Kelce, Mathis Defend Their Sign Language
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Kelce, Mathis Defend Their Sign Language
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Eagles guard Evan Mathis answers questions from reporters on Wednesday. (Staff photo by Les Bowen)
Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce say they understand and support their fans' right to express themselves about the team's 1-4 start.
But when they were leaving NovaCare Monday afternoon and saw a sign advocating the firing of Eagles coach Andy Reid, they stopped and asked the fans who'd hung it to take it down.
"We don't need that kind of division on the team right now," said Kelce, the Eagles' center, a sixth-round rookie from Cincinnati. "They have the right to do that, just as much as I have the right to tell 'em -- ask 'em -- to take the sign down. I support their freedom of speech, their right to say anything they want to, but what I want them to do is do that on a blog, do that in media, keep it away from here. Right now we're trying to come together as a team and get this thing fixed, and we don't need people calling for (the firing of) our head coach right on our front door, when we're trying to get better and come together."
Kelce said he doesn't regret stopping.
"There was nothing ever physical mentioned, there was no harm in it," Kelce said. "We asked them to take the sign down. They took the sign down."
Mathis, the starting left guard, said: "Before a lot of people were going to see the sign, I didn't want anything negative out there that could have any kind of potential to create a divide on this team. So we asked 'em to take it down."
Mathis, a first-year Eagle who previously played for struggling teams in Carolina and Cincinnati, said he told the fans with the sign they "don't know what they're talking about ... don't know how good they have it around here, having Andy as the coach."
"I said it's not his fault that we're turning the ball over, that he's not the one out there making mistakes, it's us," Mathis said.
"Those are all valid points," Mathis said, when a questioner brought up the fans' right to express their unhappiness, after investing money and time into the team. "But to bring something so negative and put it in our front yard, at our front door, I didn't want to see that, and I didn't want anybody else on my team having to come out and see that. Everybody driving out and seeing that every day, that's not going to do anything for us.
"I didn't jump out of the car, rip it down and beat 'em up, or anything ... This isn't the World Wrestling Federation."
**
To read our earlier post with the Eagles' coordinators, click here.
Comments (53)
meh the reason you didnt jump out your car was you would have gotten beaten to the punch and vick would have gotten sacked— DontTreadonme- I thought this was America. I thought there was this little thing called the FIRST AMENDMENT. I thought when soldiers were fighting for "freedom", they were fighting for a little thing called the CONSTITUTION., Who the heck are these little creeps to basically assault a fan and threaten him for expressing his views and opinions? And where the heck is Reid to stand up for what America is about and say his players were wrong? Because he's a creep too. Like Laurie who polices signs in the stadium. Is this Russia? If they want to voice their opinion, fine. To threaten violence toward a fan? You've got to be kidding. And people here agreeing with this thug behavior from these morons? Maybe if they played better, or Reid was better at personnel decisions, there would be no fan outrage.— kenkap
- Yea baby way to stand up for the team... One thing that is evident here there is an element in Eagle Nation of Front Runners and Fair Weather Fans and Haters that will never appreciate what Reid has done for Eagle football...That is ok....They talk like experts and demand immediate results...That's ok too...They also always know what SHUDDA AND CUDDA been done and are the best Mon Morning QB in the league... I respect every one right to express their points of view in their own way... Just DON'T PRESENT YOURSELF AS AN EAGLE FAN GO root for the Patriots or some other Super bowl winning Team... You wanna hate the Eagles...As an Eagle fan for over thirty plus years it's ok....We are used to it... Thanks to Andy we can NO LONGER BE CALLED LOSERS...The rest of the league hopes that the Eagles fire Andy so we can revert to the pathetic teams, coaches and owners we had before Reed... Eagle fans are the most Critical, Passionate, Knowledgeable and Loyal fans in the N.F.L... IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.. Seems though lately we have inherited some COWGAL fans...bunch of FRONT RUNNERS and Haters claiming to be Eagle fans... YOU KNOW IF YOU BELONG... I hope the Witch Hunt continues for Andy and Juan's head because what it has done is to have the players RALLY around Andy and his coaches and created a very critical element for successful teams...TEAM UNITY... Now when I read these posts the TRUE Eagle fans are also standing up for the Team ...This is the way we do it... In Eagle Nation YOU KNOW IF YOU BELONG...It is winning time.— trinieagle
- ryan mathis, you obviously dont know what YOU're talking about. you've been in philly for what, 2 months now? we're not stupid, we're not carolina or cincinatti. our fans are very intelligent. you obviously dont know us and we dont know you. you're not even going to be in philly next year so dont get too comfortable.— juggadore
- Kelce and Mathis, did you know that Mike Vick is making a sign? Sign of the cross, with you two blocking for him!— dasher
- Gotta love the morons here supporting Reid as a "great" coach. He is the only coach in NFL history to lose back to back home championship games. He has gone to one (count em' one) Super Bowl and his disorganized team could not even get into proper 2 minute drill. It was so bad Belichek was mocking them on the other sideline. No wonder Lurie continues to make money with all you lose Kool Aid drinker. P.T. Barnum was right ... there is a sucker born every minute.— Scope33
- Any fan who goes out of his way to make a sign and stand by it where the football players practice, any fan who rents an airplane to haul a banner downing the coach, any fan who takes a second mortgage in order to see their team in the SuperBowl, any fan who spends their hard earned money watching this football team, or any fan who cares about this football team has the right to protest against it's team as he or she sees fit. Maybe those football players need to be enlightened of this fact and right...— DelawareRiverRat
- Those two fools must think their Thurston and Kramer from the old Packers. Soft is what they are. If not they would have webnt after that SOB that cracked Jackson and Maclin. This team has no fire. Put Samuels on one corner and Asolugha on the other t— JIM IAQUINTO
- The front offices personnel mistakes, especially drafting decisions and inability are the reason for the teams problems. The front office hasn't drafted a good O Lineman, (Sean Andrews doesn't count he is a head case!), a good linebacker, or a good safety since they took over 13 years ago. Knowing that what ever possessed them to try to fill the gaping holes that have at those positions thru the draft. They need O Linemen now not when the Fireman gets more experience. Jarret is a joke at safety and Mathews is a joke a linebacker. Not one of the Eagles linebackers would start on any other team in the NFL with a .500 or better record. Same goes for safeties. It is doubtful that any of the O Linemen, other than Peters and possible Herrimans would start on another .500+ team either. The Eagles needed to fill these positions via trade or free agency. They didn't have the time to wait for rookies to develop and they don't draft well enough to pick starting caliber players at these positions in the draft.— bluebellious
- Too bad Kelce could not read blitzes as well as he reads signs. Leave the fans alone and hit the playbook and/or weightroom.— StorminNorman
- Maybe they like playing for Andy because he's so permissive. No demands.— 4thand10
- Less concern over the fans and media.. more concern over doing your jobs. our O-line isn't the greatest.. lotta talk from guys who make little impact for 5 weeks.— Nezhy
- Lets talk about the people with the sign. Although I would never make the effort to do such a thing, but if for some reason I was there and had sign making material I would have at least told Chumlee and Wumblee to go eff themselves.— Voytas
- those clowns with the sign can't spell! get a life!— Norm3
- Kruk said it best when he said that some athletes dont have the guts to play here! Hey tough guys, learn how to block so that our quarterback doesnt get a concsion every game and learn how to tackle! Losers!— coastflyer
- oh ya read the Peter King MMQB. No wonder Kelce is such a crusader. You blew it pal! You get paid lots o money to not make mental mistakes! Get it together pal or keep your mouth shut!— sore richard
- Here is my sign "IN LURIE WE TRUST....DO THE RIGHT THING!"— woody7236
- why doesn't this article mention that kelce tweeted "no those people were not fans. they were varmint". and second that it is 'john the sign man', a well known eagles fan from as far back as the Vet days??— chrisWC
- So two complete scrubs are offended by a sign. I hope tomrorrow there are twenty signs outside waiting for them when they leave. Any of you jobless Eagles fans want to stand out there tomorrow?— UncleStosh
- SI.com's Peter King
Eagles down in Buffalo 14-7, 39 minutes left. I'm not clearing Mike Vick of guilt on his three first-half interceptions. (Though one was tipped, and the other two came when he got creamed just as he was throwing.) But Kelce made such a bizarre error in blitz pickup that it led to the third pick, a 31-yard Nick Barnett interception. I described the ridiculous play above, but let's just say Kelce allowed the blitzer, rookie linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, to come free by picking up a nickelback who was already being blocked. If Kelce picks up the correct man, Vick has time to find an open man and surely wouldn't have thrown the ball right into Barnett's breadbasket. It's one of many reasons the Eagles are 1-4 this morning.
Hey Kelce you should be on somebody else's practice squad. You too Evan Mathis— r_u_kidding_me - Hey myjobsucks all u do is come on here post a negative comment and write the teams record plus another loss with a sad face ...... Go root for another team loser!— eagles105
- I agree with an earlier post - how would a sign create division on the team? Am I to understand that, as the players walk out the door, their opinion of their coach will be altered because some fans put up a sign? Sorry, thats absurd. That explanation by Kelce is a flat out lie if you stop to think about it for more than 10 seconds. Kelce simply depends on Reid for a starting job in the NFL - he would be on the practice squad (at best) anywhere else. So his comment is self-serving as well.
Second, "other experts" in the NFL are NOT saying Reid is one of the leagues better coaches. I have heard various "experts" this year express their bewilderment at some of Reids moves the last few years - things like making an offensive line coach your defensive coordinator, or not running the ball when you have a big lead and a stud running back. A few flat out stated that their opinion of Reid has been changed by this seasons events.
Third, Reid is a good organization builder and a bad game day coach. His teams always - always - have fatal flaws which inevitably result in failure when the chaff is weeded out and the Eagles face the better teams. Anybody remember the Eagles wide receivers being manhandled at the line of scrimmage against the Panthers - and Reid continuing to throw the ball play after play? How about the debacle against the Patriots in the Super Bowl - a game a good coach would have won? I could go on and on.
Lastly. The NFL apparently has a rule that coaches must make themselves available to to the press at certain times. I would like to propose the "Andy Reid Rule" - whereby Andy will be required to NOT make himself available to anybody in the public domain until the day he has a ghost writer pen his "autobiography" (tentative title - ("I need to do a better job of telling my story to this ghost writer.")
— PhillySnowball - I am not an AR fan and haven't been for a while. However, I am glad that the players have his back. AR does not throw his players under the bus. Perhaps this will bring this team together as a unit and develop some chemistry. Whatever works- right?— rustypop58
- Agree with psualum. You have a six round pick who is over-matched against every team so far (missed block in Buffalo is famous) and has a better player(Jackson) riding the bench, and a cast off, undersized guard who probably feels like he hit the jackpot. No wonder these guys asked for the sign to come down. They know a new coach will kick their rears out of town.— explorer73
- and kelce thought he had a lot of haters just by his play. they should be starting jamal jackson anyway.— psualum
- One guy got it right with his comments. You all are a bunch of cry babies. Reid is a good coach, and the players did a good job of telling them to take the sign down. Now if they started blocking as much as they care about signs it would turn things around. Who waste time going to the NovaCare and writing a sign and hanging it up. That should sum everything up. Your Welcome.— DKMWOOD
- 2 JO's— FLYERS LOSERS FOR 37 YEARS!
- hey mikep, i think that people that tell others how to feel are annoying weenies. especailly when they start with "I'm no expert on NFL level football teams and coaches" and yet have no problem condescending towards those who care.
— djgq42 - hey, annoying weenie, Reid isn't the problem. He's one of the top coaches in the league. The portion of fans calling for Reid to be fired are jerks. That's how I FEEL. Care? "I'm upset that the Eagles are losing. I don't know what I'm talking about but I'll scream for them to fire one of the top coaches in the league!" What kind of fan is that? — MikeP
- Remember how bad these Eagle teams were in the last 30+ years? Remember the Joe Kuharich days when someone rented a small Wildwood-type plane with the "Joe Must Go" sign at the back? How about Ed Khuyat(sp)? And like someone else said about Kotite? It's bad now but it really has been a good ride for 10 years. Hope he can fix the mess with the players.— RichieLemon
- I suppose 10 or so columns in the philly papers on Monday calling for Reid's firing has nothing to do with firing up these clowns.— retzlaff
- Kelce and Mathis are 100% correct and I'm glad they asked them to take the sign down. I'm no expert on NFL level football teams and coaches but I've seen quote after quote from NFL players and NFL coaches saying the Reid is one of the top coaches in the league. I'm certain that they know more than I do or any other fan or member of the press. The fans with that sign are annoying weenies. There’s a segment of Philadelphia fans that are insufferable jerks— MikeP
Why would they be concerned that it would divide the team? Something is afoot! If the players are truly behind their head coach, that sign would have been laughable. There are pathetic fans every where just like the clowns who booed when McNabb was drafted and not Ricky Williams. Had Reid drafted Williams and Williams been out the league in 2 seasons because he couldn't control his weed smoking, we would have been out a RB and probably suffering through a Bobby Hoying type player at QB (again). I wonder what those fans who booed would have said had that happened? It only took Reid 9 years to figure out he needed WR's, so don't worry, in 2020 we'll have capable LBs and win the division again.- I'd be much more impressed if these guys block London Fletcher.— andrewfrombrooklyn
- Where is the savior Kevin Kolb everybody was crying for last year, oh I forgot, stinking up the joint in Arizona. The philly fans are ridiculous. You really would rather have an overrated john gruden, who got fired form two lousy organization in oakland and tampa bay, or a bill cowher who took over 15 years to get 1 superbowl, that the seahawks basically handed to them. please!!!— dread23
- Expression!
LOL— Jerome99RIP - Just wait till you see all the signs at the Linc against Dallas! Talk about an expression of freedom of expression!
Oh, wait...— Jerome99RIP - If I were the players, I wouldn't want to see that sign every day, either. Even those who agree with its sentiments know that they're stuck with Reid until Lurie decides otherwise, and the sign just rubs it in. Assuming Mathis and Kelce did nothing but ask politely for the sign to come down, I don't see that they did anything wrong. If they threatened the sign-bearers, though, that's another kettle of fish. If that happened (which I doubt), the latter should report the incident to the cops.— Dave Clemens
- First of all change the spelling of your name to Kelcey. I am sick of saying Kells and have some draft geek correct me. Second, stop reading the signs and start reading your playbook so Vick doesn't have to run for his life at every snap.— Will T.
- Hey. Everywhere else thinks we Philly fans are low-life, ungrateful losers. Way to solidify that impression by dogging your favorite team every chance you get. Guess what we all make mistakes. We all are not under a microscope so that everyone knows it. Basically if you are not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. We don't need you here if you want to be a problem.— PhillyFanSouth
- Good! I'm glad they asked them to take it down! What kind of tool bag has nothing better to do with his time than wait outside a training facility and hang a sign up calling for the coach's firing? Really? Don't you have a job? Don't you have a life? Everyone is entitled to their opinion but isn't it possible to be a fan without losing all sense of priority? Its a game, you morons! Its entertainment! Channel that energy and creativity and do something useful with your life. Sheesh!— esesjay
- Thank You, someday these guys will look back and say "I could have had a V8"... — bearsfriend
- The only good I can see about all the fans screaming for Reid to be fired is that it COULD bring the team together in an "us against the world" type of mindset. Lurie will not fire Reid because of all the hoopla, but perhaps they'll circle the wagons, and start playing football for each other and the team.— dlscholt
- Agreed. — bearsfriend
- From an Eagle standpoint, the good news is that Mathis and Kelce stopped. The bad news is that they were the last guys out of the locker room. Job of dealing with the sign was left for them to do. Did't want to leave it for the locker room attendant. He's not sure how he feels about a Reid firing.— Claudio Vernight
- How about fire Mathis and Kelce? They probably could not even block Mike Mamula.— albanykey
- "hey- those guys with the signs...
they made us so mad.
we was just trying to grab them and say yo-
but we missed and they got away. :/— bloodymess - How would this "Divide" the team? Is he implying some of the players in the locker room would agree with the sign?— outta work
- You think public sentiment doesn't affect players..their emotions...their intensity?...They are young guys, human, not robots...Just like fandom "rocking the house" lifts a home team, this kind of sign right outside the practice complex is a cancer, and these two set to cut it out,nip it in the bud...Wish Andy made adjustments on the fly in a game situation like the way these two reacted....As far as firing after a 1-4 start, way to early to abandon ship. — bearsfriend
- obviously we all hate this 1-4 business. i'm not on the "fire andy" bandwagon despite the things he does wrong. but i'll tell you that after moving away from philly and seeing how all these other teams have it, we are pretty lucky.
don't get me wrong - i've been an eagles fan for 30+ years and am still waiting for a championship. but we've been VERY good and legitimately competitive since reid took over. say what you want, but AR has taken us farther than rhodes/kotite/buddy/campbell. not far enough yet. but way better than those guys, who only got us TWO playoff wins (both wild-card games) in SIXTEEN years.— kabirakhtar - They "don't know what they're talking about ... don't know how good they have it around here, having Andy as the coach."
I agree that the players "have it good around here" but it's because Reid won't hold them accountable. He is a mollycoddler. Fans want a coach who recognizes poor effort and takes steps to stop it.— Boy Howdie 
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
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