Baskett's 'strange' season leads to Super Bowl
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Baskett's 'strange' season leads to Super Bowl
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Six months ago, Hank Baskett thought he might be in the Super Bowl as an Eagle.
"Things happen in a strange way," Baskett said this morning, wearing his blue No. 81 Colts jersey on media day at Sun Trust Stadium.
Baskett was shocked to be released by the Eagles as the season started, basically because Reggie Brown's cap number was too big for the team to eat. He'd seemed pretty solid after three years as the third or fourth receiver, the biggest target among Donovan McNabb's wideouts.
With his former team facing several offseason questions following a first-round playoff loss, Baskett said he didn't think McNabb would benefit from a change.
"Maybe next year, but not right now," Baskett said. "I believe what he said the other day (about unfinished business). He doesn't want to be seen as walking out on his guys."
Once he got over the shock of having his life disrupted, Baskett found being picked up by the Colts wasn't a bad gig. His primary role for the Colts is on the kickoff return team, as a blocker. He caught just four passes this season.
"It was crazy, coming in... Indy's known for having one of the toughest offenses in the NFL. That's a lot to learn," Baskett said. "Plus, you've got Peyton Manning back there. Like I learned very quick watching, if you mess up, he lets you know. That's what's great about Peyton - he's going to make the people around him great."
Don't read into that any implicit criticism of McNabb, who was one of Baskett's closest friends on the Eagles. Obviously, the comparison tilts in Manning's favor; he seems to be building a case as the NFL's best-ever.
"They're both great quarterbacks. They have different games," Baskett said. "Both of them are hard workers off the field. Both guys want to win, and they want to make the guys around them better.
"Best ever is a great category to put Peyton in. We're sitting in meetings, they're like, 'Peyton accomplished this milestone, Peyton accomplished that milestone.' I'm like, 'Damn.' How do you have 50,000 passing yards? That's just incredible. When he retires, he's going to be the best ever."
Baskett and his wife Kendra, the former Playmate, welcomed Hank IV seven weeks ago. The whole family is in Florida this week for the Super Bowl.
"She's loving it (in Indy)," Baskett said. "She likes the laid-back, friendly enviornment. She's never been in a place where you can look out your window and see snow every day."
Hank and Kendra's lives have been chronicled on a reality TV show. Hank said the toughest thing, which Kendra taught him, was to just go about what he was doing, to not be constantly talking into the camera.
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To read our earlier post on Howie Roseman, click here.
watsonmr, you may have set an all-time record for DISPROVING your own argument with the evidence you've offered. Let me count the ways: (1) your initial argument was "maybe the QB we have here doesn't make them better players," regarding certain wide receivers. Who then go to other teams and do WORSE. FAR WORSE. Which means, per YOUR argument, that QB's like Favre and Manning are worse than McNabb. Why didn't THEY make those WR's better players?? (2) "If they weren't any good... they would not be on playoff rosters." But by this logic, McNabb is GREAT because he's been on more playoff rosters than almost any QB out there. As someone here pointed out re Eric Bruntlett, being the scrub on a good team doesn't therefore make you a good player. Here's something that should help clear your mind: PLAYING well makes you a good player. (3) You cite Jabar Gaffney as evidence of a player who has good numbers everywhere but here. You were honest enough to say he was cut, but not honest enough to note he was cut before ever playing a regular season game with McNabb. And since starting QB's hardly play in the pre-season and only with other starters anyway, Gaffney had almost no time with McNabb. (4) But if your point re Gaffney is that a WR putting up good numbers elsewhere but not here is some indictment of McNabb, then look at the combined numbers of Baskett, Lewis, Johnson, Small, Pinkston, Thrash, and Mitchell with and without McNabb. They could barely compete in the NFL when McNabb was no longer their quarterback. Which means McNabb is better than a whole bunch of NFL QB's and/or McNabb has had below-average NFL wide receivers for almost his entire career.— PhilaLogic- "In the Super Bowl, banging a bisexual playmate"..."Hank married a chick that other NFL players used like their sock"... these comments are why most people think guys' brains are below the Mendoza line....— KimThL
- Mcnabb has his problems, but I did not see any other QB step up and do better. For all the people who ride Garcia's jock, he lost in the playoffs also. Honestly, the Eagles can't win a SB no matter what. It seems like they are cursed. Negative energy maybe? I wonder where that could be coming from?— Bitemebiscuits
Comment removed.- Peyton Manning is a great leader and student of the game on the field. He is also a complete goofball when he's off the field. I think Donovan has it backwards.— Eddie Spaghetti
