NFC East

I was VERY happy with the Eagles’ draft choices this year. That’s not something I can normally say. Usually, I just end up confused. Not necessarily disappointed but just unsure. This year I feel really comfortable with everyone they chose and I’m excited to see what these guys will bring to the table (more on that later). But by far the most touching story for me of any Eagles draftee was Vinny Curry and his history as an Eagle’s fan. This dude is die hard and will definitely understand those of us who make up the Eagles fan base unlike some of the current crop *scowls*:

“Most people, the draft is the best day of their life, but growing up an Eagle fan, being blessed with the opportunity of seeing Brian Dawkins retire and give a speech here, this has got to be the best day of my life here,” Curry said, eyes gleaming under a flat-brimmed Eagles hat. “To see his teammates come back, the way they embraced him, and the way they embraced me was really something special. It’s a moment I’ll never forget in my life.”

It’s a moment Curry said he dreamed of growing up in a Shore area town heavy with Giants fans. He couldn’t afford tickets to watch in person, but would rush home from Pop Warner games to catch the Eagles on TV, and spent the week trash-talking his friends.

“The Eagle defense at one point in time was sickening, you know, with Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Brian Dawkins, right there, Trot, d-line had Big Hugh (Douglas), it was crazy and I just used to picture myself on Sundays – that’s going to be me one day,” Curry said. “To see everything come through and fall through like this is, it’s so mind blowing.”

*screams*

When he started talking about Eagles D I felt all types of close to this guy.

This was an emotional weekend for all Eagles fans with future Hall of Famer and safety Brian Dawkins retiring. His presser was Saturday (which I unfortunately didn’t get to see live!) and he signed for one day so that he could retire an Eagle.

I have so many memories of Dawkins and that awesome Eagles D. They made me so proud to be an Eagles fan through all the ups and downs they played their hearts out. The team hasn’t had the kind of leadership on the field (on either side of the ball) since Dawk left. Football was better with that man in it. I hope he enjoys his retirement, he deserves it.

As Lesean McCoy tries to work out a contract with the Eagles I’m sure he’s keeping his eye on what other running backs sign for. This was proven by his retweet of a fake Adam Shefter account which tweeted that Forte signed with the Bears for 120 million dollars.

It’s one thing for an excitable running back who is currently in contract negotiations to fall for something like that. But what was more alarming was the fact that Robert Bailey from Rosenhaus sports (McCoy’s representation who he recently fired and hired twice) retweeted it as did normally astute Philadelphia Daily News’ Les Bowen.

Come on fellas! I realize that parody accounts are super annoying especially when they make a real attempt to look real via username. This account in particular is Ada-r-n Shefter which in twitter characters the r and n work together to form the m in Adam. Still, no one with an ounce of common sense thinks for one second that 1. Any running back would get a 120 million dollar contract. 2. That a running back over 25 would get a 7 year contract-the last few years of ANY NFL contract are typically a joke so signing any, even a young one, RB for 7 years stretches the imagination 3. That the Bears are going to give Matt Forte anything approaching what an elite wide receiver would get.

Again, parodies are stupid as hell. But come onnnnnn. Rosenhaus’ folks especially should know better.

This is probably the same look Hightower had on his face when he got stuck on that mountain with his wife

From Phoenix Fox 10:

A couple who went for an evening hike on Camelback Mountain Thursday ended up needing some help, and the man who needed help is reportedly a former Cardinals player.

Witnesses called the FOX 10 newsroom to report that the man needing aid was Tim Hightower.

Hightower is now with the Redskins, and his wife is Krista Hightower.

The couple ended up hiking off-trail and getting lost, and then it became too dark for them to make it down.

Redskins blog reports that Hightower is just fine and is back to work.

I mean why? Just why?

As we all wondered the ins and outs of how something could first be okay and then totally and completely not okay, Sally Jenkins gave us the detailed history of why the Skins received a salary cap penalty for actions taken during an “uncapped” year.

It all has to do with what amounts to a quest by the Redskins to gain a competitive advantage. Jenkins writes:

What happened was this: Back in 2010, when the NFL entered hardball negotiations with the players union for a new labor contract, the owners warned each other not to use the situation to get a leg up. were in an uncapped year, with no limit on player salaries, and entering a tense and emotionally fraught labor situation, and they asked each other not to abuse the circumstances.

In essence they said, “Don’t try to set yourselves up to be in a better spot when this is over.” Think of it like a yellow caution flag in a car race: The drivers agree to hold their places and not to accelerate until the track is clear.

But that’s exactly what Snyder did. To a lesser extent, so did Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones just sped up a little. Snyder apparently floored it. The Redskins shifted money, moved it, dumped it, and did everything they could to emerge from the labor pause with the books cleared of bad numbers, so when it was over they could get the biggest jump possible on other franchises in buying up new players.

Jenkins goes on to give a great synopsis about why Dan Snyder isn’t only disliked among scorned Skins fans but why his peers aren’t such fans of his either. I think it’s a worthy read.

[To finish this post click on Read More]

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Hakeem Nicks, one of the Giants dynamic receivers.

When the season first began I was (and many other bloggers and members of the media)  put off by the Giants off season moves-if you can’t call them moves. I think Reese’s conservatism had everyone off kilter but as it happens sometimes his choices proved successful. Now neither he or Tom Coughlin  have to worry about being in the proverbial “hot seat” for at least the next few years.

Still, winning in the NFL always involves a bit of luck. Last night on twitter Mark Cuban said something to the effect of good teams get to the playoffs but the hot teams win. And I think there’s a lot of truth to that. The Giants ended this season with a brutal schedule, but they got hot (and healthy) at the right time.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had a fairly light schedule all season and were never really exposed for their inability (refusal?) to run or cover the pass. Or, even, to rush the passer consistently. I definitely didn’t go into the Super Bowl (or leave it!)  thinking the best or most dynamic teams competed for the trophy. In fact, everything about the Super Bowl was a let down for me except the very brief and controversial (I guess?) appearance of M.I.A. during halftime and Belichick’s decision to let Ahmad Bradshaw score a TD to keep time on the clock.

But here’s the kicker: If the NFL comes down to what team is better on a particular day, you have to say the Giants met that mark time and time again this season. And that’s the kind of thing you have to reward. The cliches: rising to the challenge and capitalizing on mistakes.

I guess I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about all the debate about who’s the greatest team/QB/QB/coach and whatnot. I’ve complained over and over again about the lack of nuanced thinking in sports. I’m also perpetually annoyed by the rush to compare or assign labels. Before Super Bowl, people were talking about whether winning would mean that Brady and Belichick are the best QB/Coach combo ever. REALLY? Then, of course, we have to compare Eli and Peyton. Then, of course,  you have to compare Eli and Brady.

For those who really wanted to ratchet up the “stakes” they made this Super Bowl an arbitrary litmus test for Brady’s legacy as though he doesn’t already have 3. As though starting in 5 Super Bowls is something to scoff at win or lose. As though he’s retiring this year. And by the way, the same people who set that litmus test will next tell us that Super Bowls aren’t the only measure of a great player cause Dan Marino doesn’t have one.

Oh by the way…that “Patriots Dynasty” was over a long time ago. Talk about catching a late bus.

Anyway, I’ve written this before, but I’ll say it again: it doesn’t hurt to appreciate what different players are bringing to the table without seeking comparisons. I don’t know what it is about entertainment that causes people to immediately seek a frame of reference. I guess I understand the impulse but not when it interferes with judging people on their own merits.

Speaking of judging folks on their own merits, Manningham and  Nicks were very impressive last night. The web will be buzzing about Manningham’s sideline reception for a while. What’s funny is that early in the game Manningham’s tendency to fade out cost the Giants some yards, but on Manning’s backside throw to Manningham I think it paid off to know the man’s tendencies especially with Cruz and Nicks covered on corner routes.

Now for the stuff you must read:

Richard Deitsch at Sports Illustrated grades NBC’s Super Bowl telecast. Overall, he thought they did a good job. I didn’t see any of the pregame so I can’t comment on that. But I do think that the broadcast of the game itself was very well done. Some hiccups with Al Michaels but still Michaels and Collinsworth are one of my favorite duos. I know many people don’t agree. Before the game we chatted on twitter a little bit about whether there is a need for such a long pregame anyway. Well, I’m of two minds on this. No, there isn’t a need. However, had two teams I was interested in been playing I probably would have watched it for the video profiles. One thing is for sure: I’m over the two week build up to the game. But we ain’t talking about that right now. [Super Bowl Media Grades. Sports Illustrated.]

If you’re over the story lines you can get to the nitty gritty of the game by reading Chris Brown’s breakdown of the two biggest plays of the game. The first play was the Welker drop that still has everyone (including Brady’s wife and Welker himself) having fits. I’m still seeing lots of debate about whether or not the drop belonged to Brady or Welker, this post might help with that conversation.  [Draw it up: Super Bowl Edition. Grantland.]

If ever I wanted to see two QBs squash my doubts it is the Ravens Joe Flacco and the 49ers Alex Smith pictured above. Smith will face a solid Giants defense.

Neither the Eagles or the Falcons made it to the playoffs (No that’s not a typo. The Falcons showed up to the stadium but that’s about it). So what is a fan with no team in the playoffs left to do? You can sit back and enjoy the games without any pressure or you can ratchet up the experience by rooting for somebody…ANYBODY!

If you’re into the latter (and, I am!) I say the Ravens and 49ers are great teams to root for to make it into the Super bowl. I have 4 specific reasons I am rooting for each of the Harbaugh brothers to take their teams all the way.

The Ravens Are So Relatable 

We all have goals we want to accomplish in a certain time period. We have things we want to do before we’re dead and even before we turn 30 (which if you’re me feels like the same thing). To see Ed Reed accomplish his goal of winning of Super Bowl before retiring would be a treat. There are just some players who are so good you begin to feel like you traveled this journey with them. Ray Lewis is one of those players as well and although he has won a Super Bowl before, it was toward the beginning of his career and with a different crop of players. When you see this current group of Ravens together you buy into Lewis’ sales pitch that they’re brothers. You root for Ray Rice, you root for Terrell Suggs and you root for camaraderie, humility, and hard work. Seeing the Ravens in the Super Bowl would be a triumph of those principles.

The 49ers Have Had a Rough Road

Poor Alex Smith. Poor Vernon Davis. When you see two guys do well when many had previously described them as busts it just makes you a little warm and fuzzy. I’m still not completely confident in Smith-and neither is that offense which accounts for their kicker David Akers’ record-breaking season. But I do realize that he’s been through several coaches and several OCs and there’s still a lot of time left for Smith to grow into a more complete QB if this team remains stable. A Super Bowl visit or win by the 49ers would feed into every great storyline I love: players redeeming themselves, the difference coaching makes, and the importance of great defense. On coaching: Jim Harbaugh might not be able to shake a hand right but that man damn sure knows how to coach a team. On redemption: As a resident of DC, I appreciate that Carlos Rogers is playing like he never heard of the capital. Like he never lived here, never played on the disastrous Skins, never voted or anything otherwise related Washington. Speaking of DC, I’m also glad that now I can say Davis is good for something beyond keeping our club scene hopping with his brother Vontae.

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Eagles' Evan Mathis Doesn't Care Who His Teammates Have Sex With

Philly Mag printed an article that, in my opinion was terribly written but explored a topic worth discussing. Essentially, the author attempted to examine how much fans and athletes care about the sexual orientations of athletes. Unfortunately, the article ends up being pretty light and fairly offensive by loosely speculating about the homosexuality of one Phillies player and drudging up former NBA player John Amaechi who has for years delighted in what I call “anonymous outing” of pro-athletes (am I being sensitive?). Combined it made the piece more gratuitous than substantive.

However, it did provoke some thought…so bear with me while I explore my stream of consciousness!

I think we tend to confuse ‘caring’ with ‘thinking negatively.’ I remember a time when Americans were confused by the British obsession with celebrity. Yet here we are years later just as obsessed with our sports and entertainment heroes as they were then-if not more. (If you don’t believe it, check the ridiculous obsession with Tim Tebow and the high creep factor around fans of Beyonce and Jay-z’s relationship and baby) I find that Americans want to know everything every Z list sorta celebrity does and who they do it with and so yeah, in that sense, they care about athletes’ sexual orientation.

But I don’t know that, at this point, a gay athlete couldn’t sell jerseys, shoes, or that he’d be ostracized in the locker-room by other players. Of course, I think it’d be a difficult prospect in the beginning but it seems we’ve moved into a phase in society where money/celebrity blunts criticism rather than ratcheting it up as used to be the norm. Where taking the politically correct road (WHO CARES IF HE’S GAY??!!) is a badge of honor rather than a forced position. The former normally bothers me but not when it pertains to tolerance. The latter is a faux form of tolerance, but sometimes society can fake it until it makes it.

The problem is, not too many athletes want to be the ones to test this theory. And here we are with zero openly gay prominent athletes that I can think of.

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this, and maybe I should write my own examination of this topic, buuuuuuut I won’t.

One thing the piece DID reveal is the thoughts my beloved Philadelphia Eagles players have about playing with a gay teammate, assuming that, unlike Nnamdi Asomugha, they’ve ever actually thought about it.

I TALKED TO SOME 20 EAGLES PLAYERS about having a gay teammate. And I got the feeling, going around that locker room after practice, that I’d entered a time warp: Having a gay teammate would be troublesome for many Eagles—especially sharing the shower—but it was more than that. For many players it was, in fact, a brand-new idea:

“Never thought about it. Never happened.”

“That would be different.”

“Wow. I don’t know, man.”

Only one player, fullback Owen Schmitt, was certain that he’d ever had a gay teammate­—and that was in college. Though a few realized that, yeah, it probably was the case that they’d been tackled by and had sweated with and smacked the butt of and even got naked in the showers next to a teammate who was … gay.

Probably?

EAGLES DEFENSIVE LINEMAN TRENT COLE gave a good long laugh when I asked if his team would accept an openly gay player, and another lineman, Darryl Tapp, said, after a long pause, that it would “take a lot of getting used to.” Yet another lineman, Juqua Parker, heard the question and said, “Oh no, I can’t do that, I can’t do that. I can’t talk about that.” Even new cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, advertised as a sophisticated guy, was silent for a long moment in considering whether he’d have a problem with a gay teammate, then said: “You know, I don’t know.”

But I also found a thoughtful, everybody’s­-welcome attitude among many Eagles when I asked about gay teammates.

“A lot of guys who are open-minded would be fine with it,” guard Evan Mathis told me. “The way I hear guys talk sometimes, I think some guys might be a little affected by it. I’d be fine with it.”

I wondered what the hardest part for a gay player coming out would be—teammates­, endorsements, the media?

“If you’re not meshing with all your teammates,” Mathis said, “that can be a big problem. Chemistry is a big part of professional sports, and the potential for somebody who doesn’t really understand it, who does have homophobic tendencies, that’s their fault—but it’s there. And probably why you don’t see anybody out.”

Many observers say the toughest teammates for a gay player to deal with would be born-again Christians, especially black born-agains, given that, generally speaking, neither evangelicals nor black culture is welcoming to gays.

Wide receiver Jason Avant, an African-American, is the most vocal born-again Christian on the Eagles, but he takes the high road on gays: “I don’t think anyone should shun them, even though my belief as a Christian doesn’t agree with the lifestyle. But I don’t agree with what a lot of people in this locker room do now. But they are my teammates, and you have to learn how to work out differences with anyone.”

Couple things…I raised my eyebrow at the writer making a distinction between gays not being accepted in religious culture as well as black culture. Attitudes about gays are shaped by religion across race. Black people don’t have a bug up their butts about homosexuality that derives from some issue that is special to being black. Ideas about what is acceptable in America-including black masculinity-are often based in religion. I haven’t given this enough though to dispute it entirely but again, it raised my eyebrow.

I loved Jason Avant’s comments! We work, live, love, tweet, and otherwise socialize with people whose lifestyles we don’t agree with. Or, more importantly, those who have facets to their lives we’re not aware of. It just so happens being gay is a lifestyle with public manifestations. If love and sexuality could be explored without other human beings, a person’s sexual orientation would be no less in the public sphere than their foot fetishes (unless you’re Rex Ryan of course!).

I am glad that the writer actually reached out to athletes rather than speculating, as I sorta did, about whether or not guys would embrace a gay player. When Jane McManus (ESPN) wrote a piece about whether the NFL can accept gay players, Scott Fujita expressed a desire to have more reporters ask those kinds of questions. He seemed to believe that answers might reveal a higher level of tolerance/support than we’d expect to see.

And that’s why I am glad that the Phillymag article was written-though again I thought it was poorly executed-but the more athletes hear other athletes express support for or disinterest in who their teammates’ are sleeping with, the less harrowing it will be when someone on a pro team finally decides to come out. Yes, there will be teasing (as Larry Fitzgerald mentions in the McManus piece) but we can definitely move past outright ostracizing.

Check my post from a few months ago about the anonymous chat a gay Division 1 player held on Reddit. He gave some good (and touching) answers about his situation.

Sidebar: All this reminds me of the episode of the game where the Center made a pass at the quarterback making the QB hesitant to take the field with him. The coach scolds both the QB and the Center for not wanting to be close and never are you more aware of what a physically intimate sport football is than when the coach explains in detail how he wants them to work together.

It looks like my favorite Eagle Asante Samuel won't be with Philly next year. HOW IS LIFE WORTH LIVING NOW?

Yes I am an Eagles fan. So technically I should be all over this whole “if the Eagles beat the Cowboys and Redskins and the Jets beat the Giants and the Giants beat the Cowboys and the Cowboys lose to both the Eagles and Giants the Eagles go to the playoffs conversation.

But I’m not.

First of all, I am a fan of two teams. The other team I adore is the Atlanta Falcons. For years, the Falcons only went to the playoffs when the NFL provided them tickets and transportation. Winning seasons weren’t a sure thing. Now that the Falcons have had 4 straight winning seasons and are headed toward their 3rd playoff appearance in 4 years, I can say that the Falcons getting to the playoffs win or lose is what I expect and I’m, to a certain extent, happy with.

With the Eagles that is not the case. The Eagles have had 239849023 winning seasons, division titles and even a conference title! I’m no longer satisfied with the one and done thing that has plagued the Eagles as of late. We’ve hovered around above-average-semi-mediocrity since 2005. I’m ready for more. So it’s hard for me to get super excited about less-than-long shot chances at making the playoffs this year. I wanna know that once we get there we could do something with the opportunity.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t love it if the Eagles DID make the playoffs…but I just don’t want to think about it. Let’s say they go…does that make this season any less a disaster? Not really! And with disasters come change. Could any changes that are made that don’t work out result in another disastrous season next year? SURE COULD.

To be clear, I expect great things out of the Eagles next year. I think they will bounce back. In fact, depending on what decisions are made for next season and whether Vick can control himself, I might say they’re easily a 13-3 team. But this year, I’m done with hope. I used it all up when I got excited thinking they were going to win their game against the Bears. I have no juice left for playoff scenarios.

I am hereby covering my ears and screaming LALALALALALLALALALA.

Character smhracter! Here's Christian Peter during his short stint with the Bears.

As much as coaches and leagues (from the NCAA to NBA to NFL) like to talk about “character issues” and how they won’t be tolerated, that line of thinking RARELY trumps the desire to win. But sometimes we get a surprise. Every now and then someone stands up for the greater good. And in this story that person was New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Natalie Tysdal, now a reporter for KDVR in Denver, came out last week and told the story of how a football player she met while in college tried to rape her. The guy, Christian Peter, had been rumored on campus to have raped or sexually assaulted other women on campus. Despite being arrested several times, charged  with and CONVICTED OF third degree sexual assault (which includes rape) and sentenced to 18 months of probation, the University of Nebraska still allowed Peter to play. In fact, he ended up meeting the President when they won a national title.

Fast forward and Peter is drafted by the New England Patriots. But when owner Robert Kraft found out about Peter’s sordid sexual history (post-draft), he cut him from the team.

He cut Peter from the team just days after the draft. It was the first time in the league’s 75 year history that a player had been relinquished after the draft and before spring training. It was a move that spoke volumes and the man behind it was a rookie owner in the NFL. Successful and powerful in his own right, businessman and Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a statement that set off a firestorm in the New England area. Kraft said that Peter’s behavior was “incompatible with our organization’s standards of acceptable conduct.”

Recently, Tysdale got a chance to meet Robert Kraft and she retells the the story in this post (from which I grabbed the above quote). I think the story is worth reading, especially when she talks about how they both exchanged something meaningful with one another.

On Peter, other women over the years have come forward with their experiences with him. In 2004, Kathy Redmond who founded the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes told her story to The Globe.

Kathy Redmond still remembers Christian Peter’s eyes, nearly 13 years later. “I told him, `No,’ both nights, and it didn’t register,” she said. “His eyes were very predatory. Just blank. There was nothing there. I remember that vividly. Nothing behind those eyes. It’s like these terrorists, you wonder how they can do what they do. It’s just a lack of conscience.”

The 5-foot-2-inch, 120-pound Redmond, then 18, was enrolled at the University of Nebraska for just one week when she met the 6-2, 265-pound Peter, a nose tackle on the football team. She says Peter, who could bench-press 450 pounds, lured her to his room and raped her. The next day, she says, Peter pushed his way past dorm security and into her room, where he raped her again, this time with two of his teammates keeping watch.

Now it is Redmond who is keeping watch. She is the founder of the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Colorado. Between the Kobe Bryant rape case and sexual-abuse scandals at the Air Force Academy and Colorado University, Redmond says she is at the epicenter of a “rape culture.”

Controversial and outspoken, Redmond has been hailed as a hero by some of the 250 women she has counseled. Others label her a liar, an egomaniac, and worse. She calls her detractors the “Good Ol’ Boys Club,” one that holds athletes accountable only on the playing field.

Ironically, it was not Peter but one of his New York Giants teammates that motivated Redmond to change her life. She created NCAVA after the suicide of a 22-year-old woman who said she was assaulted by Giants defensive back Tito Wooten.

One thing that is usually present in these sorts of discussions is the idea that athletes somehow are more likely to be rapists or violent in general. I don’t think that’s true. However, what makes athletes dangerous is the level of privilege they enjoy. I think we’ve seen with the Penn State case as well as others (even as of late) that often people will go to great lengths to save sports programs -even if that means hiding or enabling someone who is dangerous. In this sense, athletes enjoy an even greater ability to get away with crimes, in particular, crimes against women and children.

For Peter’s part, he said the Patriots (if not Kraft) knew his rap sheet and had discussed it with him before the draft. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote at the time that the Patriots “fumbled” the Peters pick. Part of the implication was that issues with errors in the background investigation into Warren Sapp prior to him being drafted led to a reduction in information provided to teams. Once Peter was cleared the NY Giants picked him up and apparently made him promise to submit to regular counseling for anger and alcoholism with then team psychiatrist Dr. Joel Goldberg.

Peters spent 6 years in the NFL playing for the Giants, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts.

A video of Peters posted without comment.

Cowboys running back Demarco Murray broke his ankle against the Giants.

The Cowboys are a very frustrating team.

I can deal with a team that simply lacks the talent to beat other teams. But when a team has about all the talent you can ask for and is still rather middle-of-the-road it’s frustrating. The Cowboys have a good QB, two solid receivers, an elite Tight End, and a great running back, yet they still can’t put it together. And for all of Rob Ryan’s big talk his defense sure isn’t consistent especially when it matters most.

Both the Cowboys and the Giants played up and down last night. And ultimately it came down to the teams’ patterns: The Cowboys made costly mistakes at the end and the Giants were carried by Eli Manning’s heroics. By the way, he hit over 4K yards passing for the season last night. After the game was over, Arash Markazi made this observation that is 100% correct.