Across the Ist-a-Verse
Ugh! Every year with this shit.
In a classic case of the Michael Corleones (“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,”) the Eagles have decided that they’re not quite dead yet.
So it’s time to pose a question to the Philly Faithful, how should we feel about the Eagles right now?
Here’s what we've got: they have a very real shot of making the playoffs, Brian Westbrook looks on top of things again, and the Birds are a lot healthier than other teams in the NFC.
But here’s what COULD happen. We all get excited again (especially considering that they should trounce the Browns the way they SHOULD have trounced the Bengals), we invest in them, but they fall short and miss the playoffs. We dry our tears with our World Series T-shirts.
Or…
They make they playoffs and get booted.
Make no mistake, the Eagles cannot and will not make it to the Super Bowl (although I’ll gladly eat those words) and making the playoffs might justify Darth Lurie keeping Andy Reid on for another year. Now, just a few weeks ago, everyone was clamoring for Reid’s job. The consensus was that it was time to rebuild, even if that meant biting the bullet of one or two losing seasons.
It seemed everyone was on board with the fact that the Eagles needed to fundamentally change the philosophy of that team.
If they make the playoffs, can you really see that happening?
So with three more games remaining, the question is this. Do we WANT the Eagles to make the playoffs? In this season of giving, do we even give a shit?
There’s a lot of different avenues to take here, so let’s get some lively discussion going. Comment below.
Also, I’m going to start running a mailbag column every once in a while starting after Christmas (providing I get enough e-mails). So if you wanna run your mouth off about something, suggest some good ideas, or just generally tell me I suck, shoot me (not you, Plax) an email.
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Why would anyone not want their team to make the playoffs? I would love for them to make the playoffs. Why the eff not? Maybe they can prove that they have what it takes, which I think they have a good enough time to last a while in the playoffs. Underdog stories are way more interesting then a powerhouse going all the way. Just look what it did for The Giants last year. Who would have guessed they would have beaten the "unbeatble" Patriots? The Eagles beat one of the possible Super Bowl contenders this season in the Steelers. Nothing is impossible. Improbable? Yes. But that's what gives the game it's drama.
This is tough. You should always root for your team to win.... but you don't want them stuck in settling for less. Bill Simmons made the case that it's better to be awful for one or few years than stuck in constant mediocrity or almost-good mode. Last year, a number of UCLA fans fed up wtih Karl Dorell confessed that they were considering rooting against UCLA in the big rivalry game with USC so that he would definetly be fired (the year before, he had another medicore team and people were clamoring for him to be gone, but he saved his job by upsetting USC). That seems like an awful way to go, but when you want a regime change, sometimes people look at the big picture. You're right, Lurie might be tempted to not make changes if they win a playoff game. I think anything short of a Super Bowl is probably going to make every one of us still want him out.... so.... say if they lose in the conference championship game.. .what happens?
I have to agree with Paul because the NFL is unpredictable now and I wouldn't rule out ANY playoff team getting hot and running the table. Just look how the Ravens, Giants, and Steelers all did it this decade (and the Colts sort of did it too, because their defense had been awful that year but they suddenly came alive in the playoffs).
I thought after the Cinccy-Baltimore disasters that Reid would be gone, but this puts everyone in a tough situation. I say root for them now and see what happens. I'm callign for an ultimatum: they have the talent to make the Super Bowl, and earlier this season, everyone thought they were one of the favorites in the NFC. Therefore, not doing that has to be considered underacheiveing, right? So if they make it to the big game it, his job is safe. If not, he's not.
I agree that it's a wicked tough call. The fun of being a fan is rooting for your team through thick and thin, but when you factor in the big picture, it makes you sick that you may be rooting for them to continue the same mediocre status quo. It's not an easy topic to broach, and that's why I wanted as much discussion as possible, because there really is no "right" answer.