Stephen A on McNabb

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/16561115.htm

This is a good piece. Quite Frankly, maybe we'll be seeing more of this level of writing from SAS now. I hope so.

 

Eh...

 

no

no, it wasn't

 

I disagree, completely. McNabb is a good guy, who also happens to be a company man for the Eagles and a poor leader.

Best thing SAS has written in some time, IMO.

 

"Leadership" is a nebulous cliche many writers and almost all broadcasters reflexively pump out to explain why certain teams and players win. And, usually, to support the premise that certain "seasoned veteran" players have some magical knowledge or ability to conjure wins out of their asses.

"Intangibles," believe it or not, are mostly intangible. Almost always, teams win when their players play better than the opponents. What's McNabb supposed to do?? Challenge Terrell Owens to a fight in the middle of the locker room?? Jump up on top of a locker in the locker room, rush out onto the field waving a huge Eagles banner, shouting "FOLLOW ME MEN!!!!" at the top of his lungs?

Don't you worry, you will hear very soon indeed (in fact, you've already heard it) about how "some in the locker room" (always "anonymous players," of course), indeed want Jeff Garcia to stay around for a while. Amazingly and shockingly enough, on every single team Jeff Garcia has been on in the last 5 years, "anonymous players" have come out of the woodwork about how they want Jeff Garcia starting.

Because Jeff Garcia is a Seasoned Veteran Player, a Leader, He Has Plenty of Experience and Knows How To Win. All Donovan McNabb knows how to do is go to 5 Pro Bowls in 8 years, and take a team to the Super Bowl.

 

Starman, you make a strong argument. Well done.

 

That's so unlike you, Star. Usually you're so mealy-mouthed about everything. When did you grow a pair?

 

The reason Garcia looked like such a "leader" is that Reid finally turned over the play-calling duties to someone who wasn't afraid to actually utilize Westbrook as a running back; not just catching the ball out of the backfield. It's amazing what a balanced offense will do for any quarterback. Garcia did a nice job; it's still a question of whether he can hold up for a full season at this stage. Screamin' A has beaten this particular issue to death -- he's not a McNabb fan and never will be. Maybe McNabb won't ever win a Super Bowl; but the Iggles got a damn-sure better shot with Donovan than with Garcia.

 

The very definition of damning with faint praise.

 

The idea Jeff Garcia should be the Eagles' quarterback instead of McNabb disqualifies its holders from any discussion of the Eagles, the NFL, and the time-space continuum as we know it.

 

You do have a way with words, BYH.

 

First tangible sign that the Inquirer laid off too many copy editors:

"And long after coach Andy Reid finishes spewing his rhetoric of irresponsible conduct in a flagrant attempt to shift focus of the latest storylines from McNabb to the cynics monitoring his every move, that is the reality that remains stagnant, refusing to budge until Reid and his star pupil grasp a clue."