Earlier today, we retweeted a link and posted it to Facebook, but it is certainly worth another shout-out… Pro Football Talk’s Gregg Rosenthal put together a great round-up of the wrath Andy Reid is incurring from local media members.
All the usual Philly.com suspects are included: Les Bowen, John Smallwood, Bob Ford, Jeff McLane… So, what does this all mean? Why do we care that PFT is listing a rundown of articles asking if Andy Reid’s time is up? Because the horde of voices calling for The Walrus’s head is growing. Growing exponentially!
You can see it locally on Philly.com and CSN Philly – where both Rueben Frank and Ray Didinger are jumping into the fray – across the nation on ESPN and PFT, and all over Facebook and Twitter. It took mass free agent signings, media-made hype and a back-up Quarterback making the pronouncement of a “Dream Team,” but we’re finally here: The football world sees the truth behind the mustache!
Andy Reid is not a genius. Andy Reid is not a God. Andy Reid is not the only coach who ever lived(*). No… he’s an overmatched, underprepared human being marine mammal. And his reputation doesn’t water like it used to(**).
(*)And Andy Reid certainly didn’t conjure up the game of football in his head.
(**)Obvious stomach joke here.
Look, we’ll reiterate it once more, for all the new members of Fire The Walrus nation: For a time, Andy Reid was a good coach – we still believe Jim Johnson had more than a lot to do with his success – but no matter how you feel about Reid, he is, in fact, the most successful coach the Eagles franchise has ever had. But his reign peaked in 2004, and it’s been on a downward slope ever since.
Sure, the team made a miraculous run to the NFC Championship Game in 2008, but the NFC was garbage that year, and the one true skill Andy has as a leader – keeping his guys from quitting on him – probably saved them from a disastrous season. And guess what… none of those players are here anymore. With so many new names and faces on the roster, we’d find it hard to believe that any of the new additions will buckle down and go to war for Reid – particularly following such a terrible start.
McNabb and Dawkins and Trotter believed in the coach and the system, and that went a long way to their success on the field. But are guys like Jason Babin or Cullen Jenkins or Nnamdi Asomugha really encouraged by what they’ve seen so far? Can they possibly care enough about the system that they’ll kill themselves to please Reid? Not likely… especially when you consider that Babin and Jenkins are basically playing on one-year contracts. And don’t overlook the fact that none of those guys has taken the opportunity to become a vocal clubhouse leader.
So now, people – outside of Eagles fans – are starting to finally take notice(***). The spotlight has firmly been on Andy since he acquired Asomugha and all of his other big name-small impact offseason additions, and the light is starting to shine brighter. It’s no longer just bloggers and the voices of radio personalities, like Mike Missanelli. The anti-Andy Reid movement is gaining legs!
(***)Ironically, a similar thing is happening with our dear old friend Donny Drama. Eagles’ fans knew he’s been playing with a fork sticking out of his back since 2007. Why’d it take the rest of the world four years to catch up?
The time is growing near. We can feel it. It won’t be mid-season, but The Walrus will be fired.
At least there’s something to look forward to in Philly sports this winter…
Fire The Walrus 