Absolute Train Wreck

In the game that officially sealed the fates of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the Birds got whupped in every aspect of the game in a 36 to 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

After last week's embarrassment, if you needed any more evidence of why this franchise needs to blow it up and start over again, you got it today. The offensive line is brutal. The running backs are soft. The tight ends are absolutely useless when run blocking. If you looked up "pedestrian wide receivers" in the dictionary, you'd have Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown staring back at you. The QB's (it didn't matter if it was D Mac or Kolb) were terrible. I suppose the defense wasn't terrible, but the team did give up 36 points, which means you can't spare them any criticism.

Overall, I'm just tired of this franchise. I was willing to over look how annoying Reid, Lurie and Banner can be when they were winning big in the early 90's, but I've now had enough. I don't like these guys. I really want some personality on this team. I can't stand how vanilla they are. I can't stand how they try to win with two or three highly talented guys and then a roster full of muckers and grinders. I want some top notch talent, but that would require the team to draft well, which they haven't done when they aren't trading away picks for a rainy day.

I'm just flat out annoyed. I want Steve Spagnuolo as the new head coach. I want a real GM. I want a new QB. I just want change, but the type of change you can believe in. Not a new guy that promises change, gets a job based upon said promised change and then hires a staff full of also rans from a previous regime.

With that, I'm out.

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

After last week's debacle, expectations are very low. Very low. My wife didn't even dress up my daughter in her Eagles' jersey. The general consensus seems to be that D Mac and Reid are done (which I agree with, by the way.) However, if those two have any guts, they'll come out with a good performance this week. The only problem is that they'll be facing the Ravens defense which I think could shut them down and remind us of how bad they are on the offensive side of the ball.

The only problem is that the Ravens aren't much better on offense either. Jim Johnson usually comes up with great game plans against young players, so we could be faced with another 13 to 10 type game.

Since most teams react well to the whole "everyone is against us" routine, I see the Birds coming out on the positive side of a 13-10 game.

(By the way, I'm secretly hoping that Ray Rice busts loose for about 150 and 2 td's, but that's just me.)

This Pretty Much Sums Things Up...

If you were on vacation for the first 10 weeks of the Eagles' season and were wondering how Donovan (or Dunn-o-vin as my father in law calls him), here's an excellent summary by the Sports Guy:

I have watched far too much of the Eagles this season (again, for fantasy purposes) and would evaluate McNabb's 2008 performance like so: out of shape, careless, semi-competitive and uninspiring. The fact that Philly can't run the ball in short-yardage situations but McNabb never, ever, EVER runs QB draws or sneaks should tell you something. I think he just doesn't want to get hit anymore. He seems like a guy on his way out of the league to me.

Does anyone disagree w/ this? Didn't think so.

New Found Respect

Few guys in the media really tell it like it is and give you the real reason a team struggles. Well, today G Cobb pulled back the curtain and revealed the real problem with the Eagles' running game. Check this out:

The Eagles lack confidence in their running game to the point where they are so scared that they won't even try to run the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals defense which averages giving up 131 yards per game running the ball. The Eagles should start the game running the ball like crazy, if McNabb is throwing the ball all over the lot.

Reid and his coaches haven't created the kind of atmosphere around the offensive line where they demand that they block for the running game.

The Birds have gotten soft up front. Center Jamaal Jackson has had a terrible season. He's hiked the ball early in key situations. Jackson seems to be the kind of guy who needs a constant "boot in his butt." He's a nice guy who needs to be fed some gun powder.

If I were Westbrook and McNabb I would have gone off a bunch of times because these big fat boys don't block for the running game.

Left guard Todd Herremans is a fun-loving dude who has been inconsistent in much the same way. He got himself a new contract a couple of years ago and is having the time of his life. Notice he has been late for meetings this year and last year.

If I were their coach I would make life hell for these guys because they lose focus and are too nice.

Max Jean-Gilles is trying to learn the position he's playing. He can be beaten with quickness and he's just not that sharp. He's trying, but he makes mistakes which are costly. He's not on the level of the guy he replaced, Shawn Andrews.

I'm not going to get personal with any of these guys but most of the time big offensive linemen come into the league and have the time of their lives. They've been big and unattractive all of their lives, now they've become a celebrity with money and women chasing them.

You have to keep their attention. Sometimes I wonder if the coaches know what's happening.

The interior of the offensive line, which helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs in 2006, is now the "Bermuda Triangle" because somebody is always screwing up. Notice that you never see them getting any type of push on running plays anymore.

I'm still laughing over the comment in bold. That's great work out of G Cobb. I guess you sometimes to fail to look at these guys like regular people. If I was rich and had a bunch of hot chicks chasing me all the time, I'm sure most of us would be doing the same.

I only wish one of the Flyers beat writers would have the guts to call out the Flyers group of young guys that are so preoccupied with what club they are going to in Olde City that they breeze through just about every Saturday night home game.

It's Official...We've Turned On Big Red and D Mac

Not only are bloggers like myself ready to turn the page on the Reid/McNabb era, but it appears that the mainstream media has had enough as well. Here's a summary of what we've seen over the last couple days:

-John Smallwood of the Daily News pretty much lays it out. The team Big Red the GM has put together no longer can be successful in today's NFL and puts together an antiquated offensive game plan.

-For some reason, I've always enjoyed Mark Eckel. I guess it's because it seems like he always had his own opinion and didn't care to curry favor with the Birds. Anyhow, Eckel is begging for the Birds to start over with Kolb. He makes some pretty decent points, that we all agree with.

-You gotta love Ashley Fox of the Inquirer. She comes off more like a blogger than a mainstream reporter. On Monday, she announces that the McNabb era is over. Then on Tuesday, she says he deserves a graceful exit. Talk about hedging your bets. Take a side and stick to it.

-G Cobb mumbles his way through a post arguing that either Reid or McNabb has to go. G actually makes a decent point about McNabb not fitting the offense.

-Even the national media is turning on their buddy Andy Reid and D Mac. Fox Sports says its time to start over and Peter King is calling for Kevin Kolb to get some playing time. Yes friends, things sure are different.

In any event, it seems like everyone in the city is on the same page. The Reid/McNabb marriage is heading towards divorce and the season's over. Normally, when everyone in the media goes in one direction, I tend to lean the other way, but I don't think there's any possibility of this ending with any other scenario where D Mac doesn't end up being shipped out at the end of the season.

I hope it happens. It's time to move on. We need new blood and since we know Reid isn't going anywhere, I guess I'm ready for the Kevin Kolb era to begin.

Return To The Good Old Days

Finally, the Flyers have got it right with their "new" third alternative jerseys. I really like the throwback look of these. It makes you harken back to the Glory Days of the LCB line, Bernie, the Hound, the Hammer, etc, etc. I like this jersey so much I would like to see it immediately replace the black jerseys. They look as contrived to me as the ridiculous Black Eagles jerseys.

What do you all think? I think we have a winner.

It's All Over...All Over

I know I’ve been MIA lately, but I finally have to weigh in on what has become of our Philadelphia Eagles. Today’s loss, I mean tie, made one thing painfully obvious. This team is going no where this year. So, let’s just move on to where things went wrong…

Andy Reid….Oh Andy, where do we begin. In some ways, I’m at a loss for words. I truly can’t believe how inept he has looked the last two weeks. The fact he punted the ball away with a minute left in overtime basically signaled that he was giving up on the game and the season. Lately, he has been down right Kotite-ian. (Wait, at least Richie the K showed some imagination here and there - lest anyone forget the fake screen left, throw screen right to Heath Sherman that he invented.) Whether we are talking his ridiculous replay challenges last week or his horrific play calling this week, Reid has just been terrible the last two weeks. It almost seems as if he mailed it in and failed to put together a coherent game plan this week. Did he think that the Birds could just show up and out talent the Bengals? It sure seemed like it. Unfortunately, Reid didn’t get the memo that he’s coaching the 2008 Eagles, not the 2004 Birds.

Andy Reid’s stubbornness about winning through the air has turned this team soft. The team played with no heart, no rhythm, or intensity on offense. Again, this goes back to the lack of a running game or even the semblance of caring about having a running game is simply startling. I think it really takes the heart out of this team. It makes us soft. To me, it looks like Reid and McNabb would rather be playing a 7 on 7 drill rather than playing real football.

This fact is really reinforced when watching the G Men or Redskins play. They have physical offensive lines, fullbacks, blocking tight ends and running backs that get tough yards. Our o-line may be the biggest in football, but they are always moving backwards. Our fullback is a defensive tackle trying to learn on the job. Our tight ends, wide receivers (save for Avant), and running backs are all finesse guys. There is not a single thing on this offense which indicates that they are hard nosed and have the slightest bit of heart.

Ray Diddy made a couple great points on Saturday about Big Red. The play calling shows no rhyme or reason. None of the play calls seem to build on the other. This seems to be a by product of throwing, down after down after down. The other point that he made was that Andy seems so engrossed in his play chart, that he fails to optimally manage the game, which is why the Birds are always scrambling to get the play off, wasting various time outs in the process.

Let’s not forget that McNabb played quite possibly his worst game as an Eagle. Do we need to see any thing more? He’s done with this team. His game long inaccuracy destroyed their chances to win today. I’m tired of his act. He’s seems to have regressed so much this year. I think it’s time for a change. This team is not going anywhere. Let’s see if Kolb has anything or whether we need to search out someone else for our future QB.

Finally, is anyone absolutely blown away by how many of the players in the post game interviews said that they did not realize the NFL awards ties? The supposed leader of the team, D Mac, came off as a complete idiot when he said something to the effect of (I am paraphrasing – I have been looking for the exact quotes on line that I saw on Post Game Live): “I had no idea the NFL only plays one overtime. I wonder what they would do in a playoff game or Super Bowl?” This statement alone shows that McNabb should go. How does anyone who has spent any time watching the NFL not know how overtime works in the NFL? Yes, this guy has to go.

After Last Night, We All Need To See This...

Some people just do a phenomenal job with You Tube. I want to personally want to thank the guy that put this together. This video is absolutely terrific. I've watched it a couple times now just to relive the memory. It will never get old.

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

Some of you will think I'm off my rocker or wonder if someone has captured the real PSP, but lest anyone believe this is not me. I think we win. I see a 23 to 14 victory. I can't give you concrete reasons, but I sense a victory.

See, this is what a World Championship does to you.

Random Thoughts

As I guess you can tell, I haven't been real motivated to write and I'm about to mail this one in as well. So kill me...I see one of my teams win a title and I kind of feel fulfilled with nothing really getting the juices flowing. In any event, I haven't totally ignored the Philly Sports Scene. Here are some things I've got on my mind:

1) What the hell is going on with the Flyers? Is it purely injuries? This team is missing 2 defensemen they were counting on, as well as Danny Briere. Is that all that's wrong or is there something deeper? The Orange & Black were totally lifeless. They better turn it on and soon because they don't want to dig themselves too deep a hole.

2) I read tonight that the Phils are seriously looking into trading for Matt Holliday again. Apparently, the Rockies want Shane Victorino. If they trade Victorino, the phans may burn down Citizen's Bank Park. The bigger problem is Holliday is only under contract for one more year. The last thing I want to see is the Phils give up good young players for a guy that will be here one year. Although, it sure would be nice to see a strong, consistent right handed bat in the lineup to break up Utley and Howard.

3) I saw that the Birds are favored by 3 this week over the Giants. How is this possible? Vegas must know something. In any event, I've learned from the annoying Howard Eskin, that when the line looks funny, bet in the direction that looks funny because Vegas knows better than you. I guess this tells us that the Birds win this weekend. We'll see.

4) The Sixers season started. Does anyone care? Didn't think so.

5) We have a new President and I haven't seen this much exuberant adulation over a change in personnel since Norman Braman and Harold Katz sold the Birds and Sixers, respectively.

6) Don't worry Penn State phans. The Nits won't get boned by the BCS. Both 'Bama and Texas Tech will lose a game. It could lead to a title game of Florida vs. PSU...with the Lions getting destroyed. Sorry guys.

Brutal Efficiency

After a week of excitement, I think we can all agree that today's Eagles' game was exactly what the doctor ordered. The Eagles put out a workmanlike, professional effort and grounded out an efficient, yet at times boring, 26 to 7 victory in Seattle.

Although, I have to admit, evil Philly Sports Phan returned in the first quarter when McNabb was short hopping balls to open receivers or holding onto the ball for an eternity. Plus, that first play was such a debacle that I was about to throw my cell phone at the TV. Nevertheless, the Birds settled down and so did I.

The only real issue was the offense's failure to turn red zone visits to TD's instead of field goals. Otherwise, it was such a satisfying, but boring performance, I spent most of the 4th quarter reading the news paper and helping my mother in law with a computer issue.

Maybe the Phils really have changed me because I expected the best and we got it today. Now, next week, I'm not so sure I'll be as confident.

Other thoughts:

-Mike Holmgren should retire. He makes Andy Reid look like a clock management expert with some of the boneheaded moves he was making today. Plus, I'd personally like to thank him. His ridiculous decision to call a time out with four meaningless seconds left on the clock led to a sack for the Birds which gave me a victory in one of my fantasy leagues as I started the Birds' defense, which leads me to....

-It was nice to see Chris Clemons get his first sack, but I was not surprised that his sack would come during garbage time.

-Where was Correll Buckhalter today? Andy and Marty need to figure out a better way of using all their weapons.

-Kevin Curtis had a nice game today. I think Donovan did a decent job of spreading the ball around to all his receivers, but I guess that's not all that difficult when you throw the ball 43 friggin times.

-I loved Baldinger's comparison of DeSean Jackson to Allen Iverson. I thought that was a pretty good person to compare him to. Hopefully, DeSean will have half the career that AI did here in Philly.

-Was anyone else annoyed that we have to turn to trickeration at the one yard line, in the form of a tackle eligible play, to score a short yardage touchdown? When is this team just going to line it up, push someone off the ball and score a TD?

-Brent Celek...131 yards receiving...who knew? I already like him better than LJ. Not sure if the kid is an every down TE, but he sure looked like an upgrade.

-Brian Dawkins looked like an old fella again on the first play of the game, but rebounded to have a decent game overall.

-Lito, if you are wondering why no one wanted to trade for you, I think you got your answer today. You are always hurt and as you showed on the first play of the game, you guess way too much.

-Overall, I thought the defense looked decent, but they were playing an overmatched offense and simply took care of bidness (as Ray Rhodes liked to say.)

-I also think that you are going to find out everything you need to know about this team next week with the defending World Champion Giants coming to town. If they can play this team tough and possibly win, we have something to look forward to this year. If they get toyed with, start focusing on the Flyers.

Calling It A Mass Of Humanity Is A Massive Understatement

The sheer amount of humanity I saw at the parade on Friday was simply unbelievable. I've never in my life seen so many people in one spot. However, the funny thing is...the same amount of people could be seen for a 4 mile stretch and then culminated with 80,000 people divided into the Linc and Citizen's Bank Park.

It was estimated that 2 million people attended the parade and that doesn't count the hordes of people that were stranded in South Jersey and Suburban Philly by mass transit. Tell me another city that has a turnout like that for a parade? I doubt anyone has had a turnout like that.

While it was a bit anti climatic from my vantage point, I'm still awfully happy to say I was a part of it. It was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life and as I was once told, life is about experiences. This is one I will file away for the rest of my life.

I hope all you Phils phans got to experience it as well.

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By the way, is anyone else in the midst of a small spending spree buying up Phillie championship clothing and memorbilia? I know I am.

-One other point....I know there has been some sentiment locally that people are happy that the Phils were the one to break the curse and not the Birds, mainly due to the snobbish ownership/management group of the Birds. I thought this article in Sunday's Inquirer summed it up nicely and particularly enjoyed this passage:

So what are the lessons the Eagles could learn from the Phillies? It is unlikely the football team will look at it this way since it rarely needs advice, but perhaps just this once.

One large piece of the puzzle for the Phillies has been the organization's ability to admit its mistakes. Maybe that is part of the nature of the game. When your team loses 70 times a year in a great season, coming to grips with failure isn't a rare occurrence.

The Phillies made enormous personnel mistakes along the way, but moved past them quickly. If Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber and Adam Eaton weren't enough to wreck the starting rotation of a team building to a title, it is only because the team didn't remain stubborn in that regard.

To their credit, the members of the Phils' front office never claimed to get everything right, and didn't mind altering their initial plans. From the outside, that isn't the case with the Eagles. The only problem with always telling people that you're the smartest kid in the room is that it looks bad when you start failing tests.

It also doesn't help to have the public face of the franchise refuse to answer the most basic of questions about the team. Andy Reid isn't a bad guy. He's a pretty good guy, but his that's-for-me-to-know answers not only infuriate the populace but they deepen the paranoia within the bunker and the locker room.

Another lesson that could be passed along is that it doesn't hurt if the players actually like playing for the organization. The Phils and Eagles operate in different worlds because of the NFL salary cap, but even those players who leave the Phillies because of financial considerations - a group that Pat Burrell will probably join - leave with the feeling of being treated fairly while they were there.

The Eagles' organization is viewed with suspicion by its players. Lito Sheppard said the other day that if you don't play their contract game, the team will blackball you. Other than that, one big happy family.

Chase Utley: My Love Grows For You Every Day

You've all seen it, but here's the video of Chase Utley's vocabulary malfunction (as the Daily News coined it) at the end of Parade Rally at the Ballpark:



I might be in the minority here, but I have no problem with what Chase said. (And judging by my language on the blog lately, I'm sure my opinion is no surprise to you.) I thought he expressed the sentiments of the entire Delaware Valley. We are still a little shocked by the fact that we are World Champs and we just have emphasize it a little bit to remind ourselves it wasn't just a dream.

Although, I'm sure there are many out there that thought it was totally inappropriate since there were kids at the Ball Park and watching on TV. I know my wife and in laws were appalled and looked at with disdain when I chuckled loudly as soon as the words left his mouth.

Whatever your opinion of Chase's comments, you have to agree with me that his statement cemented him as an All Time Philly hero. He might eventually move Mike Schmidt off the Mt. Rushmore of Philly Athletes if he keeps up his play on the field.