Spike Eskin: Eagles Bye Week Feeling Of Relief Is A Bad Sign
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – I was watching yesterday's Giants vs. Redskins, and Texans vs. Ravens game with a couple of friends, sitting on a couch, drinking a beer, and I said aloud what I was guessing we were all thinking.
"Man, it feels good to watch football and not feel tense or annoyed."
Everyone agreed.
That doesn't sound good, does it? Watching your favorite football team play is something something that is generally considered an enjoyable leisure activity, maybe sometimes tense but certainly not "annoying."
And that right there, is the state of Eagles football in the city of Philadelphia. It's a drag. It's annoying. Moments of excitement are just brief intervals in between frustrations.
Though previous seasons of Eagles football, most specifically during the Andy Reid era, have shared their moments of annoyance and weeks of frustration, this season seems like it's hit a breaking point. Maybe it's just because I've broken, but mostly because it doesn't seem like there's anyone left on the side of the pro-Andy Reid fence.
Losing is something that comes with the territory of being a football fan. But this constant dread that we feel around here; just waiting for the next fumble, interception, half of 35 drop backs, blown kick coverage or ill-timed timeout lies somewhere way beyond what it feels like to watch losing. This isn't fun, at all.
I would go so far to suggest that winning these games, as the Eagles have somehow managed to do three of six times this year, is on some level even more frustrating than the losses. In two of those three wins, you could definitely suggest that the Eagles "deserved" to lose. The fact that they didn't lose, just allows those in charge of the team to escape the full criticism that they so rightly deserve.
I would go so far as to suggest that many, if not most, Eagles fans are hoping for a loss to the Falcons, if it means we move closer to a new regime.
It is this sense of dread, which in many respects has ventured firmly into apathy, that will eventually lead to a coaching change for the team. There's no way Jeffrey Lurie doesn't hear and feel the frustration among fans. And full stadium or not, when the customers aren't happy, it's not good for business.
"We want the Redskins to win this, right?" That was the question I asked midway through the second quarter on Sunday.
Shortly after I asked, I realized it didn't really matter who won. Because no matter the result, I wouldn't be pulling my hair out wondering why it happened.
