Philadelphia.
It's hard to argue that the city has the very best fans in the entire country. Unfortunately, the teams have not always played up to the enthusiasm of the fans. Yet again and again, they continue to hold out hope and root year after year after year.
Philadelphia has not been the title-town that some other cities have been over the years. Cities like New York and Boston have many titles to boast of and continue to rack up the trophies and accolades.
But for Philadelphia, there had been a 25-year drought of a professional sports title that had the city hungry for a win.
Enter the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies.
In a very competitive NL East, the Fightin' Phils finally pulled away in the last week of the year to take the NL East and earn their spot in the playoffs for two consecutive years, the first time since 1981. They made the best of it by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to take the World Series.
Philadelphia was complete—at least for a little while.
After a run at the NBA finals with then-leader Allen Iverson, the 76ers have fallen out of title contention in many fans' eyes. The Flyers made a spirited Cinderella-type run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year but fell to the cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
Not much is expected out of the NBA or NHL area of Philadelphia. Even with the Flyers' successes last year, it's widely assumed it was merely riding momentum that far just to be handily beaten by the Penguins. Big-name free agent acquisitions by the Sixers have some fans hoping, but not for too much.
The Philadelphia Eagles, however, are a different story.
After years of mediocrity, the Eagles have been one of the more successful franchises this decade.
Once Ray Rhodes was all but run out of town, Jeffrie Lurie went out and found himself a relatively unknown coach. He had several people interview for the job and even had an offer from former coach Dick Vermeil to come out of retirement for the Eagles job.
But Lurie, knowing that was a short-term solution, turned him down and continued his search for a coach that would bring an attitude and continuity to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He found him on the Green Bay coaching staff.
A man who was the quarterbacks coach of eventual Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre and served under the tutelage of eventual Hall-of-Fame head coach Mike Holmgren.
Enter Andy Reid.
A move that perplexed many. Not many fans could wrap their minds around how you could pass up a proven coach like Dick Vermeil for a guy who never even had the title of coordinator.
The skeptics would soon be eating their words.
Reid came in for the '99 season, and his first move was to draft a new face of the franchise.
Paul Tagliabue came to the podium, and with the only voice that should ever announce draft picks, proclaimed to all the Eagles fans in attendance: "With the second pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select, out of the University of Syracuse, quarterback Donovan McNabb"
BOOOOOO!!!
An eruption from the fans. But why? What could possibly be wrong with drafting a quarterback in a year that was supposed to rival the 1983 class for quarterbacks?
A Heisman-winning running back by the name of Ricky Williams was still on the board at the time and was a hot name amongst Eagles fans everywhere.
Older fans who were around to watch O.J. Simpson play college football, and who saw the Eagles end a miserable season with two consecutive wins to miss out on the O.J. lottery, were having flashbacks of passing up a Hall-of-Fame running back.
But McNabb, in his never-ending class, came out on stage, grabbed his number one Eagles jersey, and smiled for the camera. A smile that would become familiar with Eagles fans over the next decade.
Thus began Andy Reid's love-hate relationship with the City of Brotherly Love.
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about 1 month ago
I like your last line. I am glad I am not a Detroit Lions fan. As badly as we as Eagles fans talk about Reid, the bottom line is six playoff appearances in the last eight years.
from about 1 month ago
exactly. I'm just sick of hearing Reid getting bashed when he's the best coach we've ever seen
about 1 month ago
you can't argue that Reid wasn't a good coach, but the key word is WAS. How many times have the Eagles been to the playoffs since the Super Bowl? Once. And don't you think that the Eagles have the talent to make another run this year, but are stuck at 5-4 and will be lucky to grab the final playoff spot? Why are they struggling, it's the coaching.
So I agree with your article, Reid was the man, possibly the best coach in the franchise history...I just think that the magic is gone, the league has figured Reid out and the man is to stubborn to fix his shortcomings.
from about 1 month ago
I think too much blame is being put on Reid and not enough on the players just not executing. Westbrook should have made those last few yards. thats not Reids fault. Kevin Curtis is not playing up to snuff, not Reid's fault. McNabb is streaky at the beginning of games, not Reid's fault.
I just think we need to have faith in the man who got Philly out of the gutter and let him work.
from about 1 month ago
100 percent agree with Chris
from about 1 month ago
and if the eagles win 6 of the next 7 and go to the playoffs he'll be the great coach that he was in 2004.
come on people.
about 1 month ago
I love the optimism Bob, you might have me beat with bleeding green, but the team that showed up on Sunday night isn't winning 6 of the next 7. road games at washington, ny, baltimore...plus dallas and arizona.
But if they do, hey I will be the happiest guy sitting in front of the TV come wild card weekend.
about 1 month ago
and his smugness doesn't irk you at all?
from about 1 month ago
i dont think he's being smug. i think the man is misread.
he just doesnt give anything to the media. he dances around questions. he obviously doesnt like press conferences, and who can blame him? they're the worst thing to ever happen to football.
so, i think when he does his dance with the press, it comes off as smug. but i believe if a true fan had a chance to sit down with him, off the record, he'd talk to ya all day about football. i really believe thats the kind of guy he is. not the dance he does with the media.
and as far as winning 6/7. we've shown we can hang with anyone in our division. we lost by what.. 4,5, and 6? we can beat them. baltimore, we'll scare the hell out of Joe Flacco. Arizona plays in the NFC West, they're good but not as good as it seems. so, yeah i think it can be done.
now... i dont know. maybe 5?
about 1 month ago
well you got me excited!!
from about 1 month ago
haha good. Eagles need the fans to get behind 'em!! road to the playoffs starts now! woo!
about 1 month ago
I am a die hard EAGLES fan. I grew up 5 minutes from the VET and Linc. I am done cheering for the eagles. The only reason Andy Reid was so successful is because the NFC east was weak. He got lucky with drafting McNabb, SBrown, BWest, and Shawn Andrews. Bill Purcell made Reid look silly in the Superbowl and completely out coached him. In 2008, Reid has been out coached by Tom Coughlin, Jim Zorn, and Wade Phillips (really). Well be lucky if we finish .500.
from about 1 month ago
wow.. die hard huh? doubt it.
it was Bill Belichick. and even if it was the man you said it was.. thats bill pArcellS.
and last i checked, losing by 3 (pats in the SB), 4 (to the cowboys), 5 (to the giants), and 6 (to the redskins) is not being outcoached.
dude... you're obviously not an eagles fan. i rooted for the eagles when ray rhodes had them at 3-13. that's die hard.
if you've abandoned them, you're what we call "fair-weather". dont ever say you're a die hard.
any other eagles fans care to join in?
clown.
from about 1 month ago
Don't call yourself a diehard fan if you say you're done cheering for the Eagles.
You are pathetic.
about 1 month ago
Dude, talk to me when you have sat in the 700 level of the vet and watch the eagles lose game after game. Talk to me when you have been a season ticket holder and have watch games from the vet and the linc and for the past 12 years, shelled out 8 grand each year for season tickets to watch Reid stink up the joint.
Ultimatly, Reid has no signature wins. He has worn out his welcome in Philly. I think I have earn the right to complain about the clown you call a coach.
from about 1 month ago
4th & 26? thats off the top of my head just reading.
and i have sat in the vet just to watch them lose.
and among REAL fans, he hasn't worn out his welcome.
but when you stop cheering for a team just because you dont like the coach, you're "fair-weather".. no matter which way ya slice it.
about 1 month ago
The only reason 4th and 26 happen against GB was because Reid's play calling for this game was horrible. We should have destroyed them.
I would assume you listen or have heard of WIP 610 or ESPN 950 out of Philly? I guess all the disgruntle die hard Eagle fans that call up are all "fair-weather" fans.
Reid has lost 3 games for us this year alone. How can a professional football team with a prolific offensive genius calling the plays "aka: Andy Reid" not get 1 freaking YARD.
Good stuff.
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