Eagles Seem Unfazed
There are conflicting scenarios being reported for last week's meeting with the Eagles and Donovan McNabb. So far, management doesn't seem terribly alarmed.
Eagles Seem Unfazed
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
OK, now in this morning's Inquirer we have another version of last week's Donovan McNabb meeting with the Eagles. In this scenario - provided by a "league source" who probably wasn't McNabb, given the tenor of the piece -- McNabb met one-on-one with Eagles president Joe Banner. This is a convenient version in one respect -- it gives Eagles coach Andy Reid and McNabb's agent Fletcher Smith, at least a fig leaf's worth of cover for their statements last week denying that a big McNabb powwow had taken place.
Of course, to accept this revised edition of what was originally reported by ESPN.com's Michael Smith (a meeting with McNabb, Fletcher Smith, Reid and Banner), you have to get past the notion that McNabb for some reason conducted a meeting in which his contract was discussed without his agent being present. The point of that would have been ... ? And why on earth would Reid not have been part of this?
The part of the revised version that rings true is that the Eagles were surprised by the Michael Smith report, that they hadn't perceived McNabb's stance as being as confrontational as ESPN.com depicted it. All the other tea leaves available to be read suggest this, as well. If management came away from a meeting with McNabb in which it had been lectured to about the need to improve the team in specific ways so that McNabb would not ask to be traded, and so that he would deign to entertain offers of a contract extension, we would have known about that right away. There would have been spin, through friendly media outlets -- "You know, Donovan didn't really play as well as some stats suggest last season, the team is still evaluating whether it's time to turn the page."
We've heard nothing like that so far. Amid the initial outburst of shock and concern, philadelphiaeagles.com czar Dave Spadaro responded to a fan's angst by writing: "I don't necessarily believe that that is how the meeting went down. So, I'm going to say everything will be fine."
Tuesday, Spadaro responded to a question about who was lying about the meeting with this: "I think I'm not getting into more of this story. I don't think anything of it, just like I don't think anything of the 20 other stories about McNabb over the years. As for lying and all of that, I don't point fingers. I don't know how the story originated and I honestly don't give a rat's a**. I care about free agency and the draft. I see Donovan every day and he is in great spirits. I don't get the sense at all that he wants to leave the Eagles. So that's all I'm going to say."
At some point here, McNabb is going to have to clarify matters. The original report clearly came from him or someone close to him. Of course, when he is forced to speak, this will all be "our" fault -- the pernicious, insatiable media. Darn us for trying to get at the truth, so fans will know what is going on with their football team!
Flyers won tonight...two in a row and four points behind those do*chebag Devils. I think Joe Blanton threw a good game in Spring Training but I couldn't find anything on it. The Sixers finally won too and might be playoff bound if they can find that rythym they had pre-All Star break. And yes, the Eagles should GET A F**KING RECEIVER!!!! Good on McNABB (not "softee" as some typical undereducated morons call him). He's earned the right to say whatever he wants. And he is being logical. Haters = worse football fans PERIOD!— elektrika- no one needs do clarify a darn thing it was a meeting aprivate one who the hell cares? free agency is job 1 for the next period!— billgfc
- no one needs do clarify a darn thing it was a meeting aprivate one who the hell cares? free agency is job 1 for the next period!— billgfc
Comment removed.- Why would we believe what Dave Spadaro says? The Eagles cut his paycheck. He's a talking parrot for them. Lies and spinning is his life.— Bob1
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- Journalism died in 2008— JamesJ
- Journalism died a LONG time before 2008. As a Philly expat (the Air Force has taken me to Germany, Mississippi, and now Oklahoma,) IT CAN BE WORSE, (think about what happens when you give a bunch of Okies computers and printing presses...) At least the corpse doesn't smell so bad in Philly.— spd017
- As far as the Eagles go, I dream of a day where AR isn't allowed to call the plays anymore, and we have a GM that thinks that anything more than $5M of cap room is a mortal sin when so many needs are addressed. Will we get that day? Maybe. It took 25 years between the Sixers last Championship and the Phillies WS last year. Who among us will still be alive in February 2034, when the Eagles win Super Bowl LXVIII?— spd017
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- hey lonewolf: since you like to quote people why dont you take a listen to your boy ray diddy..... he said the birds will go after TJ and derrick ward and if they get them he see's a new contract for mcnabb.. who by the way does not want more money he wants a longer deal so stop calling him money hungry he hasnt asked for a single cent more for the next two years.. i think Ray is a better source the old dried up scrubs that you quote and the better then the prison man himself.... bhop— bleed green forever
- You know what sucks? Having a life's goal of being a reporter come true and then spending 1/4 of it writing about freakin Donovan McNabb.
- Remember when we just watched football every Sunday and rooted for our Team to win, cheered the players on when they did well and let them have it when they didn't, and didn't worry about all of this othe BS but just let it stay between the team and the players...Remember that?, That was pretty cool...— T-Mac
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- loneowlf: were you cell mates with bhop... Are you "closer" to him then we know... because you are the only person i have ever heard talk about him and not call him a complete joke to society... when you were in the cell with him did he call you donovan and thats why you hate him,... that explains a lot... i think i am starting to understand you....— bleed green forever
