Talk about a guy that needs some love. Donovan McNabb has been the headline of the sports world the last two days as word leaked out that the Philadelphia Eagles were accepting offers for the Pro Bowl quarterback, as well as his sidekicks Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. And thankless Eagles fans are eager to cheer for his departure.
McNabb's Days Are Numbered in Philly
Philadelphia is a disappointing sports town that just doesn’t seem to understand how to field a winner. The Eagles are the saddest of the group, having not produced a champion since 1960. While the team puts up wins, they haven’t delivered in the clutch. And to put this all on one guy’s shoulders in McNabb is classic Philly style.
After being profusely booed on NFL Draft Day in 1999, you knew that McNabb’s days in Philly were going to be rocky. But he rose to the challenge and delivered more wins in franchise history than any other quarterback before him. As it reads today, he is ranked 20th in wins and 7th in winning percentage for his career among all NFL quarterback.
Not too shabby for a bum that is perceived as the root to the team’s problems. Those wins and stats assure him a place in Canton upon his retirement.
Placing blame in Philly is a national pastime and it is amazing how Andy Reid consistently never gets the light shone on him except for when one of his kids run afoul with the law and gets sent to jail. It’s been Reid’s football philosophy, not McNabb’s performance that have led to the big game let downs. Andy Reid doesn’t believe in the running game and this is the true reason for the losses. The Eagles are easy to game plan for because they throw the ball every down and never leave the defense guessing.
Now the countdown is on.
The Eagles want a draft pick within the Top 42 spots of the draft in return for this future Hall of Famer quarterback that is no longer deserving of leading the team he brought to prominence. McNabb has made it known that he doesn’t want to play for the Raiders or Bills, but his desires will take a backseat because he is not going to a winner unless Brett Favre retires, which is unlikely.
For McNabb, he should want to take on the challenge of resurrecting a struggling squad, just as he did in Philly. It shouldn’t be about going to a team that gives him a chance at a Super Bowl. That ship sails as soon as he leaves the Eagles, as the Eagles are his bench chance at Super Bowl glory if they show a willingness to place talent around him. His goal should be to remind the Philly fans of what they once had as Kevin Kolb leads them into the abyss while he turns around an NFL doormat all by himself.
