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Intentionally I am pasting his entire article here- not linking. He makes a lot of, if nothing else, interesting points here-regardless of your opinion about the Team/Organization/Reid/"The Punt"/McNabb etc.

A bonus season was reduced to a bonus possession, and the bonus possession was reduced to its final play, and Andy Reid faced the one decision that defines the Eagles: Now ..or later? So he punted. On fourth and 15 after taking possession on a turnover of Miracle of the Meadowlands proportions, he gave the ball away. With a blessing of an opportunity to rescue a season that once seemed doomed, the Eagles’ head coach decided -- what the hey? -- there will be another chance. After all, there was still 1:56 to play.
Plenty of time, he figured. Plenty of time.


Later had won again.

And was there ever a doubt?

For all his dedicated work and occasional bursts of success, Reid personifies an organization with the patience of a forensic scientist. While fans stand outside, noses pressed against the foreboding gates, salivating, begging for an end to their 0-since-1960 thirst, the Eagles -- Reid in particular -- operate with a long-term mentality. They are like the zen masters who would wait 10 years for a muddied glass of water to settle into drinkability rather than chance a quick stir for some clearing, then taking a sip.

There would be a better chance of finding a Lombardi Trophy on Planet NovaCare than there would be of finding a bucket of quick-dry paint. There, the parking lot speed limit is 2. They probably cut the grass with scissors and get up to change the channels themselves, rather than using the remote. Their idea of recreation is to spend an afternoon reading yellowed, year-old magazines; they’ll get around to reading the current editions next year.

Andy Reid punted Saturday in the Superdome, and because he never got the ball back and the Eagles lost, 27-24, to the New Orleans Saints, it should have defined him the way Bunning-Short defined Gene Mauch, the way the Wild Thing defined Jim Fregosi, the way the-chart-was-wet characterized Rich Kotite, the way Kleenex has become shorthand for D Vermeil.

But it won’t. It won’t because it was nothing new. Reid was tattooed as patient to a fault in the Super Bowl, and that will never, ever fade. That was the night in Jacksonville when the Eagles had their best chance in the then-XXIX-year history of the thing to win one, but Reid stood there, like the statue of William Penn on City Hall, motionless, staring into some cockamamie list of plans as the clock kept ticking. Literally world-wide, Eagles fans were in an uproar: Hurry up, man, it’s later than you think. So puzzled was Bill Belechick on the opposite sideline that he was wondering out loud if the scoreboard was malfunctioning and if the Eagles actually were leading, not trailing.

No, that -- that indefensible decision at a hit-or-be-hit moment not to start flailing away with lefts and rights -- will define Andy Reid for as long as they re-run loops of past Super Bowls on TV in January. He’s the head coach who after forgetting to put his offense on red alert in the final moments of the championship game, calmly, arrogantly strolled before 200 dozen newspapermen and announced that the Eagles would soon be back to try it all again.

So, no, fourth-and-15, as it will come to be known, cannot define Reid any more than another arrest can define Mike Tyson. And that display of patience can no clearer cast the Eagles that way than another seat-license check can prove Jeffrey Lurie is wealthy.

That’s what the Eagles do. They wait. They talk about winning multiple Super Bowls, but then they operate under a long-term financial plan designed to provide salary cap flexibility later, not an extra touchdown-scorer now. They draft players, then stash them away -- as they did this season with Winston Justice. When they selected him, they yelled about his many talents, how the rest of the NFL was goofy not to have selected him earlier and how wise they were to pluck him when they did. But when they needed offensive line flexibility in the game that would end their season, they had Justice in civvies, scratched from the lineup. He’ll be great, though, in six years. Seven maybe. Eight, at the outside.

But that’s the Eagles, and that’s Reid. Cut Terrell Owens now -- there will be another receiver with such Hall of Fame skill arriving on the next C bus sputtering south on Broad Street. Don’t rush to re-sign Jeff Garcia, who runs the West Coast offense better than Donovan McNabb -- some day, No. 5 will stop vomiting when situations grow difficult. Keep drafting defensive linemen -- one of these years, it will work out.

And punt. Remember that. Always punt.

In a way, they deserve sympathy, do the Eagles, does Reid, for they can’t help themselves. They keep over-serving themselves the same policies, then waking up feeling as if they’d chugged too much pickle juice. There was Reid, Saturday night in Louisiana, his season having ended minutes earlier, asked why he punted on fourth-and-15. "I guess in hindsight," he said, "maybe we should have done that because we didn’t get the ball back."

In hindsight? That Super Bowl was two years ago, by the way. Didn’t he have enough hindsight space between then and Saturday night to know to be aggressive, when with the football, late in a single-elimination game? Ah, but that would have required him to select now over later.

And to Reid, to the Eagles, that will never be a difficult choice.

I love you, Jack McCaffery!

That was the best piece I've read on this debacle. He really nailed it, and he's right-- the punt is indicative of the entire organizational philosophy. Just keep waiting...

Something tells me that Jack won't be invited to the Eagles Memorial Day cookout, but Rich Hofmann will get a prime seat on Uncle Andy's lap.

He'll have to keep that seat warm for Asskiss, who only got up to get Reid his 3rd plate of ribs.

And the last 2 paragraphs were probably the most spot-on about this organization.

Seriously, this article is so wide ranging in points touched upon that there's enuff for all to find SOME common ground.

Even the most vocal Homer/Darksider/Objective Fan can come together on at least 1.

Excellent read.

Reading that actually made me feel worse.

Here are some Spuds gems from PRAVDA that will comfort you:

From Feeling Blue? I've Got Some Hope Here by Dave Spadaro

... the Eagles have a very well-stocked roster.

They have 21 of 22 starters signed through 2007, and 20 of 22 starters signed through 2008 (Smith's contract expires after 2007) and they also have a slew of youngsters pushing for playing time. While those players will be challenged, hey, Eagles were already a strong team in '06 despite the bumps in the road during the season.

It is a good roster already...

STABILITY REMAINS ... AGAIN
The amazing thing is this: Andy Reid enters his ninth season. In an age of transitioning coaches and here-today, gone-tomorrow commitments, Reid remains. His staff is expected to stay intact. Tom Heckert and his personnel department returns.

Stability is a rare thing in this league. It's a coveted asset. The Eagles are all on the same page, so this off-season process should be smooth...

There is no learning curve...

Celebrate, then, the fact that Reid remains and that so much of the wall is still in place around him...

Look around the NFC East and judge the Eagles' stability against the other teams in the division. It is no contest. The Eagles have far more stability, it's not even close...

They have been very smart over the years with regard to the cap, so the Eagles are not going to be hamstrung here.

Does that mean the Eagles will sign every player they target? No, it does not. The Eagles are going to give each player a value and then they will go out and try to retain or acquire those who are interesting to them.

The Eagles have been able to stay aggressive in free agency through the years, and that won't change. It is not the cure-all for a team, so don't expect that to be the case this year...

THE SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE
The coaches evaluate everything in the off-season, and no doubt they will tweak the offensive and defensive schemes. Clearly, the West Coast offense is a proven success and Jim Johnson's defense has had more than its share of good things happen over the years.

The schemes aren't going to change...

The defensive line had its inconsistencies in the 2006 season, but there is a lot of talent here, a lot of possibilities and a lot of positives. Start there and move out and the Eagles are in great shape overall.

This is Withdrawal Weekend. It is a painful time still, I know, but the overriding emotion emerging from 2006 has to be one with positive feelings. The Eagles came together as a team, regained the culture of winning. They're moving forward, marching toward the top, and soon, very soon, the Eagles will again be making news.

I don't know about you, but I am totally fucking jazzed to hear that Andy Reid has a wall built around him. Is there anything more exciting in football than stability? I think not. Frankly, I couldn't be more pleased to learn that nothing will change with the Philadelphia Eagles. I only hope Andy Reid can deliver the same disappointing results because success is for losers.

Stability's great if you're the Steelers in the 70s, 49ers in the 80s, or Cowgirls in the 90s and have one multiple championships.

Stability is NOT great if you're the Vikings in the 70s or Bills in the 90s.

Sadly, methinks we'll be adding Iggles in the 00s to the list.

that should be won, not one. Homer like beer.

It's hard to add the Eagles to that list when they've only made one Super Bowl in this decade. Two years ago they seemed content to make it into the game. Now they seem content to just win a game in the playoffs. In the near future, they'll be boasting about their players' uncanny ability to tie their shoes without assistance.

Sarge, you've hit it on the head. Perhaps in another town where the clock ticks slightly softer than the refrain of 24 years against the cracked skin of the liberty bell, such a statement and mentality would be pacified.

Perhaps we too as Eagle fans have become somewhat pacified as this team has seen the kind of stature under this regime that has been pretty much absent in the history of this franchise.

They are consistent winners, but still have not gotten to the promised land that separates winners from champions.

4th & 15 may be sound football to many. For myself, I can understand the reason why the call was made. What won't fade is the fact that the head coach elected not to give his team a puncher's chance to win. In this town, that's pretty much in line with treason, especially with this team and in this year.

This team was given a standing 8-count in November. Through self-belief and gutsy play they clawed up the ropes and came back swinging. They fought their way back, and in so doing captured the hearts and the imagination of everyone who knows a little about this town and this franchise.

They were down, and they got back up. In the game against the Saints, once again they got down and after a back & forth battle were in a position to get back up again. Rather than taking another shot at a left-hook KO, Reid elected to cover up and wait for a decision.

Once again, it may be sound strategy, but that kind of mentality, especially in that situation with a title shot on the line will never play in this town.

I have to give credit where credit is due. Through his tenure here, Andy has followed his instincts through many things and few could argue that his insticnts have proven wrong. True, they haven't taken this team to a podium stand with the Lombardi trophy as of yet, but few could argue that this team isn't a legitamate contender year after year.

He is successful without being ultmately successful, and in Philly, that is pretty much viewed as being without success. Is this unfair, perhaps, but one must understand the context of the issue before passing judgement on the jury.

For myself, I view this decision in holistic terms. At the end of the day, the shot for redemption was minimal, but it was there all the same. Right or wrong, success or failure, redemption or rethinking all goes out the window because of one simple thing.

This team didn't really get to take that last shot.

In a town that wants to hit first and ask questions later, that's more of a crime than the head coach of this team is willing to admit....at least at that juncture anyway.

Holy George Plimpton Batman!

Hooky gets my vote for best Dhani impersonation on the level sans banjo or bowtie. :-)

Max Jean-Gilles may turn out to have been an incredible "value" pick seven years from now, but the eagles would have had a better shot in New Orleans with a proven run-stopper, like Hollis Thomas, on their side.

WOW. This guy is goin for the kill shot.
I have a new favorite Eagles Writer in town, if for nothing else, his refusal to play nice to get the good seats up front durin the Andy Reid Snorefests each Monday (Lookin at you, Hoffman!)

Control freak Reid has created a crisis
Jack McCaffery, Times Sports Columnist
01/25/2007

Day One of the Andy Reid Era in Philadelphia, introductory press conference in a downtown ballroom, cameras everywhere, reporters interested, a franchise open to change. And a hint of what was to come. "We all want the same thing here," Reid said, before implying that the press should follow his rules and enjoy the ride to all football glory. In other words, he mistook Philadelphia then as he has mistaken it ever since for Green Bay, and since he never learned otherwise, now he has a crisis.

He has a crisis because he has one quarterback whom he has pummeled into sad timidity, softening him like a well-oiled catcher’s mitt with years of needless protection, ridiculous diversion and relentless control. That would be Donovan McNabb, prone to injury and late-game stomach distress, interceptions at the worst of moments, weird humor and hair-trigger feelings. And the crisis began last week when, in a snapshot of the Reid-McNabb relationship, the head coach ordered the quarterback not to answer legitimate, responsible football questions in a reasonable, conventional setting -- and the quarterback retreated to his room, exactly as ordered, not allowed to say anything at the dinner table.

Reid also has the crisis because he has another quarterback who never submitted to control, generally speaks when he cares to speak and was willing to fly to Burbank, don an Eagles jersey and participate in a slapstick stunt for Jay Leno in which a Giants fan was flattened by a panel truck. That would be Jeff Garcia, prone to NFL survival, strong of personal sense and willing to embrace any football moment.

So where is the problem?

The problem is that once Reid misread his play chart and believed he could throw a blanket of camouflage leaves over the possibility of his worst fear -- a quarterback crisis -- the leaves began to smolder and there was no fire-extinguisher in sight. Having not learned anything since his Day One orders to the press were met with muffled laughs, Reid apparently didn’t learn much, either, in whatever journalism program he may have taken at BYU. He never learned that cover-ups not only don’t work, but encourage deeper digging.

In another situation, in another program, the two-headed quarterback monster would have been transformed by now into a lovable pet. In a 20-minute postseason press conference, ostensibly to provide a medical update concerning his surgically repaired knee, McNabb could have expressed delight at Garcia’s success, thrust his fist to the sky and energized Eagles fans with the promise that he would return better than ever. At the worst, the Eagles would have two fine quarterbacks going forward, both with the same mission -- to put an end to the disgrace that is 0-since-1960. At best, McNabb’s enthusiasm would have rendered Garcia’s comedy trivial.

But by censoring McNabb, Reid only redirected the river of speculation. So once McNabb’s thoughts were limited to his family members spraying damaging blogs, other voices began to peep. Some were underground, saying in printed reports that McNabb has been unhappy. Others -- like Brian Westbrook after a loss to the Saints in the playoffs -- openly, aggressively praised Garcia. Listen: "We have been saying that the whole time Jeff’s been playing that he has brought that fire back and that competitiveness. He is a leader. Everybody has played better since Jeff has gotten in there and that is the true definition of a leader. When the guys can rally around Jeff and play better, you can’t ask for much more."

That quote -- delivered downstairs in the Superdome, minutes after the Eagles season -- did not generate nearly enough attention. Read it again. And believe that it was said out loud, in front of plenty, with purpose.

That’s where it is going -- and where Reid would like it to stop. There is a feeling in the clubhouse -- not a consensus, perhaps not even a plurality, but a feeling -- that the Birds would be fine with Garcia at quarterback. They means they would be fine without a $112,000,000 self-appointed "captain of the ship" with brittle bones and matching emotions. McNabb is still upset that 30 made-for-broadcast plants booed him at the draft. He nearly wept when Terrell Owens said something nice about Brett Favre. His camp even used the word "bittersweet" in connection with Garcia’s success.

Now, this: An attempt at censorship, but resulting turmoil.

How will the Eagles respond? Well, they have had opportunities, beginning with Jeffrey Lurie’s postseason press briefing in the locker room, to guarantee Garcia work. Instead, they punted. Now, Garcia wants to test the free-agent market. Just a guess, but once it is clear that McNabb is healthy, Andy’s Media Army will begin to tout A.J. Feeley as the most capable backup since Harry Truman.

In the meantime, Reid will try to control everything he can. Indeed, it was interesting when Reid responded to questions aboutMcNabb, the head coach sounded uncomfortable with the situation. The resulting headline: "Reid says he and McNabb still getting along well."

Reid says. Reid. Not McNabb. Reid says. And once he does, he expects everyone to accept that as truth and to keep marching.

Problem is, not everybody did on Day One. And a whole lot fewer are stomping that yard, all these unfulfilled promises later.

hehehe.....could have been me writing that...or FB or Neag.

Beee yuuuti ful

Thank you Seth. This post was just what I needed to end my self-appointed exile. Reid might finally have made the crucial mistake of attempting to silence his baby boy, the company man, aka Wayne Brady in cleats! This might be the best offseason ever, from my perspective when comes to FB.

Nevermind that they plan to let Donte Stallworth walk and have Spuds sell you on Brown, Baskett, Avant, Lewis and Calendar Boy Bloom as your WR corp.

And nevermind that they really are considering cutting ties with Trotter. No worries, I think JJ has finally figured out how to field a defense that requires no linebackers!

Thank you Seth.

That guy sounds more than a little bitter about getting screwed out of the chance to grill McNabb.

Basically sounds like a whiny baby...

The Philly media is just DYING for a QB controversy. Let's face it, without McNabb, the sports section would basically have to shut down until spring.

softening him like a well-oiled catcher

not

good

image

Oh no, Reid won't let McNabb give us a scoop. Now I'll make up whatever story I think will sell more papers. Waaah.


Is there a more self-entitled group of whiny bastards than the media ?

Control freak Reid has created a crisis

A crisis, huh? This is only a crisis for the media, who believes that sports exists for the sole purpose of them being able to write about it.

Hey media, nobody cares about your petty bullshit crisis.

Seriously, agreed with SZR here. That story was overkill. What crisis is he talking about?

Others -- like Brian Westbrook after a loss to the Saints in the playoffs -- openly, aggressively praised Garcia. Listen: "We have been saying that the whole time Jeff’s been playing that he has brought that fire back and that competitiveness. He is a leader. Everybody has played better since Jeff has gotten in there and that is the true definition of a leader. When the guys can rally around Jeff and play better, you can’t ask for much more."

I find that somewhat surprising.

Here's the thing...

Is there any way players can show their gratitude to Garcia for his great, inspiring play down the stretch without there being a way it could be viewed as a slight against McNabb?

I mean, Garcia's greatest quality as a player is his hard-nosed, gritty, firey leadership.

He inspired players to play with more passion and they fed off his energy.

How can Westbrook commend him for that without the media turning into a slam against McNabb.

You could just as easily say "How dare professional athletes admit they weren't giving it their all for half of a season? Maybe they should give half their paychecks back"

That story isn't as interesting, but seriously...Garcia played well and the players appreciated what he brought to the table, but every member of the media wants to take every positive quote about Garcia and turn it into a negative AGAINST McNabb.

It's stupid.

Since when is complimenting a teammate a zero-sum game? Why does praise for Garcia turn into a cheapshot at McNabb? It's absurd.

I need to be quicker on the draw.

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