by Jordan Raanan from www.eaglesville.com
8/4/2008- AM & PM Practices
Morning Practice
In case you missed it, “this decade [the Eagles have] accomplished virtually everything we can ... except win a championship.” That’s quite a caveat Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie added during his annual State of the Eagles Monday morning at Lehigh University.
Maybe Lurie is right. Still, it’s not something Eagles fans and their zero Super Bowl victories all-time don’t want thrust in their faces. They also don’t want to hear how great Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are, and that injuries are the reason the Eagles have struggled the past few seasons. Regardless, that is exactly what Lurie provided.
“It’s a collision sport, what can I say,” Lurie said. “You think you put together an outstanding team that is going to compete and go very far, and sometimes you have to understand that you are not going to have the players on the field that you expect to have on the field. That happens in this sport.
“Part of the reason I’m really pumped up for this season is finally we have a real healthy Donovan McNabb who looks great out there. Andy and the player personnel people have done a great job of retooling the defense.”
Lurie also had an interesting opinion on Brian Westbrook and renegotiating contracts. He is not averse to redoing deal when, in cases like Westbrook, the player has grossly outperformed his previous contract.
“I don’t really have any problem when a player outperforms his contract,” Lurie said. “My philosophy and I think it’s the organization’s philosophy is to always be fair, adapt to where things are at.”
Sounds like good news for Westbrook. Team president Joe Banner and his right-hand man Howie Roseman were not at Monday morning’s practice. Could that mean they are getting close to finalizing something with Westbrook? Westbrook was on the field dominating as usual as the Eagles had a relatively ho-hum practice.
Some other highlights from Lurie’s annual address:
· The Eagles’ owner enjoys football, as evidenced by the running around the field and corralling of fumbles on Sunday. Lurie also wants to win badly. “We haven’t won a Super Bowl championship and that is what I want for our fans,” he said. “Day to day, that is all I think about.”
· Lurie is “pumped” for this season. It’s kind of awkward to hear a 56-year-old man use the word pumped.
· The Eagles’ owner believes McNabb is going to play until either his late 30s or early 40s, like many of the other great quarterbacks, including Brett Favre.
· According to Lurie, the Eagles have only lost two postseason games (vs. St. Louis in the NFC Championship and vs. New England in the Super Bowl) when McNabb was healthy.
Afternoon Practice
All-Pro guard Shawn Andrews’ absence was finally explained -- by Shawn Andrews himself. The Big Kid informed the world that he missed the first 12 days of training camp and incurred $180,000 in fines because he is suffering from depression, according to an interview he did with the Daily News.
But this story will not end here on this afternoon. There is more to be told than Andrews’ self-proclaimed illness.
If in fact he is suffering from depression, why would the absence be labeled unexcused? Wouldn’t coach Andy Reid, after all he’s been through in the past few years, be extra sensitive toward personal problems? And wouldn’t Andrews file a grievance or complaint against the Eagles for fining him so much money for what one would think should be considered an excused absence?
Questions, questions, questions. So few answers right now. The Eagles declined comment following Andrews’ public explanation.
Nevertheless, the Birds went through an afternoon 10-10-10 practice, which to say the least is unlikely to cause any of the players to dehydrate. It’s an opportunity for the Eagles to work on their plays and formations, and have a little fun.
Reid might not seem like a real fun and sensitive guy, but the reality is most of the players like him. Which is why there were smiles and laughs when the Eagles whipped out a trick play that is almost certain to never be used. They threw a hook-and-ladder to a wide receiver and flipped it back to offensive lineman Todd Herremans, aka Billy Bob from “Varsity Blues.” The Eagles’ right guard, however, dropped the ball, drawing a chorus of laughs and smiles. Even Big Red himself seemed to crack a smile.
Reid, however, can’t be smiling about the Andrews drama. Someone or something is just not right here. Is Reid really ruthless? Do the Eagles really lack sensitivity for such a serious issue? Or is it a coincidence Andrews said he will report later this week now that most of the Eagles’ time and hitting in Lehigh is a thing of the past? More explanation is needed, either by Andrews himself or the Eagles.
