Vick and the Dynasty Talk

Posted: July 19th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 10 Comments »

So I already covered Mike Florio’s thoughts on Vick and the dynasty comments.  What is my take?  I wrote up my thoughts for PE.com.

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In a fantasy world you would either have athletes say nothing that can be picked apart or you’d want the media and fans to read all comments to their fullest and in the proper context so that everything was properly understood.  Neither of those is going to happen so we have to live with little controversies like Mike saying the Eagles could “develop a dynasty”.

That isn’t my ideal choice of words, but as long as he’s not making promises and guarantees, I have no problem with a player showing confidence in himself and his teammates.  After all, isn’t the goal for the team to have lots of success?

The obvious rebuttal is to worry about winning the first Super Bowl and then talk about a dynasty.  Fair enough.  I do think Mike is focused on winning this year.  He’s no spring chicken and he’s coming off a disappointing season.  Vick feels some pressure to get back to 2010, when he was playing well and the team was winning.

If I thought Vick was already planning the Super Bowl parade route and his speech, I’d be worried.  Instead he was generalizing about how good the team could be in the next few years.  That’s a huge difference to me.

* * * * *

Jimmy Bama was looking at a list of some high school guys (I don’t ask questions) when he came across some interesting info.  He found out where some Eagles players were ranked in the Rivals Top 100 as HS prospects.  Interesting post by Mr. Bama.

* * * * *

Regular reader Jyot heard former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah on the radio out in Seattle.  Jeremiah said that the Eagles wanted to draft QB Russell Wilson in the 3rd round if he was available.  The Seahawks took him ahead of us and the Eagles then went for Nick Foles.

Andy Reid basically spilled the beans on this during a press conference right after the draft.  I was surprised he was so candid about how much the team liked Russell Wilson.

The most interesting dynamic is that you couldn’t find 2 QBs less alike.  Wilson is short, but athletic.  Foles is tall, but unathletic.  Wilson struggles in the pocket.  Foles is a pocket passer. Both guys did transfer, one from the Big Ten, the other out of the Big Ten.

It will be interesting to see who turns out to be the better player.

* * * * *

Since I blasted Mike Florio earlier, it is only fair for me to show some support when I agree with him.  He put up a post today on the Eagles and a new thing they are doing with tickets.  You hold your smart phone over the ticket and a video message will play.

That’s not my cup of tea, but some will find it cool and enjoy it.  That’s all well and good.

Florio’s point, and one I agree with, is that teams need to quit focusing on how to enhance the game experience and think about how to lower costs to fans.  This really doesn’t apply all that much to the Eagles since we have a huge fanbase and good team (we are on a 4-game winning streak, right?).

You see other teams, winning or not, and stands that are less than full.  That’s not good.  NFL teams think this is largely because HDTV has made games so much fun to watch at home.  Yeah, that’s part of it.  I do think cost is a huge factor.  There are only 8 home games a year.  I know teams can’t go cheap.  They have to make money.  I do think teams ought to focus on the cost angle more than they do.

Football is such an emotional sport that you want the stadiums full to help give the games the proper atmosphere.  It makes the NFL look bad when you see rows and rows of empty seats at games.

I don’t think Florio is being anti-Eagles with this post.  He’s simply using this announcement as a way to keep talking about the league making the game more affordable to families.  And that’s a good cause for him to get behind.

  • Jyolteon
  • P_P_K

    I step away from the computer for one day and this is what takes place?

    I think Vick blew it, plain and simple. His choice of words was terrible. Just terrible. “Dynasty” is a term to be used after repeated championships, and then by the fans and media as a phrase of awe and respect. I know how Florio used the quote, but Vick could have been much, much more savy. I would have thought he’d be a lot smarter after all the time he’s spent in front of microphones discussing his imprisonment, his redemption, and his football. I don’t even think his language is an expression of confidence, but of arrogance. First, do something special during a season — one season will do — then tell us about how this is a team for the ages.

    Considering the history of the Eagles, the only team in the NFC East to never win the big trophy, I can only conclude that Mike stepped in it. Imagine if Romo had said something like this? We’d all laugh and then puke. How about if Eli talked about a new Giants dynasty? I hate to say it, but he actually has some mojo for that kind of talk. Way more than anybody on our side.

    In some ways this is worse that the Dream Team. Not the laguage, the spokesperson. Vince Young was a relative nobody. Mike is the face of the team, the starting quarterback and everyone’s favorite phoenix arising from the ashes. Never heard “dynasty” from Aaron, Drew, or Ben.

    Now that he’s said it, here’s a toast to his going out and backing it up. Go Eagles!

    • http://twitter.com/Jason_A_Hines Jason A Hines

      To me this is much ado about nothing. Especially in the full context of his statement, which of course no one is reporting on. I need real football stuff to happen so that we can stop wasting our time on this.

      • ICDogg

        ‘i think we have a chance to develop a dynasty’… probably not the best choice of words, but not so terrible to me. It came across as more of a lofty ambition than a statement of where the team is at currently.

    • rage114

      I completely agree with this. As Eagles fans, we can find a 100 ways to rationalize this. But in the end, it was just plain stupid.

      First offseason is a very long time without an ounce of drama: no holdouts, no late 1st round draft picks, no contract disputes, no unhappy campers, not even any talk about how the Eagles didn’t address a need or waste a draft pick on a nobody.

      No good can come from a statement like this. None. All it does is put even more pressure on yourself and your team.

  • goeagles55

    Commenters at bEast pointed out these gems from the 2002 high school class:
    1) Vincent Young
    3) Lorenzo Booker
    20) Trent Edwards
    66) DEREK LANDRI!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000462635892 Thorin McGee

    Regarding the tix and how the Eagles could help the fan experience: How about more feakin’ seats?! We have a billion-year waiting list. The sun will explode and destroy the Earth before anyone new can get a goddamn season ticket. Why not have the biggest stadium in the country and sell it out every game? Then you could lower ticket prices AND increase revenue while making happier fans.

    The stadium is beautiful, but it’s too damn small and elite. Make more room for us plebes!

  • http://twitter.com/daniel_suraci Daniel

    Stadiums should build glass platforms above the field and then cover them in a dome so we can get tickets to watch it from above. Be like a real game of electric football!

  • laeagle

    My favorite “enhancement” to the fan experience was when the Cowboys decided to show the game on their massive, obvious-metaphor Jumbotron, IN 3-FREAKIN’ D! YEAH!. Watch the game on the Jumbotron in 3D with goofy glasses on while the game takes place on the field below it, in actual, well, REAL 3D (as in, reality). That one was like an Onion article.

  • austinfan

    Who cares? Dynasty, dream team, whatever.

    Reality is either you do it on the field, in which case as Neon Deion used to say:
    “You can talk the talk if you walk the walk”
    or you don’t, in which case prepare for a feast of crow.

    This team needs some swagger, not Cowboy obnoxious, in your face false bravado swagger, but Steeler, “we’re going to kick your ass, you know we’re gonna kick your ass, and there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening” swagger.

    There’s a fine line between confidence that allows you to play at your peak, and overconfidence that saps you from gearing up and giving it your all. As long as inside the locker room they understand they have to bring it every week for 19 weeks, the media crap outside the locker room is irrelevant.