It’s Super Bowl Sunday. I imagine that you and I are less excited about this fact than much of America, but the nightmare is almost over. Just a dozen more hours of nauseating coverage of two teams you can’t stand. Be strong, Eagles fans, be strong.

Last night featured the first-ever NFL Honors award show, where Aaron Rodgers received the award for being the season’s MVP from Peyton Manning, even though that fact that he was voted MVP with 48 out of 50 votes was announced hours earlier.

Alec Baldwin hosted the inaugural program, and LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson were in attendance. It didn’t take long for the jokes about the Eagles and VY’s proclamation of a Dream Team to start. In fact, this is what Mr. Baldwin, who I normally quite like, had to say:

“It was a dream – like a dream where you show up at school naked, you forget to study for the test, and you lose four of your first five,” said Baldwin, who then called Jackson “DeSean Johnson” and asked if he and McCoy were “laughing. I’m not looking.”

So you know, DeSean did not look at all amused by Baldwin’s joke. Shady smiled.

NBC10′s John Clark had a chance to ask DeSean about his contract situation on the red carpet, and not surprisingly no light was shed where D-Jacc stands with the team. – CSNPhilly

Though imagining any outcome to SB46 is painful, the game must not end with any members of the New York Giants being able anywhere near the Lombardi trophy.

Obviously, the Giants web team is hoping for the exact opposite result and, in fact, seemed to be helping the team to visualize a win. They took it a little far, though, announcing for all the world to see that the Giants had won Super Bowl 46. On Saturday. Simmer down, Giants web and marketing team. There is still, like, a game that must be played. – ProFootballTalk

Another Super Bowl Sunday, another day that Andy Reid is doing exactly what we will do this evening: Siting on the coach on our duffs. Le sigh. – philly.com

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DeSean Jackson's view from Wednesday's Bulls v. Sixers game.

Yes, yes, Philly Sports Muse is a blog about the Philadelphia Eagles. But guess what? Right now I’m going to talk about another Philly sports team. And you’re going to like it.

Have you been feeling a little…strange lately? I may be able to explain the reason. You’ve got Sixers fever.

Regardless of which sport is normally your favorite, you’ve heard the buzz about the Sixers’ amazing 16 -6 record this season. You know about the new ownership. The new attitude. The new mascot. The new spirit.

Maybe you were doubtful about the early success. Okay, fine, you kept listening as the team continued to win. And then came Wednesday night’s decisive victory over the Bulls.

This team cannot be ignored.

Some of the Eagles are definitely paying attention. DeSean Jackson was front and center at the game,  tweeting pictures from his courtside seat.

After the 98-82 win over Derrick Rose and he Bulls and , Todd Herremans gave props to the team.

There is no doubt about it. You need to stand up and pay attention to this team. Many say that a superstar is needed to be a true contender in the NBA, but the Sixers are proving that basketball is a team sport that needs the consistent talent and effort of all players, not must one. Whatever the standard formula, the Sixers have found a way to get it done.

The now 16-6 76ers have a huge home game tonight as they face Bron Bron and them, i.e. the 16-6 Miami Heat. The Sixers showed on Wednesday night that their success this season is not a fluke. They’re coming for you, LeBron.

Happy Friday, and Go Sixers!

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In Tuesday’s press conference featuring a kinder, gentler Philadelphia Eagles head coach, Andy Reid was asked about DeSean Jackson’s future with the team. Though Reid’s answer itself didn’t say very much, the way he answered the question was telling.

“I was proud of DeSean for standing up. I thought he showed maturity this season. I think he’s done that every year he’s been here, but he showed it. He stood up and admitted to everybody that he didn’t handle things the right way. I will tell you that the last six games, he did a nice job for us. I was proud of him for that. We’re going through all of that right now, so we’re looking at everything right now. We haven’t come to any conclusions on anything, but we’re going through that. Again, you saw progress there, you saw a different attitude the last five or six games there. You’ve got to make sure you look at that part too.”

While the remarks are complimentary, they are by no means a ringing endorsement of the wide receiver. Rather than a true testimonial, it’s a polite, noncommittal,  “He’s a great guy” sort of response. Okay, Jackson did well in the last part of the season when he decided to stop sulking and that will be taken into account, but the first half of the season can’t–and won’t–be ignored. » Continue reading “So Yeah….About DeSean…”

The Philadelphia Eagles have several decisions to make regarding their free agents. Of all of the players the Eagles must consider (including Evan Mathis, Vince Young, and Ronnie Brown, among others), no name or contact situation will receive more attention than that of DeSean Jackson.

It all began with his very public holdout from training camp last summer, peaked with his meltdown and public pouting after the Eagles’ horrific loss against the Seahawks, and has been just beneath the surface ever since, threatening to boil over.

The question of whether the Eagles will keep DeSean Jackson in 2012 is a question that doesn’t fully take Jackson’s abilities into consideration. Are the Eagles are willing to forgive D-Jacc for his public displays of protest about his salary?

For the moment, the answer appears to be “no.” » Continue reading “DeSean Jackson and Eagles Remain Far Apart On a Deal”

Howie Roseman speaks about how being "all in" worked out for the Eagles last season.

Andy Reid still sees no reason to say anything to anyone about the Eagles 2011 season, but general manager Howie Roseman is speaking.

He is with other members of the Eagles organization (not including Reid) in Alabama to scope out possible draft picks at this year’s Senior Bowl. Interviews from Roseman with the Daily News and CSNPhilly left me with opposite impressions of the GM. The former made me think, hmm, maybe he gets it. But the points brought up to CSN’s Reuben Frank sounded largely like the usual chatter from teams wanting to put a positive spin on a disappointing season. » Continue reading “Howie Roseman Talks Draft, Grigson, Giants And More”

There have been lots of lists highlighting the best players in various categories in the NFL as of late. Here’s a run down of how some of the Eagles have fared.

The ever-busy Pro Football Focus put together a list of the 20 best and 20 worst hands in the NFL.

The good news? Jason Avant came in as the 16th best wide receiver in the league. The bad news? DeSean Jackson was at the bottom of the list.

Per CSNPhilly,

While Avant is listed in the site’s Top 20, Jackson, unfortunately, resides in the Bottom 20. The 76th best at catching the ball — you know, the receiver’s primary responsibility — Jackson posted a “drop rate” of 13.43, failing to secure 9 of 67 balls thrown his way. By comparison, Avant dropped only 3 of 54.

You can find the full analysis here.

Next up: Football Outsiders put together an All Pro Team featuring three Birds: RB LeSean McCoy, DT Cullen Jenkins, and OT Jason Peters.

Here is what was said about the players via Bleeding Green Nation:

RB: LeSean McCoy, Eagles
McCoy led the NFL in rushing value according to DYAR, and moreover, he did it despite turmoil along most of the Philadelphia offensive line. We try to estimate how much rushing yardage can be attributed to offensive line blocking as opposed to the running backs with a stat called Adjusted Line Yards. Philadelphia was just 26th in ALY, but Philadelphia was second in Second Level Yards per carry (yards gained 5-10 yards from the line of scrimmage) and fourth in Open Field Yards per carry (yards gained 11-plus yards from the line of scrimmage).

LT: Jason Peters, Eagles
The one bright spot on the Eagles’ offensive line. FO’s J.J. Cooper tracked every sack in the NFL this year and found only one for which a Peters blown block was directly responsible. In addition, LeSean McCoy had his best rushing success running around left end.

DT: Cullen Jenkins, Eagles
Jenkins’ average tackle on a running play came after a gain of just 0.7 yards, the best figure in the league. He also added 5.5 sacks.

Last but not least, ProFootball Weekly released its all NFC list, which featured LeSean Jackson and Jason Peters. No Eagles defensive players were included.

Here is PFW’s full list.

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Photo via Ben Liebenberg/NFL.com

LeSean McCoy stopped by the NFL Network studios in Los Angeles last week to talk about his record-breaking season and why the Eagles failed to meet expectations in 2011.

Will you just look at that–young Shady cleans up nicely.

A few interesting gems from the interview:

• McCoy said that he was disappointed to not be able to play in the last game of the year, as he was trying to chase Maurice Jones-Drew for the league’s rushing title.

• McCoy said that there was never a lack of leadership in the locker room, and cited Asante Samuel and Mike Vick as being the leaders that kept the team together.

• Shady described DeSean Jackson as a “great player, excellent teammate, special talent.” He said that Jackson’s teammates always backed him 100%, and it’s difficult to tell someone that they’re dealing with something the right or wrong way when it’s their livlihood.

You can watch video of the interview here. And there is more Shady goodness via this article, also taken from his time at the NFL Network’s studios.

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Jeffrey Lurie. Image via 6abc.com

Lurie’s remarks were incredibly well organized–he must have been an English teacher’s delight in college. He began by acknowledging how horrid the season was, and how there were no acceptable excuses and his own anger and disappointment. He then went on to outline how he goes about evaluating each season in terms of the team’s overall performance, the players, and the team’s coaches. Once this began, you knew the endorsement of Reid was coming.

The remarks were what most had anticipated: A formality that would signal no major changes to the Eagles organization. In fact, it signaled none.

Lurie stated that he evaluated coaching staff on three criteria: 1. Overall track record; 2. Recent record; and 3. Intangibles. He outlined where Reid fell in all 3 areas, citing his respect from players and coaches around the league as a notable intangible for Reid. He also cited the team’s short and long term success in making it to the playoffs. With regard to not winning a Super Bowl, Lurie stated that Reid has gotten the team to the tournament, and if you’re not in the tourney you can’t win the big game.

And what of Juan Castillo? People were perhaps more eager to hear of his status than Reid’s. And Lurie made it clear that he will not make that decision–he trusts Andy Reid to make decision regarding his coaching staff. » Continue reading “Jeffrey Lurie: “I Want Andy Back””

Here’s the thing with DeSean Jackson. He can be a good guy. As much as he has made me dislike him for the way he has behaved this season, both on and off the field, I can’t forget how much he touched and clearly was touched by the brave young man who was a victim of bullying in Upper Darby.

DeSean knows how to be a decent, mature individual–when he wants to be.

And that’s what I don’t like about him. It’s almost easier to deal with someone like TO who is just an over the top, selfish, outrageous butthead 24/7. But DeSean tries to embrace the diva wide receiver persona almost to the core–and then he backs away. And to be honest, I don’t think it’s because the good angel on his right shoulder tells him he’s behaving like a jerk. It’s because he senses public sentiment–and perhaps the goodwill of the Eagles organization–slipping away from him.

DeSean Jackson is not good at the whole PR thing. I just don’t think he’s aware of it. Effectively managing one’s image does not mean acting up to the point that no one likes you anymore and not performing your job well and then reeling in your off-putting behavior. He will learn that eventually, I hope.

DeSean Jackson apologized for his behavior this season on Sunday, after the season was said and done for the Birds. His remarks, courtesy of CSNPhilly:

“I can admit to certain things affecting me during the season. I just kind of want to apologize or whatever the case may be,” Jackson said after the Eagles finished their lost season with a 34-10 rout of the Redskins (see story). “I probably could have handled it a little different, but now sitting here after the season’s over, I can just say I was able to put it behind me and really just fight for my teammates. Fight for this organization – just really knowing something good out of this situation was going to happen. I was able to finally get to that and just move forward. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Hmm. He was able to “finally” get to that. Very interesting.

Had DeSean said something like this early in the season, or even midseason, it would seem a lot more genuine. Right now, it sounds like a man who realizes that his brattiness and immaturity may have run him out of town. » Continue reading “DeSean Jackson’s Apology Too Little, Too Late?”

Brent Celek fends off Redskins safety DeJon Gomes. Photo via D Hallowell

It was a tortuously boring and messy game to watch, but the Eagles’ 34-10 win over the Redskins is the last Eagles football we’ll see until the summer so I hope you soaked it all in.

The 2011 season is over for the Philadelphia Eagles, and they finished with an 8-8 record. The team went on a 4-game winning streak to reach that record, but that is little consolation for a woefully painful and disappointing season.

“Too little, too late.” That, and not the cursed label of “Dream Team,” should be the term applied to the 2011 Eagles.

RB LeSean McCoy was not active for the game, so there went one compelling reason to watch the game. In fact, there went the one reason to watch any Eagles football all season. Jason Babin ended his season with 18 sacks, as his teammate Trent Cole had the only sack for the Birds against the Redskins.

The game was perfectly summed up by Governor Ed Rendell on Postgame Live:

“I’ve never seen a less impressive 34-10 win in all of my years of watching  football.” » Continue reading “It’s a Wrap: Eagles Finish 2011 at 8-8″