Right now, I have May 10th circled on my calendar. This is not the date of the next Flyers or Sixers playoff game or a prime time matchup for the Phillies. It’s the start of rookie camp for the Philadelphia Eagles, and I’m looking forward to it? How did it come to this? A group of guys coming from college, this is what excites me most with the current state of Philadelphia sports!
For the first time since 1991-1992, we have turned the pages of our calendar full cycle, and have witnessed zero playoff sporting events. How did this happen? How did a Phillies team with the best “pitching staff” in baseball not make the playoffs. How did the Flyers who have only missed the playoffs once in the last 17 years, not out-perform the New York Islanders for at least a shot of drinking the sweet juice from Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Sixers made a huge off-season gamble to not limp into the playoffs but to be an actual competitor. The Eagles couldn’t possibly repeat a season where their .500 record was only a reflection of a late season pounding of back-up quarterbacks versus teams that were out of the playoff picture. Do we point the finger at injuries? They essentially crippled all of the four teams, forcing superstars and future hall of famers to miss substantial time or in some cases the entire season. Unfortunately for me, for most of us, we know that great teams find a way to rise up during these circumstances. Good coaching, leadership and the refusal to feel pity, can drive a team to be victorious.
Andy Reid lost his son, then himself and then the support of his team. Manuel’s relaxed demeanor allowed the Phillies players to run when they wanted to run, swing away at the plate and continue pitching innings past when a call should have been made to the bull pen. Doug Collins had never spent more than three seasons with one professional club, he kept that streak alive and well, electing to choose a non-coaching role for next season. Holmgren and Snyder still believe that big and physical can win a cup, a false sense of reality that continues to excuse this team’s thirty-five plus year absence of championship glory.
We are left to believe in Chip Kelly, a first year coach who has zero professional experience in the NFL. He essentially is rewarded the keys to our heart, our soul and our being that makes us a true Philadelphia fan. As a fan base that is thirstier more now than in recent years, we carry the burden of disappointment from all four professional sports teams to his doorstep, and beg for him to make it all go away.
Not if Mike Vick is the QB he won’t it’s time to move on from him all these Philly teams think the same
Let me explain what the mind set of these philly teams are. We can’t can’t go with young players because we need a sure thing. Sixers Nic Vecuvic = Andrew Bynum, Flyers = Sergei Bobrovsky = Ilya Bryzgalov Eagles Mike Vick = Nick Foles well the Phillies you can list just about the whole team
Not until he finds a QB. Qbs make coaches.
Turk, what the hell does Chip Kelly have go do with the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies. Chip Kelly will succeed if he finds the right defensive people. His offense will be a success in my opinion but if they can’t stop people he will fail.
You don’t know much about pshychology do you Big? Or at least you don’t consier it.
Why don’t you ask Boston what Belli and Brady had to do with the Sox, Celts and Bs.
Brady and the hoodie had absolutely nothing to do with the Sox and Celtics and Bruins geez you guys continue to grasp at straws.
Wrong again. I can guarantee you the Pats success had an incredible effect on those other teams who changed both their philosophies and strategies.
I know this because Bruins coach Claude Julien is a partner of a local hockey school that I am closely involved with. I speak with him all the time and he constantly credits the Pats with forcing the Bruins to make changes…..
And from a psychological standpoint…..success breeds success. The Pats victories changed the sports culture of a town who (other than a couple of Celtic championships in the 80s) was a complete laughingstock in terms of sports success…..Red Socks were known for a curse and buckner, Pats were a joke known best for the Fridge td, and the Bruins? People wanted to lynch Jeremy Jacobs for how that franchise was being run through the 90s, culminating with the embarrassing trade of Raymond Bourque…
The Pats success changed the fortunes of that city. And the Pats success is obviously directly connected to Brady and the Hoodie.
How come the Celtics didn’t change the fortunes of the Patriots and Red Sox? Stop grasping for straws the Celtics were winning for years. How come there success didn’t force anyone to change? The Celtics franchise were a model of consistency with the exception of a couple of years.
And your basing your psychology theory on one city. LOL I guess that didn’t work in the Bay area when the 49’ERS were winning. I missed all those Golden State Warriors championships. Hmmm the Lakers and Clippers play in the same building how come the Buss philosophy didn’t rub off on that franchise.
Probably because basketball is a secondary (tertiary) sport. Nobody but diehard basketball fans cared about the sport in the 50s 60s and even 70s. That, combined with the fact that for Celtics, Yanks, Habs (at least old habs) winning was expected….no big deal.
But an “out of the blue” championship (esp in an important sport)for a city that’s been moribound, can do wonders.
Didn’t Philly win 2 hockey, baseball and baseketball championships all withing 8 years of each other….after going decades without wins before and after.
We know what happened in Boston after decades of ineptitude.
But in Biglion’s world it doesn’t happen.
Deny everything in Biglion’s world.
Watch the TV shows., hear them praise MV non-stop, then deny it happens.
In fact announce the opposite – say everyone was proclaiming that Vick would be released!!
(BTW – several outlets did say he would be released IF Vick did not restructure. And they would have…because only a bunch of delusional idiots would pay the 24th ranked QB in the league top 5 $$)
But once he ws restructured it was back to the predictable and typical “best choice, skill set, fit in Kelly’s offence” lovefest.
You read it. You denied it.
In Biglion’s world keeping Vick is the difficult choice.
In Biglion;s world keeping Vick is the proper choice.
Wrong on both counts.
And I know I’ll be crucified for bringing up MV again…but this has to weigh in to the decision. Psychology. Momentum.
I think if Kelly rolls out that fossil again he’s tying his own noose. It doesn’t work.
Look at this board…any mention of Vick andhalf the board Hates the idea….I can imagine its the same on Philly radio shows….(and its true for more members of the team than many are willing to admit)
Can you go into a rebuilding process with 1/2 your fanbase (and team) sighing and shaking their heads.
Keeping Vick leaves no margin for error…the moment there is one fumble/int (and there will be) Kelly’s program is done. That’s how fragile it is right now.
You will be able to fell the life go out of that stadium instantly. “not again….”
People respect and appreciate bold decisions. They will more lienient. They will allow time as long as they see progress. (even if its slow and small)
Kelly must come in and announce – this year is going to be different. This program is going to be different. The smoothies, the fast tempo…these are all nice. But they’re window dressing.
He’s got to go all the way. Like it or not QB is always the figurehead for that.
Is there risk…of course…cut Vick and off he goes to….well….whomever…and he has 3 MVP seasons, wins a SB while the Birds die with Foles and Barkley. If could happen (no really, I’m trying my best not to laugh out loud)
Its a risk. But its a risk that must be taken.
If he rolls out the same old….its just….. blah. The city, the team, the stadium….and the rebuilding program will die with that first fumble. From that moment on every single decision will be questioned.
Indy was brave. They released Manning for godsakes.
GB was brave. They released Favre (overrated I know, but still an icon)
NE was Brave. Sticking with Brady over a QB who had them in the SB 2 years before.
SF was brave, sitting a QB who had been in the NFC champ the year before.
Will Chip Kelly and the Eagles’ be brave?
It is not without its risks….but it is the only way to win the city.
What is the bigger risk Vinnie keeping Vick or releasing him? Everybody and their mother expected him to be released so obviously Kelly was being brave by keeping him. Again the QB won’t be the issue. You want to know what will suck the life out of the Linc? The first series the offense drives for a TD and then the defense giving up a 10 play drive for a TD.
Vinnie, that’s perfect. Even if your a Vick fan that says it all right there, liking Vick or not liking him is not the point, It’s 100 percent about the perception of the fan base and the negative vibe. How can you start over with the same old crap, there was no reason to change if you keep Vick, we should have kept Reid then. I seriously hope that these dudes are smart enough to know this or It’s going to get real ugly real quick. My biggest fear as an eagles fan is that Vick is our week one starter and it really has nothing to do with if he’s good enough or not.
Personally I think the Eagles have something going for them, the element of surprise. No one knows what Chip Kelly is going to do. Also you can make a coaching change with the same players and make a difference, it’s been done in every major sport….. Everyone has the fear of the unknown right now because they don’t know what to expect which is fine. I think the eagles and Mike Vick will surprise a lot of people this year!!!
Regarding Vick, if he plays well in Kelly’s system in camp and in the preseason he will be the starting QB on opening day. IT is a BIG IF. If he doesn’t, then yes, his days as an Eagle are numbered. I’m not sure why there is a drumbeat to simply jettison a QB for the sake of change that has experience and skills to play the position. I get why people are down on him when taking into account the last two years. His turnovers alone were enough for me to want him benched last year. But I take Kelly at his word that you must factor in a variety of circumstances when evaluating QBs in a system unlike the one he will be asked to play in going forward. If Vick were to play smart, fast, efficient winning football, why wouldn’t you want that? Again. Big ifs but why wouldn’t you want to find out if he can do that first before disposing of him? I think the Eagles are doing the right thing. Keep as many quality QBs in camp and let them play themselves into their spots on the depth chart. Fans, and Andy Reid in recent years for that matter, were too anxious to annoint the starting QB before they actually earned it on the field. Rest easy Eagles fans. Chip will not start a QB that will be a turnover machine, consistently make dumb decisions, or play slow. His history has proven that at every stop in his coaching career. If The 2013 Vick is like the 2011 and 2012 Vick, he won’t be the starting QB and he won’t be an Eagle. It’s just that simple. But if he were to be able to execute Chip’s offense the way Chip wants, why on Earth as an Eagles can would you not want that, unless of course you just hate the guy which is anyone’s right and do understand. Can it really be done? Don’t underestimate the effect a new coach and a new offensive system can have on an underachieving QB. Alex Smith was on his way out at San Fran. Enter Jim Harbaugh and suddenly he is playing the best football of his career. His final game with the 49ers was perhaps his best game as a pro before giving way to Kaepernick after his concussion. The truth is we don’t know what Vick can do in this system until we see it. Shoot, we don’t even really know what kind of system they are going to run. Everything right now is pure speculation. I really don’t care who the QB is as long as whoever it is plays the position efficiently, and is a leader of men. Competition will decide that. Getting rid of football players for the sake of change, puts the team in a position where someone may “earn” the job by default like Kevin Kolb did when McNabb was traded. Do we really want to go down that road again? Not me.
247365…. “I’m not sure why there is a drumbeat to simply jettison a QB for the sake of change that has experience and skills to play the position…… Big ifs but why wouldn’t you want to find out if he can do that first before disposing of him?”
Why did Indy jettison a hall of famer in Manning? Why wouldn’t they have wanted to find out if he could come back?
Why did SF jettison a guy who was lights out in the NFC championship game the year before?
etc etc
“If The 2013 Vick is like the 2011 and 2012 Vick, he won’t be the starting QB and he won’t be an Eagle. It’s just that simple.”
Well let me guarantee you something….you’re not going to see that till the reg season. Vick will be lights out in shorts all off season. He always is.
The easy decision is keeping him….and now on to Biglion….
Sort to Say, but the Philly Fans,local Media and the Franchises the self for they all have become spoiled, over-hyped and even a little arrogant about their Overall Talent Level of tgeir Teams versus their competition that they compete against.. Each of the Franchise (outside of 76ers) have rested on their past performances and became complacent while the rest of their competition have all improved
Question moves by GM, Coacing Staffs and overhyped Players who are just not as good as many gullible Dans, built up by the MediA
The City of Philly, their Teams, Fans and Media, all need this current dose humilty and embarrassment ..
Biglion….are you freekin’ kidding me? Did you write that keeping Vick is the riskier choice. That the more difficult decision is to keep Vick?
How absurd. Have you ever watched an NFL show?
Keeping Vick is the easiest choice. The “safe” choice. In fact its one of the things I’m worried about most…keeping Vick is like punting from 4th and 1 from the opposition 40. Its the “easy” choice. Its the “right” choice for the coach because it deflects criticism. Coach avoids the blame if he makes the safe choice….takes the blame if he makes the risky choice.
The national (and clearly local) image out there is that Vick is the best QB on the roster. He’s the “only choice” for the Birds.
Let me give you a word for word breakdown of every single Television conversation on every single NFL show in September if Vick is announced:
Host: “So lets get to the Eagles. What do you think of the decision today to announce Vick is the starter?”
Ex-Athlete 1:” Well what other choice do they have? Chip Kelly has come in here to rebuild that program, but let me tell you, he’s just fallen in love with Mike Vick’s skill set. He’s installing the read-option there in Philly and Vick just fits that perfectly. I mean here’s a guy who still has 4.4 speed. You’ve got to remember that Mike Vick is the only guy on that team who has won in this league. Here they have a guy who just 2 years ago was being considered for the MVP…and now you bring that speed, that running ability to a Chip Kelly offense…….this could be………wow….”
Ex-player 2: “I totally agree. Vick really was the only choice here. You know he’s so well respected in that dressing room, and the skill set he brings to the table is just perfect for Chip Kelly’s offense. I just couldn’t see how Foles fit. So this is the logical choice…and it will be exciting to see how Kelly will be able to use Vick. But Kelly clearly sees this as a team built to compete right now, and clearly Vick is the only choice if they want to WIN NOW!”
Host: I completely agree. Vick really the only way to go there in Philly.
Now – imagine if its Foles or Barkley and they release Vick…
Host: “So. Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge news out of Philly today with the release of Michael Vick”
Ex-player 1: “This is really a shock. What you have is an ex-NFL MVP. This is a guy who has been one game from the Superbowl, and you’re ready to replace him with Nick Foles? Wasn’t this guy 1 and 5 last year? I just don’t get it…hopefully Kelly knows what he’s doing, but he’s taking a huge risk here.”
Ex player 2: (shaking head) “You know this isn’t going over in that dressing room. Such a big shock. Obviously, Kelly wants to go with a youth movement in Philly, but you’re taking a big risk. I know that there are a lot of guys in that room who grew up with Vick as their idol, so you’ve got to be worried about that now in Philly. I can guar-an-tee you this…Mike Vick won’t be unemployed long……”
etc etc.
Cutting Vick is the hard choice. The risky choice. And the only choice.
That is your opinion the easiest thing for a new head coach to do is make changes, everybody including NFL Network and ESPN was expecting Vick to be released stop kidding yourself, the fact of the matter is he is the best QB on the roster and you can’t accept that. If and when Kelly makes the decision that Barkley or Foles is the answer then he’ll make the change . In my opinion the easy way out would have been to release Vick and start over with Foles , he wouldn’t have a bunch of arm chair coaches questioning that decision.
No WRONG.
There are so many reasons why and I am not going to bother telling you.
Regal you already said you can’t be objective when it comes to Vick so nobody really cares what you think.
Vinnie,
You nailed it!
Mike Vick is not the best QB on the team he has the best history because the other QB’S are young
Turk, Chip Kelly is about to find out your correct he has the most experience, when he wins the job he’ll be the best okay
@Vinnie I do enjoy our back and forth conversations but you need to take the blinders off everyone was waiting for Vick’s release day, whether he restructured or not. Most football people expected Kelly to come in and clean house QB first. Stop trying to rewrite history. And yes writers and fans can speculate about teams winning putting pressure on other teams in that city to win but guess what it doesn’t mean a thing.
I think The Eagles should change their name to the
Philadelphia Pigeon’s and get new Uniforms, Mascot and wear crazy colored
Uniforms like Yellow, Teal and Gray to shake things up bit..
paul, I like the Phily Guano’s. Fits perfect. Uniforms can be white, brown & green. Perfect!
“Will Chip Kelly Reverse The City’s Fortunes?”
No: it would take a new mayor, city council and some actual productive job creation here (i.e. other than website creators or Papa John’s delivery men) to make that happen.
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