Jeff Lurie has presented himself as a man with no patience for the decline of his Eagles. In February, the owner took the unprecedented step of informing head coach Andy Reid that another 8-8 season wasn’t acceptable. Now what?
In August, Lurie said Reid was not a coach for life — or at least not his coach for life. Then how can Lurie tolerate the disgraceful performance of his team, and especially of his coach, in that 28-13 public humiliation Monday night? Has the owner finally seen enough to do something he should have done a season ago, fire the lost soul who is running (ruining) his football team?
Andy Reid isn’t just the worst coach in the NFL, he is challenging some of the most abysmal single-season coaching performances of all-time. Step aside, Rich Kotite. Move over, Marty Mornhinweg. Make room down there, Joe Kuharek. The winningest coach in Eagles history is just another loser.
The Eagles did some things on Monday night that didn’t just defy convention, they rewrote NFL history. Imagine gaining 447 yards and scoring one touchdown. Or accumulating 105 rushing yards in the first quarter and no touchdowns. Or giving up more points from your own red zone (7) than you scored (6). The Eagles accomplished all of those improbable feats with ease.
They are functioning now with a zombie head coach, two over-the-hill assistants coaching two terrible lines, a lost and confused quarterback, a tackle-impaired cornerback and an army of nonentities. Their GM couldn’t find a useful lineman if he was trampled by one, and even the cheerleaders seem to be putting on a little weight.
If losing to the Saints and their laughable defense wasn’t enough of an embarrassment for Lurie to end this charade, what will it take? Will the owner need to endure a fifth straight kick in the teeth Sunday at a furious Linc against the loathsome Cowboys? Will that be the final flourish to a 14-year Reid legacy that is already indelibly stained?
Monday night was a comedy of errors for the Eagles and their fans, and the madness needs to stop right now. Mike Vick’s brother Marcus was Tweeting trade demands — four days after the trade deadline, no less. An anonymous “decision-maker” in the front office was calling the firing of Juan Castillo a “miscalculation.” And some Eagles players traded insults (and an obscene gesture) with visiting Birds fans behind the bench.
Meanwhile, Jeff Lurie remained under lockdown in a luxury box, pondering the same question we all are. When should he end this insanity? Is it finally time to fire Andy Reid?
Oh, yes. It’s time.
Never fight the fans, never do it
Jason Babin took some time from his busy schedule last week to instruct Eagles fans on how to behave. Is there no end to this fine young man’s generosity?
Using his favorite communication vehicle to talk directly to customers, Babin posted on Twitter the definition of loyalty, just three days after he said a section filled with drunken fans had used such “vile” language on his teammates and coaches that he could no longer remain silent.
Now a cynic might point out that Babin has reserved most of his quiet time to the field having recorded only 3.5 sacks in eight games, but it is precisely that kind of negative thinking he is trying hard to stop. And who are we to question a player who has served a whopping 2.5 seasons here?
During a subsequent interview the day after his instructional Tweet, Babin wasn’t impressed with the argument that there were 68,000 fans at the Atlanta game, and it was unfair — if not downright stupid — to attack one of the best fan bases in sports over the angry shouts of a few. Nope. He is right. We are wrong. End of discussion.
So it’s time to return the favor. Since he has such extensive knowledge on fan conduct, it is only fair that the fans offer some pointers on something Babin is really struggling with: how to sack the quarterback. Let’s all try to help Babin in this time of need by tweeting him @Jasonbabin93. It’s the least we can do.
To tell the truth
The four pro teams in Philadelphia have one thing in common beyond their knack for frustrating fans. They all lie constantly about injuries. By constantly, I mean every important injury to every key player.
The latest example came when Andy Reid revealed the chronic ankle injury of first-round bust Danny Watkins, a condition the lineman supposedly had before he was drafted. Watkins isn’t talking, for one very good reason. He knows the truth. He got benched.
Before that, there was the Andrew Bynum mystery. Everyone knew the young center had balky knees, but he isn’t playing because, well, it’s hard to say. Apparently he injured himself working out. He said his right knee had buckled, while the team is calling it a bone bruise. There is no timetable for his return. With a bruise. Does that make sense to you?
And speaking of that popular phrase “no timetable,” how about Chase Utley and Ryan Howard? Utley hurt himself while training and Howard re-injured his Achilles. At the start of spring training, Utley’s problem was said to be minor and Howard hadn’t suffered a setback. They missed a combined 170 games.
Finally, the Flyers can’t decide what to say about Chris Pronger. Will Pronger play again? Don’t ask Paul Holmgren. He hasn’t spoken the truth about an injury since his playing days ended.
– Angelo Cataldi is the host of 94 WIP’s Morning Show, which airs weekdays 5:30-10 a.m.
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