Philadelphia Eagles’ Fans Always Represent, Even In Hostile Territory

Everyone knows the stories of Philadelphia Eagles fans throughout the years. Yeah, we pelted Santa with snowballs. And yeah, we pelted Jimmy Johnson with snowballs.

We apparently like snowballs.

We cheered on the day Michael Irvin was forced to call it quits. We’re horrible right?

Wrong.

Because not only do Eagles fans defend our own turf, but we go out on the offensive, and take away everyone else’s.

I personally have been on four road trips to watch the Eagles play: Minnesota, Carolina, Cincinatti, and Cleveland. In every single trip, the noise made by Eagles fans in these stadiums felt like we were at home at the Linc.

And that’s what make Philadelphia Fans so great—they wear their colors, no matter where they are, and will travel around the country just to cheer on their Birds. The passion you see in Eagles fans can be truly overwhelming. Football is everything to Eagles fans. We’ve been through it all.

The heartbreaks (Super Bowl XX and XXXIV)

The triumphs (4th-and-26, 1960 Championship, etc.)

And no matter what, we sell out stadiums. All stadiums. No matter where you go, if your teams is playing the Eagles, watch out. The fans will take over your stadium, and the constant ringing of “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!” will be forever burnt into your brain.

Because that’s what make Philadelphia so great—our fans, and their passion.

Thank you, and as always, Dallas sucks.

(Sorry for the clear-cut home town Eagles fanaticism.)

Andy Reid: In Pursuit of a Title

1998 was a tough year for the Philadelphia Eagles.

They had gone 3-13, ranked in the bottom five in almost every aspect of the game, and seemed to be heading nowhere. The former NFL Coach of the Year, Ray Rhodes, was fired, and the Eagles had virtually nothing positive going on except the talent of a young free safety named Brian Dawkins.

So to start off the 1999 off season, Jeffrey Lurie, Eagles Owner, went coach hunting. Big names popped up, but Lurie goes with an unknown quarterback’s coach from Green Bay, Andy Reid.

And this is just the beginning.

From the day Andy Reid became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he had one goal, and one goal only.

Win, and more importantly, win a Super Bowl.

So instead of going with the popular choice, Reid decides to draft some quarterback out of Syracuse instead of the Heisman Trophy winning running back, Ricky Williams.

Well, weren’t the Eagles fans happy with that?

No, and some never came around. But, the first thing Andy Reid did as a head coach is the biggest part of his success leading the Philadelphia Eagles in the last 10 years.

Andy Reid is the most winningest coach in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history. He also drafted the most winningest QB in Eagles history, and the best running back in Eagles history.

Reid has done all of the right things to do exactly what he set out to do.

Win.

The question is, what is holding Andy from being a clear-cut Hall of Fame coach?

That one special win.

A Lombardi Trophy.

A Super Bowl.

That’s all it would take at this point. In 2009, Andy Reid has helped to add to the Eagles roster, and has put them in a better position then he has since the day he took the job.

In 2009, they have a better chance to win than they have ever had before.

But will they?

All signs point to yes, and Reid is a huge part of that. Although many fans in Philly agree that Reid should not carry the job of GM as well as head coach, he seems to handle himself ok.

By going out and finding players like Stacy Andrews, Jason Peters, Leonard Weaver, and Ellis Hobbs, Reid and the Eagles front office have put them in a very strong position to win.

Reid is the most winningest coach in Eagles history. He has more playoff wins than any coach in Eagles history.

One more win.

That big game is just around the corner. And with that one final win, you will see a stone carving of his head sitting out in Canton.

That is all, and as always, Dallas Suck.

Will the Eagles Defense Be as Good in 2009?

Since the departure of Brian Dawkins to Denver via free agency, many questions have been asked about the Eagles defense during the 2009 offseason.

How will any player replace the intensity on the field and in the locker room?

Does the Eagles secondary have what it takes to make up for the loss of B-Dawk? Does the defense?

And what about the possibility of Jim Johnson being unable to coach?

All of these are valid points, but the Eagles defense has become much more then just Brian Dawkins. You cannot replace a player like Dawkins, he may be the best Eagle of all time. But the Eagles do have defensive players who can make up for the loss, and even the leadership, although of course not quite to the extent that Dawk had.

Stewart Bradley, the up-and-coming, young middle linebacker of the Philly Defense has shown flashes of greatness in his last two years, learning the Eagles defense and playing alongside Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan, and Chris Gocong. As time goes on, we began to see the abilities that Bradley has as a leader and player.

He hits hard.

He stuffs running backs at the line.

He’s fast, and can blitz on any down.

Throw these things in with Bradleys ability to lead the defense and command respect from the players around him, and you have one tough linebacker ready to step up and be the player we need him to be.

Now on a pure playing level, losing Dawkins in the secondary hurt. But Sean Jones, the new safety the Eagles acquired in the early goings of the offseason, has flown under the radar as one of the top safetys in the league over the past three years.

Now add in Ellis Hobbs, and the returning Asante Samuel, along with Sheldon Brown and Quninten Mikell. You’re looking at a secondary to not only never underestimate, but to truly fear when your putting the ball in the air.

Each and every player in the Eagles secondary has the ability to make plays, and even bring the heat when needed.

Which now bring us to our last segment, and what is most likely the most dominating aspect of the Philly D, and the reason why the Eagles defense will be BETTER in 2009 then it was in 2008.

The defensive line.

Last year, the defensive line was good, but they could have been so much better. Enter Chris Clemons and Victor Abiamiri. I see Abiamiri as the Eagles break-out player this year. He has already proven he has the ability to stop the run. In offseason workouts, he has begun working on his speed and weight to make himself a better pass rusher as well.

Chris Clemons did see some playing time last year, but i expect to see him competing for a starting job this year. He has an uncanny ability to be wherever the ball is, and is great at breaking through the O-line and putting pressure on the QB.

With the emergence of these two players, not to mention the constant pressure being caused by Trent Cole, Broderick Bunkley, and Juqua Parker, the Eagles could have a pass rush capable of breaking through even the best of all offensive lines, and often.

I think you can expect close to 10 sacks this year from Cole and at least six from Abiamiri.

So to answer my own question, no the Eagles defense will not be as good as last year. They will be BETTER. As hard as it is to see B-Dawk go, the Eagles have stacked themselves to the point where losing Dawk will only be pain in the mind, not in the game.

Go Birds, and as always, Dallas Sucks.

Why the Philadelphia Eagles Will Win the NFC in 2009

Year in and year out, people criticize the Philadelphia Eagles. They don’t have enough talent at wide receiver, they can’t convert on 3rd-and-short, and my favorite one, “Donovan McNabb can’t win the big games.”

Up until now, I can see how these are valid points. But I’m not here to back those up because my friends, in 2009, your wrong. Here’s why.

 

1) The new threat at wide receiver

Last year, DeSean Jackson proved in his rookie campaign that he can be the go-to guy the McNabb has needed for most of his career. His speed, strong hands, and playmaking ability is something that the Eagles haven’t seen much of at wide receiver, except for Terrell Owens.

With the addition of Jeremy Maclin in the draft, who many experts still say was a steal by Andy Reid and the coaching staff, and the ever continuing improvement of Hank Baskett and Jason Avant, the Eagles have a solid group of receivers who can make plays and help move the ball down field efficiently.

And don’t forget the seriously underrated Kevin “White Lightning” Curtis, who always seems to be a guy McNabb trusts with the football.

 

2) Three words: Running Back Duo

Brian Westbrook has already established himself as not only one of the best players in the NFL, but possibly the best RB in Eagles history. So long as he is healthy, he is one of the biggest threats any offense can have.

Now add LeSean McCoy. One of the top-five running backs in the 2009 NFL draft, this guy is fast, mobile, and strong. He can break tackles, break through the line, and catch balls out of the backfield. People are already comparing him to LaDainian Tomlinson.

With Westbrook sharing time with McCoy, you could be looking at quite possibly the best running back duo in the NFC, if not the league.

 

3) The O-line, and the emergence of Victor Abiamiri

Ok, so we lost Runyan and Thomas. We loved them, but I’m sorry, we’re better now. With the addition of Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews, along with the return of Shawn Andrews, the Eagles’ offensive line has the potential to be the best line in the league. Jason Peters and Shawn Andrews are already Pro-Bowl players, with Jamaal Jackson not far behind.

Victor Abiamiri has had a ton of potential since the day he was drafted, injuries have just plagued him. He has already proven that he can be a solid run stopping player, and this year he has worked on his speed in the offseason so he can be a strong pass rusher as well.

With the help of Trent Cole and Broderick Bunkley along side of him, you can expect Abiamiri to tally at least six sacks this year.

 

There are so many other things the Eagles have worked on in the offseason to make them the clear-cut NFC Conference champion. The revamping of the secondary, with Sean Jones and Ellis Hobbs, and even the addition of Leonard Weaver at the FB position, improves the Eagles desperately where they were looking weak.

You can expect the best of the best from the Birds this year, and be on the lookout for another run for the Lombardi Trophy.

Oh and Dallas Sucks.

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