Archive for August, 2009

I posted on Monday that Max Jean-Gilles has his own blog. You can find it at www.mjg62.com. He’ll be bloggin’ the upcoming season, so be sure to check it out to get the big man’s thoughts. Despite being smack dab in the middle of training camp two-a-days, Max was gracious enough to grant ITI an interview. Max is cool like that. A special thanks to Max, and to Todd Schmerler from playerpress.com for setting this up. Without further ado, here’s my one-on-one with Max Jean-Gilles: What was the rehab process like for the injury you sustained last season? The rehab [...]

Lots more to observe and report. Let’s get to it: – JMac attended his first practice and worked with the #2 offense. Looked okay. Got nice separation on Hanson but a poor throw by Feeley prevented him from making the grab. He did muscle his way past Demps for a catch. – Westy was running and cutting with Reid closely watching. Looked good, but it’s still early. – Something is wrong with Jason Peters. Although, no one is saying anything. He went through lineman drills, but is not practicing. – It’s becoming apparent that Shawn Andrews cannot be relied on [...]

As if the house of horrors that is Eagles Training Camp ’09 couldn’t get any worse, there’s this, via The Morning Call. It seems starting (for now) left defensive end Juqua Parker was stopped by the po-po and found with marijuana in his possession. I wonder how Dictator Reid is going to spin this beauty. Reporter: “Uh… Andy, can you update us on the “green/brown vegetable matter” found on Juqua’s person?” Reid: “Well, I started a pact with the players back in ’99. I made it clear that there will be no bogarting of the stash. This is a breach [...]

Time for another fun-filled trip across the sports blogosphere. I love a good Twitter race. This one features and NBA rookie versus a porn star. (Detroit 4 Lyfe) More Twitter news. ESPN continues its move toward full-blown communism by outlawing tweets that don’t serve ESPN interests. ESPN needs to get laid. (Tony Blogs) Darrius Heyward-Bey and his questionable hands face an uphill climb in Oakland. (Just Blog Baby) Any foursome involving Megan Fox is a must see. I’m talking about golf, by the way. (Pacman Jonesin’) Here are five NBA GMs you can count on. (Sir Charles in Charge) Is [...]

Andy Reid threw a haymaker at the press on Monday. Yesterday, the media countered with a few uppercuts. This heavyweight bout reminds me of the classic pugilist flick Raging Bull. Which got me thinking. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a bit of a movie buff. In my mind, sports and film go hand in hand. So, I’ve decided to combine two of my favorite things: The Eagles and the films of Martin Scorsese. Each of Reid’s ten seasons in Philly has had its share of intriguing subplots. Scorsese’s career is chock-full of memorable narratives. Time to pair up [...]

Lots to get to, so no dilly-dallying. – Eagles officially announce signings of both Matt Wilhelm and Jason Babin. – Team also released WR Marcus Thigpen, DB Courtney Robinson and DT Jervonte Jackson. – Maclin is in Philly. Will meet with media at 2:45pm today. Should be at practice tomorrow. – Jason Peters sat out the morning practice. Don’t know why. Hopefully, it’s not a setback with his quad. – Where in the world is… Shawn Andrews? No one seems to know. – No update on Ellis Hobbs (stinger), who was the other guy hurt during Flight Night. Since it’s [...]

The last week to ten days has been rough on the Eagles. The initial excitement for Training Camp 2009 was overshadowed by the following stress-inducing headlines: 1) The promotion of Sean McDermott. 2) The death of Jim Johnson. 3) Jeremy Maclin‘s contract status. 4) Shawn Andrews‘ nagging back. 5) The torn ACL (we think) of Stewart Bradley. Geesh. Can we turn back the clock, please? Unfortunately, we can’t. These things happen in life and more to the point, in the NFL. I get why Andy Reid went off on the press, not to mention his own personnel. The guy has [...]

And the hits keep on coming. Per PFT (again), the Eagles have signed ex-Chargers linebacker Matt Wilhelm to a one-year deal. Wilhelm was released by San Diego prior to training camp. Wilhelm, 28, is listed at 6’4″, 245 lbs. He has only 21 starts in six career seasons. His best season came in 2007, when he recorded 97 tackles, 1 sack and 3 interceptions in 14 starts. Again, no official confirmation from the Birds. However, if the deal is accurate, I think it’s relatively safe to assume Stew ain’t coming back anytime soon. No matter what Reid says to the [...]

Well, they took their sweet time hammering out a deal, but per PE.com, Joe Banner and the Eagles inked first-round pick Jeremy Maclin to a five-year deal worth $15.5 million, $9.5 million guaranteed. Finally, all the draftees are in house. A little bit of good news for a change. Training Camp 2009 is in full swing. Roster spots and positional depth still have to be decided. What will Maclin’s role be this season? To be determined. But I’m sure Reid and Co. will find creative ways to use his talents. Now, if only Shawn Andrews could get his @#$% straight. [...]

As reported over at Eagletarian, the Eagles have inked defensive end Jason Babin to a one-year deal. To be accurate, they printed the name “Justin” Babin. Probably a mistake, but you never know. The original story comes from WMMT-TV in Michigan. “Jason” Babin is a former first-round pick of the Texans. He spent last season with the Chiefs. Babin, 29, is listed at 6″3″, 267 lbs. He has 15 career sacks and was considered a major bust. If the info is legit, I wonder if Babin will play linebacker or defensive end? He pretty much stunk at both positions. It’s [...]

Well, this sucks. Per PFT (via Howard Eskin of 610 WIP), Eagles Flight Night! proved costly. Starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley heard a “pop.” That pop was a torn ACL. He’s done for the 2009 season. I hope Omar Gaither is ready to fill the void. You had to know the train of positivity would be derailed at some point. Such is life for an Iggles fan. Per usual, the Birds have yet to confirm the report. Update: As of 4:15pm, still no word from the Birds on Stew. In fact, according to PE.com’s “Bloghead,” Reid was perturbed with reporters [...]

More and more NFL ballers are getting into blogging and tweeting and the wild n’ wacky world of social networking. First it was Don over at Yardbarker, now I’ve come to learn that Max Jean-Gilles has himself a blog too. It’s www.mjg62.com, so be sure to give it a look.  He says he’s “ready to go” in 2009, which is good news. Big #62 will be posting throughout the upcoming season. Just one more way to keep track of our beloved Eagles. Subscribe to ITI.