostile environment. I think it’s safe to say that Reid will hear some cheers, but he is also certain to hear some boos. Short memories. The team is in a lot better shape now than when he first arrived. But his standoffishness and sanctimoniousness left a bad taste in the mouth of the fans. It’s OK to be a jerk if you win. And while Reid won plenty of games, he never did win the Super Bowl.
Donovan McNabb is going to be honored the night of the game. There are few players that have engendered such emotion from his fanbase AFTER leaving the team than McNabb. The problem is, much like in his playing days – he doesn’t know when to just say nothing. He makes oblique references, and frequently finds someone else to blame for the negative things that happened. A lot of Eagles fans will impugn his skills as a quarterback, but that’s unfair. He was a very good QB, and deserves respect for what he did on the field. It was his inability to accept a leadership role (and also to accept blame for losses) that made him such a controversial figure in Philly. In my opinion, anyway.
So what does all this mean? That the Eagles and their fans will get some measure of revenge by beating their former coach and by booing their former quarterback. Both of whom did many great things as members of the Eagles, but tarnished those achievements by either having too much personality and no backbone (McNabb) or by having zero personality and making too many snarky comments when asked a question (Reid). Chip Kelly and his nothing-like-this-has-ever-been-seen-before offense will see to it that Reid & Co. lose by at least 37 touchdowns.
Not so fast. All the pressure’s on the Eagles. From the fans, from the media… there’s too much focus on Andy Reid. Also, he should know how to get in the head of some of the players. And he might know some of Vick’s tendencies. Add in the McNabb ceremony, and you’ve got oodles of distractions for the Eagles.
It’s rarely good to play when you have too many possible motivators. Reid has nothing to lose. He’s with a new team, he’s 2-0 (already tied last year’s win total) and he’s in a fairly weak division. Despite ESPN’s hyperbole, I think that Denver will crash to Earth soon. Especially if they play a team with a tough defense who will actually pressure Peyton Manning. In the Thursday night game, the pressure is all on the Eagles. They should be careful not buy into their own hype.
The way I see it, these teams are evenly matched. With this much attention on this game, anything can happen. I don’t think home field will be a factor here. Who knows? This ought to be a very interesting game – one played between the fans of a city and their former coach – if nothing else.
As for Angelo Cataldi – he said that he’d be in intensive care if the Eagles lost to Reid and the Chiefs. I wonder if any Eagles fans would think it would be worth it to lose, given this information?