A Philadelphian's view on McNabb (1 Viewer)

[Gold Standard]

Didinger makes some good points. I just wish his characterization of the typical Eagles fan in this piece matched with what I experience year in, year out at games or in conversation with other folks who bleed Green & White.

Which statements don't you agree with? Just curious....

In my experience, the average fan hasn't had the benevolent attitude that "he was great, but it's time to move on." It's all subjective. There are 60,000 fans at a tail gate and how many hundreds of thousands of other Eagles fans around the area, your (and Didinger's) mileage may vary.

You may frequent the Eagles message boards as much as I do, but in case you don't, this certainly seems to be the feeling there. Are you saying Eagles fans don't appreciate him?

I'm saying far too many didn't appreciate him or Reid for that matter. But Didinger is certainly right that quite a few do. I just wish we got more run in the media (locally and nationally), but I'm not holding my breath.

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

 

[Mile High]

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth completely disingenuous at this point - that's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.

I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Not that I care what happens in philly and I hope it all works out for you guys, but the bolded part made me smile. I remember right after the Broncos lost a home playoff game to the Jags and Shannon Sharp saying "this loss just set the Broncos back 10 years". Two years later the Broncos were back-to-back SB champs.

 

[Amused to Death]

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.

I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

I just heard Mike Quick with Ike Reese...MQ basically said the same thing. He also said he felt Donovan was ready to leave and didn't expect to be here in '09. He was surprised the trade didn't happen last offseason and didn't have the chemistry with the team as a result. Apparently McNabb said during his PC in DC that he felt relieved the trade was over. According to Quick, that's been building far longer than the last couple of weeks.It seemed like McNabb never got over the team drafting Kolb and has wanted out ever since.

 

[Moonlight]

Be careful what you wish for because you may get it.

Somehow the situation in Philly reminds me of what happened in Detroit. Lions fans were tired of constantly finishing 8-8, 9-7 and said they wanted the whole thing blown up. Rather take a chance on finishing 4-12 then be mediocre. Thus the Dark Ages began and 8-8 became a memory of a better time. IMO Lions never had a good QB to lift them above their mediocrity.

Philly has had a QB in McNabb who gave them a chance to go all the way. In my opinion he outplayed the talent around him. I do not think he's the reason that Philly did not win the SB.

I think they were a constant playoff team and got to the SB because of him.

I think there is a good possibility that Philly without McNabb is headed south. Reid's reputation will suffer without him and Philly fans may come to look back at the McNabb years as a golden age.

 

[CaptainHook]

I'm looking forward to the first Skins game at the link and the reaction McNabb gets, I can almost script it...I'll bet it goes down like this. McNabb gets announced and there is initially a mixed crowd reaction, some cheer for him and all he did for the team over 11 years, others will boo him soundly and probably more enthusiastically.... but when normal people hear the idiots booing they will all stand up in support of McNabb and cheer much, much louder and in the end he'll get a great, long standing ovation from the crowd that drowns out the boo-birds.The media will report the mixed reaction, cut th video short and emphasize the boos. Then between talking about us throwing snowballs at Santa and cheering Michael Irvin's injury, they'll interview a couple of four toothed drunks from Fishtown who will slam McNabb instead of any of the 100 supporters who would talk positively and respectually about his tenure in Philly. You'll be able to tell, the guy spilling his beer and slurring to the camera is they guy they'll pick to interview, the fifty guys walking behind him with their kids who have actualy jobs and lives and IQ's above 80 are the ones they'll ignore.In the after game press conference McNabb will talk about how this was just another game, how much he appreciated the kind welcome and the fans who supported him when he was here, however, he wont be able to control himself by making some half-assed passive aggressive remark about the few who booed him instead of taking the high road. When you see it happen just like this, you'll know why we never really embraced him in this town.Oh, and then someone on ESPN will probably allude to us all being racists, even though most of us would have traded a sibling away to re-sign Brian Dawkins and the town brought Iverson to tears with the ovation he got upon his return to Philly.This whole thing drives me nuts, nobody outside Philly understands the philly fan. Maybe it's the same everywhere, I don't know.

Foolish me has always thought a majority of Philly fans were ungrateful and downright hateful towards McNabb for the most part ever since '99 draft.Who knew it was a conspiracy by the media all along.Seriously.Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

Jason Campbell(2009): 86.4 64.5% 226.1 7.1 Donovan Mcnabb (Career): 86.5 59.0% 222.1 6.9

A good example of why so many people outside Philly feel the way they do about Eagles fans. To even consider such a comparison does nothing but reinforce the idea that many Eagles fans have no concept of how fortunate they've been to have McNabb for 11 seasons.

Our QB's career averages (who we gratefully watched for 11 years) are worse than the guy who redskins fans have decided they need to throw out of town. Are you sure we are the ungrateful ones?

 

[CaptainHook]

Be careful what you wish for because you may get it.Somehow the situation in Philly reminds me of what happened in Detroit. Lions fans were tired of constantly finishing 8-8, 9-7 and said they wanted the whole thing blown up. Rather take a chance on finishing 4-12 then be mediocre. Thus the Dark Ages began and 8-8 became a memory of a better time. IMO Lions never had a good QB to lift them above their mediocrity.Philly has had a QB in McNabb who gave them a chance to go all the way. In my opinion he outplayed the talent around him. I do not think he's the reason that Philly did not win the SB.I think they were a constant playoff team and got to the SB because of him. I think there is a good possibility that Philly without McNabb is headed south. Reid's reputation will suffer without him and Philly fans may come to look back at the McNabb years as a golden age.

Ridiculous opinion. Trust me, we hear it every year as outsiders talk about how the Eagle's FO is choosing frugality over football success when they let their long-time studs take a walk. Utterly absurd to suggest these guys don't know exactly what they are doing.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

McNabb was treated better in Philly the last couple years than Campbell was in Washington.

Campbell = pure class, and pretty underrated IMO. Hope he lands a starting gig in a healthy organization.

 

[Wadsworth]

I'm looking forward to the first Skins game at the link and the reaction McNabb gets, I can almost script it...I'll bet it goes down like this. McNabb gets announced and there is initially a mixed crowd reaction, some cheer for him and all he did for the team over 11 years, others will boo him soundly and probably more enthusiastically.... but when normal people hear the idiots booing they will all stand up in support of McNabb and cheer much, much louder and in the end he'll get a great, long standing ovation from the crowd that drowns out the boo-birds.The media will report the mixed reaction, cut th video short and emphasize the boos. Then between talking about us throwing snowballs at Santa and cheering Michael Irvin's injury, they'll interview a couple of four toothed drunks from Fishtown who will slam McNabb instead of any of the 100 supporters who would talk positively and respectually about his tenure in Philly. You'll be able to tell, the guy spilling his beer and slurring to the camera is they guy they'll pick to interview, the fifty guys walking behind him with their kids who have actualy jobs and lives and IQ's above 80 are the ones they'll ignore.In the after game press conference McNabb will talk about how this was just another game, how much he appreciated the kind welcome and the fans who supported him when he was here, however, he wont be able to control himself by making some half-assed passive aggressive remark about the few who booed him instead of taking the high road. When you see it happen just like this, you'll know why we never really embraced him in this town.Oh, and then someone on ESPN will probably allude to us all being racists, even though most of us would have traded a sibling away to re-sign Brian Dawkins and the town brought Iverson to tears with the ovation he got upon his return to Philly.This whole thing drives me nuts, nobody outside Philly understands the philly fan. Maybe it's the same everywhere, I don't know.

Foolish me has always thought a majority of Philly fans were ungrateful and downright hateful towards McNabb for the most part ever since '99 draft.Who knew it was a conspiracy by the media all along.Seriously.Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

Jason Campbell(2009): 86.4 64.5% 226.1 7.1 Donovan Mcnabb (Career): 86.5 59.0% 222.1 6.9

A good example of why so many people outside Philly feel the way they do about Eagles fans. To even consider such a comparison does nothing but reinforce the idea that many Eagles fans have no concept of how fortunate they've been to have McNabb for 11 seasons.

Our QB's career averages (who we gratefully watched for 11 years) are worse than the guy who redskins fans have decided they need to throw out of town. Are you sure we are the ungrateful ones?

John Elway: 79.9. 56.9%, 220.0, 7.1I guess Jason Campbell is better than Elway also? Yes, I am sure you are the ungrateful ones.

 

[phillyfan72]

McNabb was treated better in Philly the last couple years than Campbell was in Washington.Campbell = pure class, and pretty underrated IMO. Hope he lands a starting gig in a healthy organization.

This is a great point that is being overlooked by alot of people. Campbell has had to look over his shoulder for years (Todd Collins anyone). Now, I don't know if he's underrated, but he has shown class throughout.

 

[CaptainHook]

McNabb was treated better in Philly the last couple years than Campbell was in Washington.Campbell = pure class, and pretty underrated IMO. Hope he lands a starting gig in a healthy organization.

Agreed. Campbell's a guy that really got a raw deal. Mcnabb? Not even close.Can't wait till mcnabb comes back to town and gets sacked 7 times by this crazy good crazy young team.

 

[Sweet Love]

Great article! I think the section excerpted below is really the key about the love/hate relationship between McNabb and many fans.

Great as He Was, It Was Time to Part With McNabb

By Ray Didinger

CSNPhilly.com

There is a difference between respect and affection. In my view, McNabb was respected here, but not really loved. If he wasn’t embraced by the city, maybe it was because he did not embrace the city himself.

Yes, things started badly with the booing at the 1999 draft, but the fans spent the next 10 years apologizing for it. Yet McNabb never let it go. He would bring it up in interviews when he could have buried it as old news. He picked at the scab often enough that it never fully healed.

He also never put down roots, even shallow ones, in Philadelphia. He bought a home in Arizona and went there as soon as the season ended. That was his choice and certainly Arizona is a lovely place, but it had two effects and neither was good.

One, he made it clear Philadelphia was his work address, nothing more. He didn’t see himself as a Philly guy and this is a town where people notice that stuff. It might not matter in other towns, like New York or Chicago, but it matters here.

Secondly, it hurt him in terms of leadership. He would invite guys to Arizona to work out with him, but it would have been so much better if he spent the whole off-season here, in the weight room, in the film room, just hanging out. That’s how team chemistry is built. If he had been around more, he may have grown more naturally into the role of a leader.

I am just getting started on the thread, so this may have been addressed, but you could replace McNabb with Favre and Philly with Green Bay (oh yeah and AZ with Miss.) and there is NO difference. Yes, Favre won a SB, one, but McNabb was the one who was booed on the outset (not like an Elway or Eli who rejected his drafting team) and the press constantly brought up the relationship not him, and he always took the high road. I understand people have to move on, but to say both sides are equally at fault (or even to allude to it) is just incorrect.

 

[Gold Standard]

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.

I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

I just heard Mike Quick with Ike Reese...MQ basically said the same thing. He also said he felt Donovan was ready to leave and didn't expect to be here in '09. He was surprised the trade didn't happen last offseason and didn't have the chemistry with the team as a result. Apparently McNabb said during his PC in DC that he felt relieved the trade was over. According to Quick, that's been building far longer than the last couple of weeks.It seemed like McNabb never got over the team drafting Kolb and has wanted out ever since.

McNabb was just way to sensitive, at the end of the day the fanbase simply wanted a title, and he didn't get it to us. I said it before but last summer was the clear indicator to me that he was done when he wasn't reupped. You really think having him back this year on the final year with Kolb now on his fourth year not playing was wise?? McNabb was a great QB here espeically awesome from 99-04 when he was an outright freak but it didn't happen and now where supposed to do what throw the guy a parade. He sits there on a podium today and says the games against Philly were just going to be no different then playing the Giants or Dallas. What a disengenuous clown, like we're supposed to throw a parade for him now that he's gone. Yeah they're going to run the ball unlike in Philly with LJ and Willie Parker, if it was 2004 I would be terrified. They can have him. Mike Quick rules by the way

 

[Aardvarks]

Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

McNabb is currently 15th among active QB's in QB rating. 22nd in comp %. In fact the only category he's in the top 10 is Pass Attemps/Game (9th).For more see his page at pro-football-reference.com (at the bottom).Not hating, just disputing he's currently a top 10 QB.

I'm tired of hearing about "Philly fans" and how I don't understand them. I do understand them-- at least the ones that are happy to see him go.Those fans are fools. Those fans didn't deserve him and the consistent W's that McNabb generates. He won. McNabb simply won. A lot.Spend a few years chained to an immobile streaky passer like Kerry Collins who doesn't inspire the huddle, or worse try dealing with an ex-Longhorn legend who's not only the most immature player on the roster - but the most immature *person* in the STADIUM on Sundays.Eagles fans will like Kolb but the road will be bumpy. No more playoffs for a while.I'd bet someone $100 that Andy Reid did NOT want to let McNabb go... Even for a 1st and 2nd. I bet the front office drove this one. I wish we could know Reid's true feelings. We never will.McNabb is a winner. A still-young winner who isn't done doing it.

 

[CaptainHook]

Guy had consistently great defenses throughout his career and consistently great offensive lines. I really wish we could get past this whole "This QB is a winner!" stuff. Football is a TEAM GAME

 

[Amused to Death]

Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

McNabb is currently 15th among active QB's in QB rating. 22nd in comp %. In fact the only category he's in the top 10 is Pass Attemps/Game (9th).For more see his page at pro-football-reference.com (at the bottom).Not hating, just disputing he's currently a top 10 QB.

I'm tired of hearing about "Philly fans" and how I don't understand them. I do understand them-- at least the ones that are happy to see him go.Those fans are fools. Those fans didn't deserve him and the consistent W's that McNabb generates. He won. McNabb simply won. A lot.Spend a few years chained to an immobile streaky passer like Kerry Collins who doesn't inspire the huddle, or worse try dealing with an ex-Longhorn legend who's not only the most immature player on the roster - but the most immature *person* in the STADIUM on Sundays.Eagles fans will like Kolb but the road will be bumpy. No more playoffs for a while.I'd bet someone $100 that Andy Reid did NOT want to let McNabb go... Even for a 1st and 2nd. I bet the front office drove this one. I wish we could know Reid's true feelings. We never will.McNabb is a winner. A still-young winner who isn't done doing it.

Where in my post that you quoted did I say he wasn't better then half the league? Or that I didn't appreciate him? I simply posted stats from a reputable source. The fact that he's currently out of the top 10 or 15 in several key QB stats isn't a statement of hate. And yes he won a lot...not as much the last few seasons - 6, 10 ,8, 9 & 11 wins since the Super Bowl compared to 11 ,11, 12, 12 & 13 prior.Letting McNabb go now fits perfectly with the way they operate. Followed the script to a 'T'.On a separate note, I heard a clip of DeSean Jackson on 97.5...Asked point blank what his reaction was to the trade. Paraphrasing but he was pleased. Said now the young guys can play together.

 

[Gold Standard]

Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

McNabb is currently 15th among active QB's in QB rating. 22nd in comp %. In fact the only category he's in the top 10 is Pass Attemps/Game (9th).For more see his page at pro-football-reference.com (at the bottom).Not hating, just disputing he's currently a top 10 QB.

I'm tired of hearing about "Philly fans" and how I don't understand them. I do understand them-- at least the ones that are happy to see him go.Those fans are fools. Those fans didn't deserve him and the consistent W's that McNabb generates. He won. McNabb simply won. A lot.Spend a few years chained to an immobile streaky passer like Kerry Collins who doesn't inspire the huddle, or worse try dealing with an ex-Longhorn legend who's not only the most immature player on the roster - but the most immature *person* in the STADIUM on Sundays.Eagles fans will like Kolb but the road will be bumpy. No more playoffs for a while.I'd bet someone $100 that Andy Reid did NOT want to let McNabb go... Even for a 1st and 2nd. I bet the front office drove this one. I wish we could know Reid's true feelings. We never will.McNabb is a winner. A still-young winner who isn't done doing it.

Where in my post that you quoted did I say he wasn't better then half the league? Or that I didn't appreciate him? I simply posted stats from a reputable source. The fact that he's currently out of the top 10 or 15 in several key QB stats isn't a statement of hate. And yes he won a lot...not as much the last few seasons - 6, 10 ,8, 9 & 11 wins since the Super Bowl compared to 11 ,11, 12, 12 & 13 prior.Letting McNabb go now fits perfectly with the way they operate. Followed the script to a 'T'.On a separate note, I heard a clip of DeSean Jackson on 97.5...Asked point blank what his reaction was to the trade. Paraphrasing but he was pleased. Said now the young guys can play together.

Of courseDJax was ecstatic to start the "young guys" Maclin and Herremans both were stoked as well. I am so excited for this new look Eagles offense with out Burden McNabb. You think Kolb is going to moap about being booed? How dare McNabb throw these kids under a bus after the Dallas loss. I'm telling you even though his shctick is a bit tiresome, Anthony Gargano is the only WIP head that has McNabb absolutely nailed to a T.Instead of worrying about McNabb we should be tlaking about who the Birds are going after with 5 of the first 87 picks. If they nail these next two drafts and bring in a differnce maker defensive FA, welcome to the next decade long Eagles run. You can just tell listening to Kolb talk on Monday he's put together better mentally than McNabb ever was. You think Kolb thinks there's no ties?

 

[Adebisi]

I'm tired of hearing about "Philly fans" and how I don't understand them.

Very

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

[i appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

 

[CaptainHook]

have you ever heard of brian dawkins or westbrook ^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Billy Bats]

I'm tired of hearing about "Philly fans" and how I don't understand them.

Very

Well when all you guys get is the ESPN, national spin on us and you buy it hook, line and sinker... then no, you people have no clue.

 

[Gold Standard]

[i appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

Two things - first off this was the most consistently successful team in the NFC while the guy was on the team, so although five NFC title games in 11 years isn't winning titles, they're arent many teams in the history of the league that have done that. And in the the course of that time the QB, you know the guy who controls the offense, didn't get it done hereSecondly, Your comapring Lion fans to Philly fans???? You're kidding right? The Silverdome over the Vet or the Linc?? Really>>. The Lions other than 1991 have been the laughing stock of the leagie since the 50's. Please stop

 

[Billy Bats]

[i appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

The biggest problem with him was... he's not passionate enough. He never took a loss hard like the fans did, it's only a game to him. Well to us it's being miserable for a week until next Sunday after we lose. It didn't seem to bother him. It's about his smiles after he overthrows a WR by ten feet. Leader? He's never once yelled at someone for doing something wrong, instead he laughed or threw someone under the bus after the game. It was never his fault. It's not knowing there are ties in football. It's the dorkiness, the unfunny-ness in every press conference. The fact that his momma still brings up being booed at the draft and how it hurt so bad. Does anyone even know if Montana, Aikman, Elway had mothers? The moonwalks, the air guitars. He's not like us, he never seemed to care enough. We got smoked in back to back weeks to Dallas, and he says hey we won 11 games this season, we had a great year. He's been a great player for the Eagles, won alot of games, and has been fun to watch. But after 11 years of all this nonsense and no rings adding up, well his act has grown stale. We have a young, dynamic nucleus growing on offense, and we're ready for something new. And if our football personnell have faith that Kevin Kolb can be a winner, well we believe that too and are ready to keep winning with a new QB.

 

[Gold Standard]

[i appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

The biggest problem with him was... he's not passionate enough. He never took a loss hard like the fans did, it's only a game to him. Well to us it's being miserable for a week until next Sunday after we lose. It didn't seem to bother him. It's about his smiles after he overthrows a WR by ten feet. Leader? He's never once yelled at someone for doing something wrong, instead he laughed or threw someone under the bus after the game. It was never his fault. It's not knowing there are ties in football. It's the dorkiness, the unfunny-ness in every press conference. The fact that his momma still brings up being booed at the draft and how it hurt so bad. Does anyone even know if Montana, Aikman, Elway had mothers? The moonwalks, the air guitars. He's not like us, he never seemed to care enough. We got smoked in back to back weeks to Dallas, and he says hey we won 11 games this season, we had a great year. He's been a great player for the Eagles, won alot of games, and has been fun to watch. But after 11 years of all this nonsense and no rings adding up, well his act has grown stale. We have a young, dynamic nucleus growing on offense, and we're ready for something new. And if our football personnell have faith that Kevin Kolb can be a winner, well we believe that too and are ready to keep winning with a new QB.

Amen brother - you NAILED it!!! Anthony Gargano always brings up a great point, the shame of it is, as disgengenous as he really is, if they beat Tampa and win the Superbowl in 2002 like everyone thought they were doing, he's a God in this town.

 

[loose circuits]

I'm an Eagle fan that isn't from Philly. Just liked them when I was younger- loved the 46 D with Randall Cunningham runnign the show. The thing about this team is that it's defense has carried it through thick & thin. It really hasn't been McNabb. He's been great at times, but he never delivered consistently. When the team was trailing in the 4th quarter he never really had a sense of urgency. This drove me nuts. I loved having him on the team and also liked the pick in 1999. However, it's clear that the time to move forward is now and I'm excited about Kevin Kolb. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people. I'm not sure what Rivers or Rodgers have that Kolb doesn't. Those guys were able to get it done after years marinating on the bench. Kolb is in the same boat and I think he'll perform similarly to those guys 1st years starting...If McDermott & Jauron can get that defense back to top 5 form...that's what will make or break this next season.

 

[Wadsworth]

There's been a lot of talk in this thread about outsiders not understanding Philly fans. After reading this thread I'm more convinced than ever I was right about Philly fans.

 

[vinwinephans]

I don't think you understand what you don't understand enough to know that you don't understand it.

There's been a lot of talk in this thread about outsiders not understanding Philly fans. After reading this thread I'm more convinced than ever I was right about Philly fans.

 

[CaptainHook]

what it mostly boils down to is philadelphia simply likes effort guys and mcnabb is the polar opposite of that

 

[gianmarco]

I don't think you understand what you don't understand enough to know that you don't understand it.

There's been a lot of talk in this thread about outsiders not understanding Philly fans. After reading this thread I'm more convinced than ever I was right about Philly fans.

Huh? I don't understand.

 

[Avery]

There's been a lot of talk in this thread about outsiders not understanding Philly fans. After reading this thread I'm more convinced than ever I was right about Philly fans.

I've watched this thread and had similar thoughts but haven't stepped in, in fear of the feeding frenzy by Philly fan.You can, and probably will, discount my feeling because I'm a Giants fan but many Philly fans seem to be trying to sell us "outsiders" in this thread that they those that act out are merely delicate creatures that requires some special synergy with their sports stars and what outsiders view as gratuitous vitriol is merely unrequited love.I disagree.To paraphrase a quotable man, "You are what we thought you were."

 

[Nagle2998]

I and many other Eagles fans weren't alive during the snowball fiasco so I have no idea what really happened because there are so many stories about it. As far as the McNabb booing though ALMOST everyone in philly knows that it was nothing like what people outside the city think. The outsiders think it was just random Eagles fans at the draft who didn't like the pick but the truth is it was a local radio station that drove those people up to the game to boo anyone who wasn't Ricky Williams that the Eagles picked.

 

[dehaven123]

I'm looking forward to the first Skins game at the link and the reaction McNabb gets, I can almost script it...I'll bet it goes down like this. McNabb gets announced and there is initially a mixed crowd reaction, some cheer for him and all he did for the team over 11 years, others will boo him soundly and probably more enthusiastically.... but when normal people hear the idiots booing they will all stand up in support of McNabb and cheer much, much louder and in the end he'll get a great, long standing ovation from the crowd that drowns out the boo-birds.The media will report the mixed reaction, cut th video short and emphasize the boos. Then between talking about us throwing snowballs at Santa and cheering Michael Irvin's injury, they'll interview a couple of four toothed drunks from Fishtown who will slam McNabb instead of any of the 100 supporters who would talk positively and respectually about his tenure in Philly. You'll be able to tell, the guy spilling his beer and slurring to the camera is they guy they'll pick to interview, the fifty guys walking behind him with their kids who have actualy jobs and lives and IQ's above 80 are the ones they'll ignore.In the after game press conference McNabb will talk about how this was just another game, how much he appreciated the kind welcome and the fans who supported him when he was here, however, he wont be able to control himself by making some half-assed passive aggressive remark about the few who booed him instead of taking the high road. When you see it happen just like this, you'll know why we never really embraced him in this town.Oh, and then someone on ESPN will probably allude to us all being racists, even though most of us would have traded a sibling away to re-sign Brian Dawkins and the town brought Iverson to tears with the ovation he got upon his return to Philly.This whole thing drives me nuts, nobody outside Philly understands the philly fan. Maybe it's the same everywhere, I don't know.

Foolish me has always thought a majority of Philly fans were ungrateful and downright hateful towards McNabb for the most part ever since '99 draft.Who knew it was a conspiracy by the media all along.Seriously.Philly had a top 10 QB for a decade, and never knew it.

Jason Campbell(2009): 86.4 64.5% 226.1 7.1 Donovan Mcnabb (Career): 86.5 59.0% 222.1 6.9

Droppin bait again, huh? I'll bite.I'll play the situationally irrelevant game again too McNabb 92-49-1J Campbell 20-32-0Any honest observation or critique of the 2 QB's in efforts to compare them will show that their is no comparison.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

[

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.

I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.

For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

Two things - first off this was the most consistently successful team in the NFC while the guy was on the team, so although five NFC title games in 11 years isn't winning titles, they're arent many teams in the history of the league that have done that. And in the the course of that time the QB, you know the guy who controls the offense, didn't get it done hereSecondly, Your comapring Lion fans to Philly fans???? You're kidding right? The Silverdome over the Vet or the Linc?? Really>>. The Lions other than 1991 have been the laughing stock of the leagie since the 50's. Please stop

Which is it, do you want to support him or don't you. You try and make a point by describing him and the team he led as the NFC's most consistant team in the 11 years he played and then you say he didn't get the job done? Even after he's gone Philly fans are undecided. Don't brag on him in one sentence and then throw him under the bus in the next.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

[i appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Am I mistaken or did I miss it when the Eagles won a SB? His legacy may be he didn't win a SB in Philly, but that's the same for every Eagle that ever played. If I didn't know anything about the NFL and I read your post, I would have thought Philly was used to winning a bunch of NFL titles and that this guy didn't deliver the goods like many of the great ones in the past.The truth is, he's been the best player you guys have ever had and I don't think Philly embraced or appreciated him enough. That doesn't mean there weren't some fans who didn't absolutely love McNabb, I'm talking as a whole.For example, I'm from Detroit and when you walked into the Pontiac Silverdome in the early 90's when the Lions were half way decent, in a close game you'd have 85,000 fans chanting Barry, Barry, Barry.......it still sends chills up my spine to think about it. Detroit Lions fans absolutely loved Barry Sanders whether they brought them a championship or not. I didn't see that kind of love out of Philly fan, it was always what have you done for me lately and quick to point blame.

The biggest problem with him was... he's not passionate enough. He never took a loss hard like the fans did, it's only a game to him. Well to us it's being miserable for a week until next Sunday after we lose. It didn't seem to bother him. It's about his smiles after he overthrows a WR by ten feet. Leader? He's never once yelled at someone for doing something wrong, instead he laughed or threw someone under the bus after the game. It was never his fault. It's not knowing there are ties in football. It's the dorkiness, the unfunny-ness in every press conference. The fact that his momma still brings up being booed at the draft and how it hurt so bad. Does anyone even know if Montana, Aikman, Elway had mothers? The moonwalks, the air guitars. He's not like us, he never seemed to care enough. We got smoked in back to back weeks to Dallas, and he says hey we won 11 games this season, we had a great year. He's been a great player for the Eagles, won alot of games, and has been fun to watch. But after 11 years of all this nonsense and no rings adding up, well his act has grown stale. We have a young, dynamic nucleus growing on offense, and we're ready for something new. And if our football personnell have faith that Kevin Kolb can be a winner, well we believe that too and are ready to keep winning with a new QB.

That's cool, and I like that you're supporting your football personnel. All I'm saying though is be prepared if things don't work out because it's not easy replacing someone as good as McNabb was for you guys. Sometimes when you're in a winning program like the Eagles have been, you take winning for granted and you don't realize how good you had it until it's too late.I can remember thinking years ago what a joke Wayne Fontes was for Detroit. We fired him and when you look back on it years later, the guy really wasn't that bad compared to a lot of the jokers we've had since.

 

[unckeyherb]

Guy had consistently great defenses throughout his career and consistently great offensive lines. I really wish we could get past this whole "This QB is a winner!" stuff. Football is a TEAM GAME

Unfortunately, that mode of thinking is generally only applied when they win. When they lose its not anyone's fault but McNabb. The NFC Championship game against Arizona is a perfect example. The Eagles were down and McNabb led a fourth quarter drive that ended in the Eagles taking the lead (even though one of the biggest knocks on McNabb is that he can't come up big in big games ). All the defense had to do was hold Arizona. Instead Warner marches them 90 yards down the field and they score the game winner. Who gets the blame in the local media? McNabb. Why? Because he was not able to lead a second fourth quarter game winning drive. The defense got a total pass in this game. Where s the "Team Game" mentality there?

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Guy had consistently great defenses throughout his career and consistently great offensive lines. I really wish we could get past this whole "This QB is a winner!" stuff. Football is a TEAM GAME

Unfortunately, that mode of thinking is generally only applied when they win. When they lose its not anyone's fault but McNabb. The NFC Championship game against Arizona is a perfect example. The Eagles were down and McNabb led a fourth quarter drive that ended in the Eagles taking the lead (even though one of the biggest knocks on McNabb is that he can't come up big in big games ). All the defense had to do was hold Arizona. Instead Warner marches them 90 yards down the field and they score the game winner. Who gets the blame in the local media? McNabb. Why? Because he was not able to lead a second fourth quarter game winning drive. The defense got a total pass in this game. Where s the "Team Game" mentality there?

 

[Jason Wood]

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Fair enough. I haven't pretended to be objective about this. In (almost) 10 years on this site I've tried very hard to be objective about everything I weigh in on, but when it comes to the Eagles and McNabb's legacy? Nope, can't do it. The problem we all face (myself included) is that we try so hard to draw a line in the sand. We all focus on whether you agree or disagree with a given opinion. I'm guilty of it to. But here's the thing, fandom isn't black and white. There is a massive spectrum that encompasses a lot of nuance as it relates to a fan's view of their team. The reality is there are people who love 5 and didn't want him to go, people who love him but are OK with him going, people who never liked him but still worry about what his loss will mean, people who never liked him and can't wait to turn the page, and many more who appreciated him, but think his time has come and gone. And I'm sure there are a thousand other variations on the theme. So I get what you're saying Gold Standard. And like all things, once it's past and what's done is done, it's easier to calm down and see things in a different light.Am I happy it ended this way? No. Do I understand it? Yeah, I do. Do I recognize that this COULD be an enormously smart move? Absolutely. As you said, our defense needs rebuilding and we are now among the youngest teams in the league. We have a dedicated owner, a talented coaching staff, and plenty of revenue to spend, whether there's a cap or not. As long as Kolb (a big if admittedly) is as good as many think he'll be, we're looking good to have a very short "rebuilding" phase; and that's certainly the goal of the franchise.

 

[Gold Standard]

I appreciated McNabb, he gave us a great run, but the run is over Jason, and you simply (from what i read from you) can't come to grips with it. What would you like this fanbase to do aside from breath a sigh of relief that we're turning the page. How the heck do you bring this crew back after what happened in the span of six days in Dallas, I love waht this FO is doing in purging this roster, and more over how don't you interpet nearly every single word out of McNabb's mouth as nothing else butcompletely disingenuous at this point - He had no problem telling the press we had a great year going 11-5 after getting destroyed the last two games of the year. DId you think it was a great season 11 years into the McNabb era?? That's why he never connected to Philly. He was more hurt by 30 aholes that Cataldi rounded up to boo him at the draft.I'm telling you right now if this front office crushes this draft on the defensive side of the ball (5 picks first 87), they will be KILLING teams by 2012. I don't understand the thinking of letting McNabb play this year to run his contract out when you knew damn well they weren't resinging him after they only gave him more money last summer to keep his mouth shut. He never gave us a title bro, and as unfair as you may think that is, that will be the reality of his legacy in Philly.

Fair enough. I haven't pretended to be objective about this. In (almost) 10 years on this site I've tried very hard to be objective about everything I weigh in on, but when it comes to the Eagles and McNabb's legacy? Nope, can't do it. The problem we all face (myself included) is that we try so hard to draw a line in the sand. We all focus on whether you agree or disagree with a given opinion. I'm guilty of it to. But here's the thing, fandom isn't black and white. There is a massive spectrum that encompasses a lot of nuance as it relates to a fan's view of their team. The reality is there are people who love 5 and didn't want him to go, people who love him but are OK with him going, people who never liked him but still worry about what his loss will mean, people who never liked him and can't wait to turn the page, and many more who appreciated him, but think his time has come and gone. And I'm sure there are a thousand other variations on the theme. So I get what you're saying Gold Standard. And like all things, once it's past and what's done is done, it's easier to calm down and see things in a different light.Am I happy it ended this way? No. Do I understand it? Yeah, I do. Do I recognize that this COULD be an enormously smart move? Absolutely. As you said, our defense needs rebuilding and we are now among the youngest teams in the league. We have a dedicated owner, a talented coaching staff, and plenty of revenue to spend, whether there's a cap or not. As long as Kolb (a big if admittedly) is as good as many think he'll be, we're looking good to have a very short "rebuilding" phase; and that's certainly the goal of the franchise.

Jason I get it bro, and at the end of the day we all want to see the team do well, you, me, everyone. I'm a New Yorker so maybe I'm not as part of the cities vibe towards McNabb, but I always loved the guy. I defended him left and right as we kept going to the altar and never sealing the deal. I thought the booing at the draft was a disgrace, the Limbaugh comment just ridicolous, the whole nine yards. Through that time though, he always had to wear his sensitivity on his sleeve, and to me it got a bit tiresome - especially Philadelphia fans. His act these past two years Jason, were not indictive of someone I thoguht cared about winning, the goofy antics, the tooting the party line and ultimately not taking responisiblilty for his play "we showed our youth today". As black and white as it is - this one Jason was a no-brainer.You keep focusing on a "short" rebuilding phase. Dude we may have two - three years of growing pains ahead of us here. In that time as we build it yeah we may make the playoffs, but were strickly one and done material at this point. I'm fine with that so long as by 2012 - 2013 teams are terrified of us. I just can't sit here and give McNabb a parade when I see a guy like Eli Manning who carries himself as well as Forrest Gump win a title for his team. I'm sorry, Washington can have McNabb at 34 years old. I'm beyond excited for the Kevin Kolb era. And as far as this offseason you have repeatredly criticized, read my post this morning in the Kolb thread you started. I think I may be the last one on there. This FO knows exactly whats its doing

 

[Maggot Brain]

I'm looking forward to the first Skins game at the link and the reaction McNabb gets, I can almost script it...I'll bet it goes down like this. McNabb gets announced and there is initially a mixed crowd reaction, some cheer for him and all he did for the team over 11 years, others will boo him soundly and probably more enthusiastically.... but when normal people hear the idiots booing they will all stand up in support of McNabb and cheer much, much louder and in the end he'll get a great, long standing ovation from the crowd that drowns out the boo-birds.The media will report the mixed reaction, cut th video short and emphasize the boos. Then between talking about us throwing snowballs at Santa and cheering Michael Irvin's injury, they'll interview a couple of four toothed drunks from Fishtown who will slam McNabb instead of any of the 100 supporters who would talk positively and respectually about his tenure in Philly. You'll be able to tell, the guy spilling his beer and slurring to the camera is they guy they'll pick to interview, the fifty guys walking behind him with their kids who have actualy jobs and lives and IQ's above 80 are the ones they'll ignore.In the after game press conference McNabb will talk about how this was just another game, how much he appreciated the kind welcome and the fans who supported him when he was here, however, he wont be able to control himself by making some half-assed passive aggressive remark about the few who booed him instead of taking the high road. When you see it happen just like this, you'll know why we never really embraced him in this town.Oh, and then someone on ESPN will probably allude to us all being racists, even though most of us would have traded a sibling away to re-sign Brian Dawkins and the town brought Iverson to tears with the ovation he got upon his return to Philly.This whole thing drives me nuts, nobody outside Philly understands the philly fan. Maybe it's the same everywhere, I don't know.

Yes. I've repeatedly made these assertions to numerous friends/acquaintances for several years. They think we're all neanderthals in Philly, sadly.

 

[Saint]

Guy had consistently great defenses throughout his career and consistently great offensive lines. I really wish we could get past this whole "This QB is a winner!" stuff. Football is a TEAM GAME

Unfortunately, that mode of thinking is generally only applied when they win. When they lose its not anyone's fault but McNabb. The NFC Championship game against Arizona is a perfect example. The Eagles were down and McNabb led a fourth quarter drive that ended in the Eagles taking the lead (even though one of the biggest knocks on McNabb is that he can't come up big in big games ). All the defense had to do was hold Arizona. Instead Warner marches them 90 yards down the field and they score the game winner. Who gets the blame in the local media? McNabb. Why? Because he was not able to lead a second fourth quarter game winning drive. The defense got a total pass in this game. Where s the "Team Game" mentality there?

Ugh. As a fan, that fourth quarter absolutely disgusted me. First, if you rewatch the first drive, there were some pretty spectacular catches made by the eagles receivers on some poorly thrown balls. As for the second drive, the passes were so erratic the receivers could not even catch the ball. Let's call a duck a duck. Yes, the defense gave away a 90-yd scoring drive. No disagreement there, but the offensive QB was not exceptional either. I can lay the blame on both sides of the ball, but when you have time to take the team down and your receivers don't have a chance to make a play on the ball and the QB has time to throw, well... then I will call out some criticism on the offensive play.How you can rewatch those drives and tell me the QB played fine is absolutely ridiculous.

I'm not saying McNabb is all junk by any stretch of means. He has done good things for the franchise, but I don't think he is the answer moving foreward and I believe he is on the downside of his career.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Guy had consistently great defenses throughout his career and consistently great offensive lines. I really wish we could get past this whole "This QB is a winner!" stuff. Football is a TEAM GAME

Unfortunately, that mode of thinking is generally only applied when they win. When they lose its not anyone's fault but McNabb. The NFC Championship game against Arizona is a perfect example. The Eagles were down and McNabb led a fourth quarter drive that ended in the Eagles taking the lead (even though one of the biggest knocks on McNabb is that he can't come up big in big games ). All the defense had to do was hold Arizona. Instead Warner marches them 90 yards down the field and they score the game winner. Who gets the blame in the local media? McNabb. Why? Because he was not able to lead a second fourth quarter game winning drive. The defense got a total pass in this game. Where s the "Team Game" mentality there?

Funny you should bring that game up.McNabb helped the Eagles get the lead with 10:45 left. Then he got the ball back with 2:53 left and couldn't get it done.

What's really funny is that THE VERY NEXT GAME, the Pittsburgh Steelers D gave up the lead with 2:58 left to go in the Superbowl and Ben Roethlisberger proceeds to drive his team down the field to win the game.

 

[unckeyherb]

if you rewatch the first drive, there were some pretty spectacular catches made by the eagles receivers on some poorly thrown balls.

This is my point. McNabb's go-ahead drive gets attributed to spectacular catches, and is completed in spite of him, not because of him.Yet...

Funny you should bring that game up.McNabb helped the Eagles get the lead with 10:45 left. Then he got the ball back with 2:53 left and couldn't get it done. What's really funny is that THE VERY NEXT GAME, the Pittsburgh Steelers D gave up the lead with 2:58 left to go in the Superbowl and Ben Roethlisberger proceeds to drive his team down the field to win the game.

Big Ben single handedly wins the game with no mention of the 'spectacular catch' that ended that drive. That, I guess, is my point. With McNabb, no matter what he did, his accolades always came with qualifiers. "yeah they won, but, the WR did this" or "Yeah, they made the playoffs but the defense did that". It was his time to go; I am excited about the potential of this Eagles team; I have faith in this organization to make the right decisions about how much gas a player has left in the tank (as they are almost always spot on). All that being said, I still am upset that he'll be wearing a different jersey next year. I know I won't convince anyone to change their minds about him, as he seems to be a very polarizing individual. Agree to disagree and hopefully next year all we will be talking about is how nasty Kolb is..

 

[Gachi]

McNabb's 4th and 10 pass was DROPPED. It was a good pass that hit Curtis in the chest. Was there some contact? Yes, but he should have caught it. That was not McNabb's fault at all.

 

[Snotbubbles]

That, I guess, is my point. With McNabb, no matter what he did, his accolades always came with qualifiers. "yeah they won, but, the WR did this" or "Yeah, they made the playoffs but the defense did that".

Actually the qualifer is, "they didn't win". 0 Superbowls. Time to move on.

 

[Saint]

To be honest, not sure I follow you unc.

In the last drive for the Eagles, the last several passes were overthrown (where it was beyond Westbrook's reach), Curtis thrown on the out route (outside of reach as Curtis went down), and at the feet of the receiver. I'd have to pull some stuff off of youtube for the spectacular catches in the aspect that the QB made them difficult to catch. My point was that they did not have to be difficult catches, but the way they were thrown did make them difficult and need the exceptional catch.

In the Steeler game, the Holmes catch was spectacular (no doubt whatsoever), but the throw was in a position where the receiver could make a play on the ball. That's the difference to me. I was frustrated by the fact that I didn't see where the receiver could make a play on the ball.

I'll give McNabb credit where credit is due, and in the regular season, he has proven to be a great QB for the Eagles. I just don't think he played at the same intensity in post-season that he did in regular-season. This has been the frustrating part of being an Eagles fan for me. Now take it for what it is worth, this is my opinion from my viewpoint of the game.

Do I say Kolb is the next savior of the Eagles? No, but I do think it is time to give him a shot to see what he can do. Personally, I expect him to step in and do fine, as the Eagles have always done with their reserve QBs (Garcia and Feely).

I do think the NFC East just increased its intensity a bit more with the trade for WAS. So it'll certainly be fun to watch and I am hoping I can get tix to the Eagles-Skins game this year.

 

[Snotbubbles]

McNabb's 4th and 10 pass was DROPPED. It was a good pass that hit Curtis in the chest. Was there some contact? Yes, but he should have caught it. That was not McNabb's fault at all.

What about 1st down?2nd down?3rd down?Good passes?

 

[Amused to Death]

I'll give McNabb credit where credit is due, and in the regular season, he has proven to be a great QB for the Eagles. I just don't think he played at the same intensity in post-season that he did in regular-season. This has been the frustrating part of being an Eagles fan for me. Now take it for what it is worth, this is my opinion from my viewpoint of the game.

Fair or not, McNabb hasn't show the ability to crank it up to "11" when its needed.

 

[Gachi]

^^I don't remember the previous downs, but with McNabb theyy were probobly poorly thrown or into the dirt. Point taken, I guess.

 

[Wadsworth]

McNabb was 28/47 for 375 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT and added another 31 yards rushing on 2 carries.

I guess he was just off that day. If only he could play well in the big games.

 

[Billy Bats]

McNabb was 28/47 for 375 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT and added another 31 yards rushing on 2 carries. I guess he was just off that day. If only he could play well in the big games.

And you have just proven my biggest point of an outsider just seeing the stats and saying HOW GREAT!!!! You see a whole lot more that just that over 11 seasons, and it's gotten very old and stale. He can go and have awesome stats in Washington, we'll see how many SB's he wins.

 

[philly_battery_thrower]

I've given up trying to get fans of other NFL teams to understand. It's kind of hopeless...the national media has painted a picture of philly fans over the past 15 years (or 20 or 25) that is just too much to undo.

I do want to add this. McNabb is absolutely NOT responsible for the Eagles 1-5 record in the NFCCGs/SB. At various points in those games, you can point to mistakes/poor play from the defense, offense, special teams, and coaching. Everyone is responsible. But let's not pretend that everything has been pinned on McNabb. Forget words...take a look at this team's actions:

> Offense: WRs, TEs, Offensive Line, RB .... all those guys ... replaced.

> Defense: the entire secondary, the defensive line, LBers ... replaced.

> Special Teams: only Akers remained

> Coaching: The top guys...all still here (rest in peace JJ).

McNabb was basically the last guy to be replaced outside of the coaching staff. The Eagles are not sentimental...they make moves based on play on the field (well, play divided by cost). The fans did not run McNabb out of Philly ... the coaches/FO did presumably because they thought Kolb was the better choice for the franchise. I'm tired of the victim that McNabb has been made out to be...