LeSean McCoy said while in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl that he would trade in all of the individual accolades he has received this  offseason for the opportunity for his team to be in the Super Bowl.

If only things worked that way.

Shady was in Indy on Wednesday soaking in the sights and sounds of Super Bowl Week, but it wasn’t to prepare to play on Sunday, unfortunately. Instead, he was present to collect yet another honor for his amazing performance in 2011: McCoy was selected the FedEx Ground Player of the Year. He beat out Maurice Jones-Drew, the league’s leading rusher, and Baltimore’s Ray Rice for the Award.

McCoy lead the league with 17 rushing  touchdowns and now holds the Eagles franchise record for most total touchdowns in a season at 20. He was 4th in the league with   1,309 yards. Shady was nominated for the FedEx Player of the Week four times during the season and won two of those times.

A dapper looking McCoy was honored to pick up his groovy looking new trophy in Indianapolis.

“I want to thank my teammates, fans, and friends. The fans they vote each week and each year for this award. For me to achieve this award is something special to me. Over a million fans voted for the FedEx Ground Player of the Year and I just wanted to thank them. Also, I want to thank FedEx because they’re donating $25,000 in my name to Junior Achievement of Delaware Valley. Once again, I appreciate this, and thank you.”

So happy this man is an Eagle. Congratulations to LeSean for the honor and for the continued notice of his tremendous talent and success.

Drew Brees received the FedEx Air Player of the Year honors.

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As we wait for the Super Bowl that we don’t want to watch, there is a placeholder game that we also don’t care much about. But at least the Pro Bowl features three Eagles players–RB LeSean McCoy, OT Jason Peters and DE Jason Babin.

LeSean McCoy and Jason Babin are living it up in Hawaii with their colleagues from around the league. And from their tweets they seem to be having a wonderful time.

While it’s an honor to be at the Pro Bowl, every player there realizes that the reason they are able to play on Sundy is because of one thing: Their team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. And for competitive men who excel at their positions, that’s just not okay.

But they’re trying to make the best of it. The best running backs in the league, LeSean McCoy and Maurice Jones-Drew, are both present at the Pro Bowl and took some time to speak with the Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk about their seasons on the NFL Network.

Each back was asked what they admired in the other. MJD complimented Shady’s elusiveness, his vision, speed–and his inexplicable ability to hang onto the ball even in such a precarious position. LeSean was complimentary of Jones-Drew’s ability to take over games and pounds defensive players. He also stated that, “he’s short but he’s not small. He plays like he’s 6’6.”

Here is the interview, which is part mutual admiration society between MJD and Shady, part discussion of the every down back in the NFL with Faulk, but entirely entertaining. To check it out, click here.

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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”

Photo via GQ

The fact that T.O.’s chances in the NFL seem to be over is a delightful fact. At least for me.

While an extraordinarily talented wideout, it seems the drama and controversy that constantly surround Terrell Owens no longer interest teams in the NFL, whether he can play or not.  And the fact that he’s 37 years old also doesn’t help his cause.

Remember the workout he held last year that no one attended? It’s called karma, Terrell. And it’s beautiful to see it unfold.

Even without any time on the field in the 2011 season, T.O. wants to be heard. He misses the spotlight of being on the field. Like a child, his mantra seems to be, pay attention to me! And though we don’t want to, we indulge the request, which simply serves to feed Owens’ desire and the cycle keeps repeating.

It seems Owens will never shut up about Donovan McNabb, and in an interview with GQ he brought Jeremiah Trotter into the fray, claiming that Trotter, at the time the team’s captain, encouraged Owens to not apologize to McNabb.

Here is the excerpt:

How about the decision not to publicly apologize to McNabb for suggesting in an interview immediately after the Eagles lost the Super Bowl that the quarterback had “got tired” on the field? For a moment, he is silent. Could he actually be on the verge of admitting he made an error?

“Well, I probably should have done…,” he begins, rubbing his hand along the contours of his massive shaved dome. Then he stops himself. “No. No. Listen, I was in the locker room before the press conference, and my team captain, Jeremiah Trotter, read through that apology they wrote for me. He got to the bottom part, the part where it had the stuff about Donovan, and he did this.” Owens snatches a piece of paper from the table and rips off the bottom three inches. “This is the team leader we’re talking about; he told me not to do it.”

Trotter is not too pleased with T.O., telling the Philadelphia Inquirer via text message that, “I’m very upset with T.O.”

Terrell just keeps messing with some of my all-time favorite Eagles.

Trotter contacted T.O. via Twitter and it seems that, eventually, the two made up.

The only appropriate reaction to any T.O. story at this stage is a simple, “sigh.” These pathetic attempts to become relevant again are all that he has these days. It’s almost sad, until you realize that he’s brought ever bit of this on himself.

If you must, you can find the full interview here.

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My head knows that there will be no more Eagles football until next fall (*sobs*), but somehow the realization hasn’t fully sunk in. And it probably won’t until this weekend, when I see other teams trying to make it to the Super Bowl and not the Eagles.

One of the many signs that it’s the offseason? The fact that the biggest story in Eagles news was related to a tweet.

It’s going to be a long offseason. Even selecting a Tweet of the Week was infinitely harder today than it was during the season because the players are tweeting up a storm during their free team. My Eagles Twitter list took ages to scroll through. A reminder, guys: It’s quality, not quantity that counts. I’ve got a feature to run here.

It was a tweet sent on New Year’s Day that makes this week’s Tweet of the Week honors.

That’s a loaded promise. But I respect Mike Vick for acknowledging how heavy our hearts were in disappointment that the team finished strong, but not strong enough.

It’s true–there is a lot of work that Mike Vick must put in this offseason. There is a lot of work all the Eagles must put in. I want to believe Vick, and I do think the Eagles will have a strong 2012, but there are so many variables that it simply isn’t Vick’s promise to make.

But with that said, I still love the tweet and what it represents: Responsibility, accountability, disappointment, and a fire to push harder in the future. Go ‘head, Vick.

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Cullen Jenkins feels our pain

After Thursday’s miserable loss by Philadelphia to Seattle, the postgame comments by Eagles players were all strikingly the same. We’re playing our hardest. It will get better.  We’re a good team, we’re just had a few problems tonight.

Are they simply saying what they think should be said, or do they truly believe what they are saying?

Only one player seems to be truly speaking from the heart, and saying the words that you would expect from a fierce competitor whose team all too often finds itself not meeting even the most basic of expectations.

That player is DT Cullen Jenkins.

Imagine the challenge of being a Super Bowl champion with the Green Bay Packers one season, and the next being on the most disappointing team in the NFL. It can’t be easy, but Philadelphia’s 4-8 record has not stifled Jenkins’ desire to fight hard each and every game.

Jenkins is saying not what he thinks he should say. He is the one player saying what his teammates need–and fans want–to hear.

“There’s going to be a lot of anger. I’m sure right now there’s a lot of people out there ticked off, and they should be. We’re going out there and we’re just giving away,” » Continue reading “Cullen Jenkins Gets It”

Philadelphia at Atlanta Falcons

Sunday, 8:20 pm

NBC (Sunday Night Football)

By now, you’ve heard all of the talk and all of the storylines. Mike Vick returns to the Georgia Dome for the first time as a starter for another team in the NFL. He faces former Philadelphia-area quarterback Matt Ryan. Last year’s heavily favored Super Bowl contenders faces this year’s Dream Team.

With all of the drama bubbling beneath the surface of Sunday’s game, it’s appropriate that the Eagles at Falcons game will be broadcast nation wide on Sunday Night Football. Who will prevail?

The 1-0 Eagles have everything to prove. Though they won last week’s game over the Rams, there is much room for improvement. Most notably, the offensive line has got to get better in order to preserve the health of Michael Vick. Though the team stocked up on incredibly talent in its playing and coaching staff in the offseason, there is much room for improvement.

As much as Philadelphia has to do in this game, it’s possible that the Falcons have even more to prove than the Eagles. Atlanta was expected to be Super Bowl bound last year and faltered, as did Philadelphia, to the eventual World Champion Green Bay Packers. To satisfy their fans, who were left with a bitter taste in their mouths at the end of the 2010 season, the Falcons needed to come out strong against Chicago in their season opener. And that is exactly what they did not do, losing to the Bears 30-12. » Continue reading “Battle of the Birds: Eagles at Atlanta Game Preview”

Mike Vick spoke to the press yesterday about his lucrative long-term deal with the Eagles. He spoke of the gratitude he feels at having the opportunity to once again receive a $100 million deal from a team.

The commitment shown by the Eagles to Vick now drives him to move towards one goal: Putting a Super Bowl ring on the finger of Andy Reid and the rest of his Eagles teammates.

Here are some notable quotes from Vick:

-”I just go back in time and think about how hard it’s been over the last two years with the sacrifices I had to make and what I had to give up, it’s been all worth it. With that said, I’d like to just thank this organization for the opportunity. The common goal is to bring that ring back to the City of Philadelphia, and that’s what we’re working towards.”

-”I think if anything it will make me want to work harder, and just to continue to show that I’m worthy of everything that I’ve gotten.”

-“That’s an outstanding feeling for me to know that I’m going to be here, possibly for the duration of my career. And I know I can’t play this game forever and I know the clock is ticking and that’s more motivation for me to try and get it done as early as I can,” Vick said. “And you know, it’s just another opportunity that’s been created in my life to press forward and shoot for the stars. I look at it as a challenge and as a competitor you love challenges, you want to be in this position and nothing would make you happier then to put a ring on (Reid’s) finger and mine as well. So that’s my goal, that’s what I’m setting out to do and that’s what I’m going to rile this team up to do.”

Vick’s teammates had nothing but respect and congratulations for their team’s leader on his new deal. You can check out what they had to say via PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

In other news…

The Eagles roster now stands at 80, as was required by the NFL by 4 pm on Tuesday. The team released wide receiver Gerald Jones, offensive tackle Spencer Johnson, defensive back Jamar Wall, tight end Martell Webb and CB Isaiah Trufant.

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Top of the morning to ya! Let’s get started with today’s Eagles headlines.

Larry Fitzgerald is getting paid the big bucks. What about DeSean Jackson? Still no update on a new deal for Eagles wideout – Philly.com

Several weeks ago we were worried sick about his health. Now Mike Patterson, who returned to practice on Saturday, will make his preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday – ProFootballTalk

Someone at the New York Giants organization has pissed off the football gods. The season hasn’t even begun and they are experiencing a freakish glut player injuries – ESPN New York

Nate Allen is still working to get back to 100% 8 months after his knee surgery – Philly.com

More injury woes – recently signed OT Ryan Harris will be seeing a back specialist for his continued back pain – Buzz on Broad

The Eagles are described as being “in Super Bowl or Bust Mode.” That’s good, because so are the fans – FoxSports

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I woke up this morning to see the following Tweet from Adam Schefter:

The Eagles are the talk of not just the NFL, but of all of sports. The NFL Network asked its Facebook fans yesterday if the team was a lock in appeasing in the 2012 Super Bowl. Philadelphia is being called the Dream Team, the Miami Heat of football.

As we saw how things ended for the Miami Heat this year, it all makes me incredibly nervous.

Don’t get me wrong. I am shocked, wowed, and thrilled by the aggressive moves by the Birds’ front office. The fact that the number 1 free agent in the league saw the potential and talent of the team and wanted to come here is incredible. And as Nnamdi goes, so will the remaining free agents–at least it seems that way.

A visit to Southern California this summer showed my exactly how negative we East-Coasters–and specifically we Philadelphians–tend to be. You don’t realize it until you’re out of your own environment. Meeting up with two friends who now, Philadelphia natives both who now call SoCal home, we realized that negativity is how we Philadelphians bond with one another.

In my inaugural podcast, I noted what seems to be a changing physchology in the Eagles front office as well in the Philadelphia sports fan.The massive chip on our shoulder is going away. Our sports teams have improved , we finally have a world championship team in the Phillies, and we have wrestled two prime athletes out of the hands of New York teams in the past year (Cliff Lee for the Phillies, taken away from the Yankees, and now Nnamdi Asomugha to the Eagles, stolen out from under the Jets). We see and finally believe that we’re not perennial losers. We’re not being overshadowed by New York–we’re overshadowing them.

All of this is why I am loving the fact that Eagles fans are excited and actually believe that their team can take it all. If you’ve ever been to a sports bar in Philadelphia or listened to our sports radio, you realize what a miracle that is. I have to look hard to find anything negative being said about the Philadelphia Eagles from their fanbase right now.

But it still worries me.

There is no question that the Eagles have made the boldest moves in the league in free agency. Philadelphia has been stacked with the best talent available.They are serious about changing what didn’t work to take the incredible potential of this team to a Super Bowl. And it can be done.

But there are still substantial obstacles to overcome. There is talk that this will be the next major move by the team, but who will be playing middle linebacker? What’s going to happen to our Pro Bowl receiver, DeSean Jackson?

And while I am heartened to see his energy, enthusiasm and how players have responded to him, I get a pit in my stomach every time I think about Juan Castillo in the defensive coordinator role. There has got to be a reason why no other team has taken a man who has only coached the offense at the professional level and switched him to the defense. And not just any position on the defense coaching staff–the coordinator position.

The move was risky. It is untested. I have read others speculate that Andy Reid will surround Castillo with the talent he needs so that he will not fail. Castillo’s success, after all, will be a praise of or indictment of Andy Reid. If the move doesn’t work, it will likely mark the end of Andy Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia.

While I realize the proclamations of a certain Super Bowl berth and comparisons to the Miami Heat make for good headlines and polarizing discussions–and controversy drives hits/ratings, whether on the television, radio or web–I’ll enjoy when the talk cools down.

My philosophy to sports fandom mirrors my approach to life: Cautious optimism. Getting wrapped up in the euphoria of major moves or great plays are part of the fun of being a football fan. But I also do not enjoy being absolutely crushed (though it seems to happen quite often).

The media loves to set people, and teams, up to fail. Prepare yourselves for the Eagles to be called chokers or once when they make a misstep or lose their first game this season.

It won’t be because this team isn’t or can’t be a dream. But let’s take some time to let the dream build.

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