Sideline Saul: Football Season Is Over
By Saul Stokes
The 2011-2012 has finally come to an end and once again the Eagles were watching instead on playing in another Super Bowl. Tomorrow will be tough watching the New York Giants having a ticker tape parade and I have to show it on TV. As Eagles fans are painfully aware, the G-Men won the title with a 9-7 record becoming the 1st team in NFL History to win the Lombardi trophy with a 9 win regular season.
Now last week Eagles head coach Andy Reid came out of hiding to explain his month long silence after the Eagles season ended. After listening to him my first reaction was 'whatever.' Now after a week of reflection here are a couple thoughts.
I can understand why he doesn't blast his players in the press, but he doesn't have to come off as a smug you know what. All Andy needs to do is watch Doug Collins. Doug is a master of keeping the team together and letting the fans know what's on his mind. Case in point, last week the Sixers allowed the Magic to creep back into the game that they had well under control and gave fans a brief scare. At the end of the game, the camera's caught Doug yelling at the team as they came off the court.
At the postgame news conference Collins told us what he said to team, 'you can't let a team score 18 points in 3 minutes at the of the game.' Doug didn't call any one player out but let us know what was on his mind. No Andy 'I need to do a better job' mumbo jumbo. In the locker room the players said he told us about finishing the game better and they agreed with the coach.
Now about hiring Steve Spagnuolo, Andy was honest about it. I do believe that he told Steve that he was welcomed back here. Steve had a better opportunity in New Orleans and took it. I know he'll eat real good in the Crescent City. (If you haven't been to New Orleans, please make the trip just for the food and music alone. The folks down there know how to throw down)
Todd Bowles from all accounts is a good coach and will definitely help Juan Castillo this season.
All the Eagles need to do this off season is finally get a real linebacker and a safety and having mini camps and OTA's will help.
This is the year Andy needs to get it done. The eagles are the only team in the NFC East without a Lombardi Trophy. The time is NOW. I wasn't born yet when the Eagles won the NFL title in 1960. I have seen the other 3 teams in Philly have a championship parade.
Now let's get it done.
