Sure, this NOT-SO BREAKING NEWS is certainly not-so breaking, as this episode in “The Year of Disappointments” happened more than a week ago. But it’s something we’ve been meaning to address.
Eagles’ fourth-round pick bust Casey Fredo Matthews criticized Eagles fans. Seriously! A guy who was benched and can’t even make it back onto the field is talking shit about fans. You know, because we needed another reason to hate the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles…
We direct you to this piece by Philadelphia Sports Daily’s Tim McManus. To sum it up: Fredo is upset with the way Eagles fans react to wins and losses, as well as the pressure Eagles fans “put on him” this year. Also, he blames the lack of OTAs, a shortened training camp and the fact that The Walrus prematurely inserted into the starting lineup for his miserable play. Basically, Fredo Matthews is a huge asshole who refuses to believe he’s done anything wrong.
Here’s an excerpt from McManus’ interview with the black sheep of the Matthews family:
McManus: Was the benching a relief?
Fredo: It almost kind of was. Obviously you want to play as much as possible, but once I was taken out it seemed like all of the heat got taken off me and put on someone else. That’s just how it is in this town. It was a slight relief, then again I also wanted to play. That was the tough part.
McManus: Now that he has taken a step back, have you come to terms with the fans?
Fredo: Have I come to terms?
McManus: Do you understand them?
Fredo: No. I don’t think anyone will ever understand these fans. When we win they love you but when we lose it gets rough. That’s just how it is here. It’s like that in some other places, but not to this extent. Hey, just win and keep them happy.
McManus: So you’re not exactly feeling warm and fuzzy towards Eagles nation…
Fredo: Some of them but not running off the field after a loss — not those fans. They think they know me.
First off… Fuck you, Fredo!
Secondly, you’re right… we don’t understand you. You were a beast in college, you come from a long line of football Gods, yet you’re a complete waste of a roster spot in the NFL. We don’t understand how awful you are, that you went from starting Middle Linebacker to NOT PLAYING ONE DOWN… on a terrible Defense no less!
We don’t understand how you only have 14 total tackles ALL SEASON! In four years at Oregon, you accumulated 245 tackles, 30.5 of them for losses, 9 sacks, 4 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. In 12 games with the Eagles, you’ve proved that you can’t play at the NFL level.
We don’t understand how a player who calls taking the field as a rookie starter from day one “a dream come true,” turns around and blames his poor play on “the pressure from the fans.” We don’t understand why Reid and Castillo thought you could play right away – Was it your lineage? Your performance in college? Your hair? – but they did. That’s not our fault. If you prove in practice that you deserve to be on the field then guess what, we expect a certain level of play out of you.
You know why the blame went from you to someone else once you were benched? Because your replacement(s) suck too. But they’re still better than you are, Fredo. At least they’re still getting playing time!
That’s another thing we don’t understand… Not only were you benched from the Defense, but you haven’t even made a cameo on Special Teams! You know what that means? You REALLY suck. You can’t tackle worth shit. Do you understand that?
You also mention that you don’t think any players understand us Eagles fans? Well you and Desean must be really good friends, because the players who DO GET us, don’t ever quit. They don’t talk down to fans or bash us in the media. They don’t blame us for their horrendous plat on the field. They play their hearts out and leave EVERYTHING on the field. They don’t whine like little bitches. They don’t take out their personal frustrations on the fans. They have character. Something you clearly don’t understand.
And why are Eagles fans more vocal after wins and losses than other cities? Because we are undyingly loyal and so passionate about our football team that we live and die with every play. Welcome to the East Coast, Fredo.
We’ve never, in all our years of watching football, seen a Linebacker get taken out of plays by blockers the way you did. We’ve never seen a Linebacker with ZERO discernable skills. You can’t play the run, you can’t play in coverage, you can’t blitz, you can’t tackle. All you can do is suck, warm the bench and talk shit about the fans…. Fans, who by the way, were thrilled to have you join the team and see you start at MLB from the get-go. Apparently, like The Walrus, we were blinded by your family name.
You deserve the nickname Fredo. You deserve the label of bust and black sheep. You deserve the scorn and hatred we feel for you now. You deserve to be run out of town the way previous fan-bashing athletes have(*). You deserve to rot on the bench.
(*)We suggest you find Scott Rolen’s phone number, ASAP.
You’re right, Fredo… win and we’ll love you. But even if you lose, we will love you and be loyal to you if you play hard, play smart, play with heart and keep your mouth shut. Just ask Shady.
Problem is, you’re just not capable of any of those things.
Hopefully that’s something you can understand.
Fire The Walrus 