Phillyist: Comfortably Numb

SuperBien

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:41:00 -0500

I can't wait for baseball season to start up again . . .

Lene

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:43:59 -0500

I still enjoy watching football, regardless of the team. I also still put my faith on the Eagles, for the sake that they are the hometown team. This was a great post. Thanks, Mike.

Pat Holston

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:01:10 -0500

This is still an always will be an Eagles town. Evidenced by the fact that during a late-season series with the Mets in a battle for the division, the lead story on the local sports news on TV and on KYW and the radio was the battle for the 3rd string positions on the Eagles. That's 2 years in a row, by the way. That is almost as annoying as the people chanting E-A-G-L-E-S at Phillies/76ers/Flyers/Villanova whatever games (or frankly anywhere but an Eagles game).

j72leo

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:47:42 -0500

There was a period two years ago after McNabb went down and Jeff Garcia came in and led the Eagles back to the playoffs. They simplified the playbook and a lot of credit went to Marty Morningwheg, who might've sucked as a head coach but had good stints as cooridnator. Now, I'm wondering who is making these calls: him or Reid? Reid used to be pretty hands on, but it seems like he's lost his touch. I'm not sure I would have see him gone if he just kept to the basics and let his coordinators work. He trusts Jim Johnson to handle everything defensively; maybe he should stop trying to control so much on the offensive side. Especially with a quarterback change possibly looming in the next year or so.... As for intensity and being a fan, I think the Eagles are still in charge. You made the case (as have others) that the Phillies are king of the city now, but I'd say that's mostly because they are winning. Back in the late 90's before they both turned it around, more people showed up just to see Eagles draft prospects than whole Phillies games. Nothing would compare to a Super Bowl run. This World Series gave us catharsis, but the Eagles still affect the most emotions in the city on the whole, I'm guessing. I could be wrong - I don't live there anymore, but I usually see the most nationwide support for Eagles first. I never saw other people wearing Phillies hats or shirts in LA before this year. I did see Eagles jerseys. So maybe. I do agree on the Penn State loss, that was brutal.

Ross Currie

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:24:05 -0500

I'm completely with you on being comfortably numb, Mike. When Penn State lost to Iowa, I curled up in a ball and tried to resist crying. When the Eagles looked like dogmeat in the first half against the Bungles, I went grocery shopping.

StevinEleven

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:43:55 -0500

I can't believe it's Andy's 4th and 1 punt call that's getting the most criticism this morning. The Eagles have a terrible 4th and short conversion record and going for it on their own 20 would nearly ensure a Cincinnati field goal. He made the right call. That being said, it was one of the few right calls he made all game. When a play doesn't go right, Tecmo logic at times calls for the head coach to pick the same play again to deceive his opponents. However, when repeating the same play stops being the exception and starts becoming the rule, defenses begin to expect it and can easily shut it down. The Eagles have had back to back short-yard situations shut down. They've had back to back trick plays shut down (the wild cat play followed by the double reverse). Yesterday's game was the last straw for me as far as Andy Reid goes. Donovan is still a mid-to-top calliber quarterback and doesn't deserve the majority of the blame he's receiving. A good field general can't help poor play calling. I think it's time we get Terrence Stamp to shove Mr. Reid off a balcony.

shake

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:40:58 -0500

As I heard someone say last Sunday, " I swear that's a takeout Chinese menu Reid is looking at on the sidelines". He has no clue what winning is about. He obviously runs his family the way he runs this team. Loser!

Cropulis

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:38:25 -0500

I will always love the Eagles, even when I hate them. Just get a new coach already. The main problem is Andy Reid. His play calling, his clock management and his inability to realize that running the same plays back-to-back is very, how do you say this, fucking easy to read is just annoying. Get him out and get someone else in and BOOM you'd have a team that would be able to actually beat the Bengals.