Phil Sheridan is Drinking the Sal Pal Kool-Aid
The quarterback controversy bandwagon has a new driver. His name is Phil Sheridan. It’s become evident lately that Phil can’t think of anything original to write about in his weekly Inquirer column. In lieu of digging for a “real” story, Sheridan prefers to pull out the standard playbook for lazy writers covering the Eagles.
MCNABB’S STARTING DAYS ARE NUMBERED
Geesh. Maybe Sheridan is angling for a new gig over at Pro Football Talk. If so, he’s doing his very best to stir a hornet’s nest that doesn’t exist. Normally, the McNabb-hate stories are reserved for Sal Pal, but I guess even he is tired of beating the same old drum.
Sheridan’s latest effort to run Don out of town hearkens back to the 2003 season when chants of “We want A.J.” echoed throughout Lincoln Financial during an uninspired 31-10 loss to the Patriots. The Birds started 0-2 and some fans wanted Feeley to replace McNabb. Sheridan can envision a scenario in which Don struggles the first two games this season and chants of “We want Vick” will be heard.
"If McNabb has two weeks even remotely as difficult as those first two in ’03, this whole season will deteriorate into bad soap opera."
And I thought his “ticking time bomb” cliche was awful. “Bad soap opera.” C’mon, Phil. I know it’s Labor Day, but at least try to be clever. He continues:
"Exaggeration? A couple of weeks ago, McNabb was treated to a “We want Vick” chant during a preseason game. And you can bet he still remembers how “We want A.J.” sounded less than a year after he played a game on a broken ankle."
Wow. Where do I begin? Forget the fact that Phil is attempting to disintegrate the 2009 season six days before it begins. After all, that’s what cry wolf journalists get paid to do. They revel in inventing controversies.
Does he really think McNabb gives a @#$% what fans chant or the media writes? Has Phil not covered 5 for the last ten seasons? How many times has a gravestone been carved signifying the death of McNabb in an Eagles uniform? Two? Three? Five? I lost count.
Don was booed four seconds after becoming an Eagle. He was supposed to have been replaced by the likes of Feeley, Garcia and Kolb. Talk radio has crucified him on a daily basis. Guys like Sheridan have been predicting his demise for over five years. Hell, even Rush Limbaugh sitting behind an ESPN anchor desk tried to bury him. Well, look who’s still standing:
Donovan McNabb…
Does Sheridan want us to believe that a quarterback who in his prime was nowhere near as polished as McNabb is a threat? A quarterback who has been sitting in a jail cell for the better part of the last two years. That’s the guy who will finally dethrone the Eagles starting signal caller? A guy who looked downright awful against the Jets second and third stringers last Thursday. He’s the executioner?
Please. Michael Vick is not ready to assume a starting role. Not now, and in all likelihood, not in December. For those who know anything about pro football, it’s plain to see. Does this mean that if McNabb struggles during the season a few drunk idiots won’t start the Vick chants? No. This is Philadelphia. It’s going to happen regardless. And I’m sure Sheridan will be giddy as a school boy when it does, because he’ll have something to fill his weekly column with.
McNabb understands the score. He – and Andy Reid – have two years to get a Lombardi Trophy. In theory, Vick could help them reach that goal. Not as a starting quarterback, but as a complementary weapon in the offensive arsenal. Last time I checked, Vick never led his team to the Super Bowl. Last time I checked, Vick didn’t have 9 career playoff wins and 15 career playoff starts. Last time I checked, Vick didn’t have one of the lowest TD/INT ratios in the history of the NFL.
As usual, this is much ado about nothing in Eagles Nation. Just another newspaper scribe attempting to be dangerous. Yawn. Unfortunately, it won’t be the last we hear of this nonsense in 2009. I guess we’ll just have to get used to it.