This article is not about football. This is about Donovan McNabb, a man for whom I used to have the utmost respect. A man that was my all-time favorite athlete. A man I thought could lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory.
Today, on my 19th birthday, I watched my Eagles tie the 1-8 Cincinnati Bengals 13-13. Donovan McNabb did everything possible to keep that game a tie, consistently missing open receivers and throwing three interceptions—as well as losing a fumble.
However, after the game, I was shocked to learn something. In his postgame press conference, Donovan McNabb revealed that he did not know that a game could end in a tie.
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about 1 month ago
I heard the same post game press conference, saw the look on his face, and also realized...he...was...not...joking! He never knew a game could end in a tie! What! I'm out of words...
about 1 month ago
I'm shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth. I feel where you're coming from Bryn. Good Article.
about 1 month ago
I just don't understand Donovan McNabb. The man, the athlete. He used to be my favorite NFL player by far. I just don't know what to say. He didn't know there were ties in the NFL? Honestly.
He can't perform in the clutch, vomits in the fourth quarter of close games, threw away the biggest games of his life (the pick to Ronde, the 3 to Ricky Manning, and the Super Bowl where he couldn't catch his breath), and doesn't even know the rules of the NFL.
And then Andy Reid says he's not sure how a tie works in the standings. What does he mean that he doesn't know how it works? It goes in as a tie. I don't understand what Reid doesn't understand. With 5 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie, that gives us a winning percentage of .550, because we get half-credit for a win and half-credit for a loss yesterday.
Sometimes I wonder what Lurie & Banner think about Reid and McNabb. Are they aware that the two make the biggest joke of a coach-QB combo in the NFL?
from about 1 month ago
This is becoming unbelievable. Now we learn that Donovan isn't the only one to learn of this new rule yesterday. Greg Lewis, who I've always thought was one of the dumbest human beings alive (listen to him talk), didn't know the rule. Neither did DeSean Jackson--doesn't surprise me at all. But neither did Omar Gaither or Correll Buckhalter!!! This is absurd!
And how does Andy Reid not know how a tie works in the standings?! It's a half win, half loss.
This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
about 1 month ago
who cares if he didnt know it could end in a tie?
who would pay attention to such a ridiculous rule?!
im sick and tired of supposed fans who take every possible jab at donovan mcnabb.
the man had a bad game, sure, but its only the THIRD time in his TEN year career he's done that.
that's damn good.
i bet you didnt know the rule that uhh.. (tries to think of obscure rule)... that if, on a kickoff, the return man has one foot out of bounds, and catches the ball IN PLAY, it's an illegal kick out of bounds? yeah. hmm... or uh, if the PUNTING team touches the ball, but does not down it, the receiving team can pick up the ball and run with no negative reprecussions. if a fumble occurs and is recovered by the punting team, the receiving team still keeps the ball.
you dont know every rule, and ties are a stupid rule, they need to be abolished, so why acknowledge it?
from about 1 month ago
Who cares if Donovan didn't know it ended in a tie?!
He's a starting quarterback in the NFL. That's insane. How could you possibly not care?!
I knew the second but not the first rule. Congratulations. You stumped me. I also guarantee without an shadow of a doubt that every single NFL return man knows the rules that you just listed. Can you really say it's not a big deal that Donovan didn't know about the tie rule? It makes him look stupid. Incredibly stupid.
from about 1 month ago
i dont think it does.
and no, after Leon Washington used that rule to his advantage a couple of weeks ago, numerous return men said they had no idea that was the rule.
This looks to me as just another excuse to take a jab at mcnabb.
from about 1 month ago
Well I then lose respect for whichever kick returner was dumb enough to admit that he didnt know the rule.
How could this be taking a jab at McNabb??
from about 1 month ago
oh no, he didn't know the rule.
that's something you make in a passing statement and move on. not an entire article.
next it'll be, DONOVAN MCNABB DOESNT KNOW WHO THE 23rd PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS!!! ... my dear lord.
from about 1 month ago
I actually question your fanhood now. How could this not be a big deal? Our quarterback didn't know when he was playing until... That's a big deal and worth mentioning.
from about 1 month ago
Just wondering.....third bad game in 10 years? What are the other 2?
I can think of a few more than 3.
from about 1 month ago
whoa, dont you even think about questioning my fanhood. I've got the Eagles tattooed on my arm for christ sake. And, I'm not the only one who could care less if he knew that rule. So what? did it affect his play? nope. so who cares?
and i didnt mean third bad game, i meant only the third time in his career he's thrown 3 INT.
from about 1 month ago
I love the Eagles just as much as you do, but you need to understand something. You can love a team and still realize that they did something bad. It is not good that our quarterback did not know that a game can end in a tie. That's pathetic. We can criticize him for that and still be Eagles fans. A true fan would realize that their quarterback did something pathetic in that situation.
from about 1 month ago
I'm telling you i dont think its a big deal.
now, if he didnt understand what Pass Interference was or something like that then.. yeah, i'd be livid.
But i think the Tie rule is so obscure that i dont hold it against him.
and i've always been the first to criticize Reid's run-first mentality so, i'm not just a blind follower.
from about 1 month ago
I guess we're not going to agree, but I don't think it's obscure. Obscure is understanding the seventh stage in the tiebreaker scenario when two teams tie for a playoff spot. Obscure is not "knowing that the NFL is the only one of the four major sports to allow tie games".
from about 1 month ago
The tie rule obscure???? Just because it doesn't happen doesn't mean it's obscure. I like the guy, but McNabb is an idiot. My wife knew the rule and she is just now getting to know football.
about 1 month ago
who would pay attention to such a ridiculous rule? - said bob.
bryn's right - that's insane. what's even more stupid is McNabb's last comment. (Paraphrasing), "I'd like to see what would happen in a playoff game of the Super Bowl."
????? no, McNabb - the a playoff game would REMAIN A TIE and the playoffs would stop and there'd be no SB played.
his statement IS insane. makes you question his play during OT if he thought that the game couldn't end in a tie.
about 1 month ago
that kicking rule Bob mentioned happened in a Jet game. however, why would a QB need to necessarily know the rule is beyond me.
about 1 month ago
McNabb should just keep quiet sometimes. Here are some dumb and unnecessary comments he has made. If you recall others, just add them.
[on Obama's election, words to the effect] "...I voted for the first time..."
Did McNabb just become a citizen?
[on Obama's election, words to the effect] "...It motivates me to win the Super Bowl, to get that call from the President..."
Is that why he puked when he was there against New England? That damn Bush!
[on the tie vs Bengals] "...I didn't know that was the rule..."
Before the OT, the referree announced out loud to the world, "Play will be one 15-minute period or until the first team scores. There are no coaches challenges..."
Didn't he hear that? What game was McNabb at? Was he busy puking?
[on the tie vs Bengals, words to the effect] "...if that is the rule, what happens at the Super Bowl?..."
You were there once, Donovan. I saw you puking in the huddle at crunch time.
[interviewed about T.O.] "...it was black on black crime..."
No comment.
about 1 month ago
(Jaw drops) I didn't know that about Obama, either of those quotes! Doesn't surprise me at all. And as disappointing as this seems, it didn't surprise me that he didn't know that a game can end in a tie. If O had to pick 1 player who didn't know on the Eagles, it would be Donovan McNabb.
from about 1 month ago
Bryn and everyone else I feel your pain...I have been an Eagles since I was 12 yrs old, and McNabb is done he was my favorite player and now I think he is a Bum!!!!!!!!! But we have bigger problems to deal with, Big Andy has lost it, I have watched him blow games with his suspect play calling. All we can do is hope and thank God the Phillies won.
from about 1 month ago
We're going to learn to value these Phillies like crazy in the next couple of months/years.
about 1 month ago
Bob, I noticed you haven't posted a comment recently? Is it because you realized that you, as well as Donovan, should just keep your mouth shut if your about to say something that is incredibly dumb and idiotic? How can somebody defend an NFL quarterback who does not know that a game can end in a tie? Here's what I don't get...if McBad didn't know the rule, then why would he announce it to a reporter? It's just embarrassing to not only him, but the team and the organization. Might I suggest a classroom suggestion on the NFL rulebook?
from about 1 month ago
The Eagles need it. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I would ask that my players know the rules of an NFL game. I would also recommend that Donovan not speak anymore at press conferences.
from about 1 month ago
hey mike, shut up you ignorant clown.
"... people are being way, way too hard on Donovan. I bet 50% of the NFL didn't know that was a rule so, everyone is being way too hard on Donovan."
-Ben Roethlisberger
okay everyone, now start bashing Big Ben.
you're an idiot dude, everyone just looking for a reason to bash Donovan.
If Brady or Peyton said it, this wouldn't be an issue.
from about 1 month ago
Roethlisberger is attempting to stand up for McNabb. He doesn't actually believe that 50% of people didn't know that rule.
If Peyton Manning didn't know that rule, I wouldn't care as much because he's not my quarterback.
I'm not looking for a reason to bash Donovan. I've been the biggest Donovan supporter in the world.
from about 1 month ago
Peyton or Brady wouldn't say it. They have a few brains cells clashing together in their heads.
about 1 month ago
alright, Bob, I shouldn't be surprised that your defending McBad, you at your damn profile picture. Your calling me and ignorant clown, yet your picture looks like freakin old McDonald on crystal meth. Stick your tongue back in your mouth and shutup. Donovan is an idiot, and if Brady or Peyton said it, they would still get the same response. Donovan's statements are embarrassing for all Eagles fans, and unacceptable as an NFL quarterback.
from about 1 month ago
bullshit. you're just another clown looking for a reason to bash mcnabb. and wow, attack the profile pic, eh? thats all ya had. you're sad.
you cant be an idiot to play quarterback in the NFL.
stupid people cant come to line, read the defense, try to decide if he should audible, make that decision, make sure everyone else is in place, get the ball, read the defense again to see if anything has changed, go through 3-5 reads, make a choice, and get the ball off.
oh and all that last part in about 3 seconds.
you'd fall over and start crying. so shut up.
clown.
from about 1 month ago
I don't think this is about whether you or me or Mike can play in the NFL, because none of us can.
McNabb can understand and read a defense. He just can't understand and read a rulebook.
from about 1 month ago
and which is more imporant...?
from about 1 month ago
reading a defense...but both are mandatory, not optional..
from about 1 month ago
Yo Bob, Bryn just shut you up pretty bad dude, and he's right. So how many times are you gonna call me a clown, I get it, you think i'm a clown. Alright, you caught me, I am a clown, and I wear a clown suit with a red nose. Goddamnit Bob grow up, this isn't your fourth grade birthday party. Donovan should have been aware of the rule after he threw a Hail Mary on the last play of overtime. That's it. Even if he didn't know beforehand, anyone intelligent mind would put those two together, despite the fact that Andy Reid's playcalling is often questionable.
about 1 month ago
It really is ridiculous that he didn't know there's a tie. Don't the guys who play these sports for a living also watch the games on TV? I guess not. I remember the tie in 1997 as well, it was so windy in Baltimore that day, nobody could kick a field goal. The Eagles were 6-9-1 that year. I wonder what the 1 stood for?
What makes it even worse is that it seems so widespread. Yes, you expect your QB to know the rule, and I seriously doubt Peyton Manning would say he didn't know about ties, but McNabb was by far not the only one. Desean Jackson, Correll Buckhalter, Greg Lewis, and Omar Gaither are just a few of the Eaglers who were all quoted as saying they didn't know about ties. And this is the team we put on the field on Sundays. Just sad.
from about 1 month ago
What might be even more ridiculous is that Donovan admitted the rule. He was never asked about it. He just flat-out admitted it. He honestly didn't realize how dumb he would sound.
And something tells me Donovan has absolutely no clue how the Eagles did in 1997.
about 1 month ago
Good work and thanks for your comment. I sincerely hope for your Eagles that McNabb and Reid get their acts together
from about 1 month ago
I don't, i hope they lose the rest of the way out! ha ha...
about 1 month ago
i cant believe people actually call the man stupid.
NFL QB's cannot be stupid. if they were stupid, they would not be NFL QB's. or at least not a good one.
McNabb is.
from about 1 month ago
Bob. I don't understand why you waited until after McNabb potentially lost his starting job for the rest of the season before commenting on this article for the 10th time (no exaggeration there). We've gone back and forth on this a bunch of times and you still claim that it's not stupid of a quarterback to not know the rules. Why did you decide to resurface this argument? What are you hoping to accomplish this time?
from about 1 month ago
because i saw more people on here calling the man stupid, and the idea of it is insane.
the whole thing is lunacy.
maybe people won't listen to me, but i dont care. if i can get one person to stop thinking the man is an idiot, i'll be happy. if not, im not losing anything by trying.
yeah, that sounded much more dramatic than i intended
from about 1 month ago
Donovan McNabb is unintelligent. He didn't know a basic NFL rule.
from about 1 month ago
you're an idiot if you think being an NFL QB can be done without intelligence.
there's no way you've ever played football yourself, or you'd know.
i like how no one else catches heat for saying they didnt know.
Rod Woodson said he didnt know. anyone writing an article on that? nah, he's not DMac.
from about 1 month ago
Nope. Never played quarterback.
I think you don't understand that we have had this argument before. It's pointless.
You are so biased that it's ridiculous. Normally I would appreciate that, since youre an Eagles fan, but it's too much to handle.
Were you pleased with the way the team played today?
from about 1 month ago
i stopped watching after Kolb's record setting pick. I couldn't stomach the game anymore. And it's not a bias just because i don't believe he's stupid. he's not.
"Nope. Never played quarterback. "
- one of the most ridiculous statements i've ever heard.
i hope you get a journalist job because you have nothing but media vulture written all over you.
the QB is the only position that deserves to get smeared? that's insane.
and this argument is only pointless because if you were forced to admit that there is no way in hell a good NFL QB can be dumb, you wouldn't have a story.
reading a defense, calling audibles, knowing where everyone is on the field, deciding how hard to throw the ball, knowing where you are on the field and everything else... in three seconds or less. yeah, i've seen tons of stupid people doing all that.
it's pure lunacy to say the man is unintelligent
from about 1 month ago
You said there's no way I've ever played football, and I responded by saying that nope, I've never played quarterback. Meaning I have played football. I have not played quarterback. That's a ridiculous statement??
Again, I ask you to stop insulting me personally. That's low, immature, and classless. We're both Eagles fans. If you disagree with me, that's fine, but don't lower yourself to the level of insulting me. You may insult my writing or me, but notice I haven't done that to you and I won't, because I don't think it's right to do that.
We've already debated this for a long time and we probably won't agree, so why don't we just stop?
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