...I'd like to turn to football for a moment. (Sorry about your Steelers, man. Like in 2002, I'd have been happy to root for them in the Superbowl.)
In tomorrow's New York Times, McNabb is quoted as saying "I think the scheme Bill Belichick tries to present to you is obviously a blitz scheme where they may show the blitz and then bluff."
This strikes me as a very stupid thing to say. The last thing you want to do as a QB about to face the Patriots is tell Bill Belichick what you're expecting. Under Belichick, the Patriots are 14-0 against QB's they've faced earlier in the season (and preseason). Giving away your thought processes is a mistake. If in two weeks McNabb's still expecting them to "show the blitz and then bluff", it's going to be a looonnnngggg game for him.
Phew... I was debating about writing about Football on here and since Jesse broke the ice I'll jump in! (I didn't know if this was reserved for baseball and Anna Benson only).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, that does strike me as a silly comment from McNabb. It may have been an innocent comment or an attempt to answer a question without really answering it (e.g. How do you expect the Pats to defend against you?). That being said it does reveal his state of mind, a bit. The other thing I noticed about the Eagles is that to a man, they were all "just excited to get to the super bowl". If my memory serves me correctly any team that goes to the super bowl with that attitude gets crushed.
Finally, in a related article in the New York Times they compare the Yankees of 1996-2001 to the Patriots in the sense that they didn't have super-stars in ever position but kept winning. Funny how Cashman is even quoted as acknowledging that fact, but clearly their recent actions speak volumes about how much the embrace that approach! Think about the Yankee club house, it must be such a nightmare.
I can see it now - ARod, Randy, Gary, and Matsui shooting the shit in front of their lockers.
Gary: "I thought that stuff was moisterizer, I mean it's called CREAM"
Randy: "Guys, do the reporters stand outside your apartment all night too?"
Matsui: (In Japanesse to a bevy of reporters following him around) "And this is my dirty shirt from my 2HR game...."
Arod: (To the bevy of reporters) "Um... excuse me. I'd like hold a press conference here. I have something very important to say. I am a super star so it's my responsibility to make sure this team wins"
-fin-
Now that is what I call chemistry!
I do think it is kind of stupid for McNabb to say that, but I'm not sure it will affect how Belichek gets ready for the game. He'll find something that has stifled McNabb before and he'll refine it to the situation. And even if McNabb knows what is coming, he still could be in for a long game.
ReplyDeleteThe "happy to be there" story is getting a lot of play. I'm not sure if I buy that as an excuse it Philly loses - plus with it being a two week period, Andy Reid will get their minds in it.
Its funny, since the Pats have now been there so often, I don't even find myself reading any of the stories (especially about the Pats). I mean, what else can they say that we haven't already read at some point either in the past seasons or this year?
Although in about a week, we will all be sick of hearing "Is TO going to play or not?" Of course the guy is going to play - there are going to be 1 billion people watching the game.
I like how NY has nothing else to do but compare their teams that USED TO be good to Boston teams that are winning championships. Good times.
I agree that "we're just happy to be in the super bowl" is a terrible excuse for losing. That being said, I do think that there is something to be said for the affect that accomplishing something has on attention to detail and overall focus. Speaking for myself, when I finish a big project it's a bit tough to get my head back in the game - right away. It's only human. Does that mean it's going to be a cake walk? Hell no! The Eagles will buckle down, it make take a day to get to the same level of focus, but with two weeks to prepare that shouldn't put them too far behind. Plus if they come out of the gates on fire - the game is up for grabs.
ReplyDeleteSome people thought the Red Sox may have been “just happy to be there” after their emotional victory over the Yankees. And they had to begin play just a couple days later, not a couple weeks.
ReplyDeleteNo athlete will have that happy to be there attitude – especially the Eagles, who were kind of like the Sox. Now of course they may get beaten, but that will be the result of a solid Pats team and game plan, not as the result of some Icharus like symptoms arising from playing in their first Super Bowl.
Wow...I can't believe Dave actually referenced Greek Mythology beyond the Isle of Lesbos... Just kidding, but that ought to generate a couple more hits.
ReplyDeleteI was about to write something completely different but then I read this article about how the Eagles are focused on winning the super bowl.
A part of me feels that they are just saying the right things here. However, I honestly can't say that with any conviction. So I'll have to take it on face value that the Eagles do in fact have their heads in the game. The thing that really struck me this weekend was all the emotion that came out after their win. Dawkins even referred to the tears in the article above. In my opinion it seems like the Eagles may have set their minds on the Superbowl but their hearts on the NFC championship.
The proof is in the pudding. We'll see in 2 weeks!!!