Lurie: Season Unacceptable, Andy OK
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Lurie: Season Unacceptable, Andy OK
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
For about 12 minutes there today, Jeffrey Lurie really had the NovaCare auditorium audience going. The chairman was mad as heck, and it sounded like he wasn't going to take it any more. Words like "unacceptable," "ludicrous," "unfathomable," and "frustrating" issued forth from the standup wooden podium, a different staging from the one Andy Reid uses for his news conferences, held in the same spot.
Then, in the 13th minute, Lurie made it clear he was sticking with Reid, that he felt a 14th season with Andy was the Eagles' best chance to bounce back and make the playoffs next season. But there apparently will be no contract talks, with two seasons left on Reid's latest deal. The chairman made it sound as if he gave his coach a stern talking-to at the end of the season, which he described as the most disappointing of Reid's tenure.
Lurie said defensive coordinator Juan Castillo's fate will be left up to Reid. Reading the Lurie tea leaves there was tricky -- on the one hand, he called Castillo an "incredibly impressive man," and hinted that it wasn't Castillo's fault that he might have been put in an impossible situation early in the season, trying to run a revamped defense with little offseason work and no pro training as a defensive coach. On the other hand, Lurie made official what has been hinted at -- that Reid had a whole list of Sean McDermott successors he went through before settling on Castillo. Lurie also cautioned against reading too much into the season-ending four-game win streak, calling it "fool's gold." Castillo seemed all but officially fired before his defense allowed just 46 points in the final four games.
Lurie made it clear that team president Joe Banner and general manager Howie Roseman will remain.
Reid is expected to speak to reporters later in the week. It will be interesting to see if he heeds Lurie's call to be less opaque and dismissive in his interactions with the media, an outgrowth of what Lurie said is Reid's protective nature toward his players.
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To read more from Lurie, click here.
Comments (41)
charmaine THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. It is IDIOTS like frank 105 that give Eagles fans a bad name. If Mike Vick was a white qb that could play the way Mike does or even killed dogs, there would be no mention of him.— jim10350- WOW! You Eagle fans sure are a positive bunch. Sounds as though you are ready to root for the Phillies and Sixers. Two other teams not going anywhere.— bball1
- What would Lurie be doing if he wasn't born rich?— Ssteve115
- probably a 12 y/o Russian boy/girl? — TheRomanMeatHelmet
- probably a 12 y/o Russian boy/girl? — TheRomanMeatHelmet
- S.S.D.D.— Luriesucks
- I figured that Reid would be back and you know what there really isn't much out there who would be much better. Fine so we have another year of Reid, I CANNOT deal with another year of Castillo as Defensive Coordinator. I think Castillo's a stand up guy I really do, from everything we hear he's an extremely hard worker and has respect from players. That being said, it was Reids arrogance that put him in an impossible situation and that ultimately should cost Castillo his job. You don't go from never coaching defense in the NFL to being an NFL Defensive Coordinator. Lurie is absolutely right saying that the last 4 wins were fools gold. Castillo lost every bit of respect I had for him as a defensive coordinator when they played Arizona, Fitzgerald torched them and asomugha is playing zone... Inexcusable. I wish Castillo luck, but he MUST go, bring in Spagnuolo NOW! Reasons why Spagnuolo is better than Castillo... 1) Jim Johnson disciple 2) Success as an actual defensive coordinator 3) Superbowl ring... enough said.— jvmiii88
- Man did Sean McDermott get the shaft. McDermott did more with far less than Castillo.— p-diddy
- Fool's gold indeed. I said the exact same thing after they beat the Giants.— p-diddy
- frank105, why don't the hell you get off of this site and go root for some other team. Always crying about the 100 million that Vick got. Quit worrying about what someone else makes.stfup.— Donnie
- The only talk about Castillo should be fear that we may lose him to a head coaching spot. In his first year as DC his defense was top 10 in the league. Now that is impressive. Juan is a great man, actually too good to have to answer to racist Philly media. That's not saying this reporter is racist, but as whole they spin everything positive for White coaches and negative for minorities.— Mudman2
Depends on if he can be improved upon (to keep or not to keep Juan...). Have to believe he would be better in second year. Don't want him back as OL coach for sure.- Start the boycott If Juan remains as D coordinator!!!! This staff is way to arrogant and the fans carry no weight. Only way to show these guys and get the real changes needed is to stop buying gear and stop going to games! If the LB core is not shown the door or made strictly special teams players and a new secondary is not brought in, and Vick isn't coached up to get rid of the ball and stop making poor decisions then everyone in Philly should stop supporting this staff and ownership!— connorjr
- wcm65...I agree with you. The same old drone -the same old questions...come on, there are other ways of probing about a team and how it is doing. But on and on they go - I would be bored too listening to the same questions. It appears that some media enjoy saying the same things over and over - the expectation is always that AR will not answer - that his news conferences are worthless. Let's try developing a relationship with AR....and then maybe he would be a bit more candid. If you are an adversary from the first to the last question - what would you expect from the person receiving, kind and candid words? One reporter that I think reports the facts well is Sheil....I do not know what kind of relationship he has with AR...but his articles are fact filled and help us understand inside the game.— envirojoe55
- If Lurie is going to have a haberdasher and an accountant run the front office of a professional football team I guess it is ok for the head coach to hire an offensive experienced coach to run the defense. Sounds like a good script for a movie, that Lurie could bankroll. This is all fodder for movie material.— johnny eagle
- Obviously the season is acceptable because nobody is being held accountable.— ej610
- Lurie is too weak to fire anybody. That is why he leaves it up to Reid and that is why he decided to keep Reid on for another wasted season. Let him do the dirty work while Lurie counts his money.— fanup
- Sounds like Mr. Lurie will not be satisfied next year without AT LEAST winning in the first round of the playoffs. I have news for the man: After having just seen our '12 schedule, finishing 8-8 next year might actually look decent! We play eight....count 'em...EIGHT(!) playoff teams in '12. Five of the eight home games will be against playoff-bound teams this year.....one of them, the Ravens, is almost a lock to be in the Conference Championship game. Anybody see the bloodbath the Saints gave to the Falcons a while back? Guess who arrives in N'owlans dressed in Midnight Green next season? How 'bout them Steelers folks! The term "tougher than pig-iron" comes to mind right? Am I keeping you in suspense by not saying up front that we'll be making a very short airplane flight next year? Sounds like the schedule-maker works for the Mara Family. When Andy sees the schedule, I'm sure that the word "challenge" wil be falling from his lips prior to every damn game we play next year. OH!!...I almost forgot! Of the three teams we play at home who AREN'T in the playoffs now, one of them is the Panthers. Oh c'mon, YOU know, the team with Superm-uh, Cam Newton at Quarterback. Hey, we still got the Cowflops and the Deadskins to give us a GAURANTEED two wins at home. Damn.— TBear
- Keep buying those Eagle tickets and gear. All you people defending Andy must be the same idiots that keep voting in the clowns on city council.— jimmymack
- The biggest (double) mistake made was hiring an offensive line coach to be the defensive coordinator in a lockout year. I wonder who's brilliant idea that was. I like how Jeff Lurie threw Castillo under the bus when he said the last 4 games were fool's gold and that there was an entire list of other DCs out there. Adios, Juan!!!— kjuggs77
- If the Eagles start out 4-8 again next season, I would hate to be Andy at the Monday press conferences.— SteveS11
- I like your thinking AreaMan. Did you know Banner was a haberdasher before Lurie brought him in to run the franchise. At least Castillo was involved in Football before his promotion.— Denali
i dont think andy is dismissive i just think hes tired of answering the same reworded questions from people who seem to have NO real knowledge of the game. Of course there are certain questions he cant answer for the good of the team. i think he derserves a chance to change things around before the fire andy "fans" send us back to 1998 and have a new coach to complain about...idiots— wcm65- If you ARE the King, would you want Juan back as OL coach? Probably a rhetorical question
- COME ON PHILLY FANS DID YOU REALLY THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE ANY OTHER WAY ANDY WAS COMING BACK NO MATTER WHAT HAD HAPPEN THIS SEASON BUT BUT LURIE MADE IT CLEAR THIS WILL BE HIS LAST YEAR IF HE F..KS UP.— ajones2321
- Jeff should buy Andy some super bowl tickets.
That's the only way Reid will ever get to another Super Bowl.— Fan74 - I hope next year goes up in smoke again. Aha all you Eagles fans!!!— stoptothinkisanidiot
- Howie cannot draft! He should have been the first one canned!— stanbro
Comment removed.- Just got a call from a friend who just got fired from his job as assistant locker room attendant for the Eagles. Who says there's no accountability in this organization?— iceman
- FOOL'S GOLD... that's beleiving Reid and Vick will win a Super Bowl.— frank105
- No wrong again Frank105 a "FOOL GOLD" was you and a few others believing that Lurie was going allow you whiners to make a decision for his billion dollar football team didn' work huh. That one million dollar contract really messed up doesn't it LOL LOL LOL — charmaine
- another blind andy reid apologist — your_mom_says_hi!
- Was it mentioned by Lurie that the Eagles would owe Andy Reid $10 million dollars if he was let go? Of course not. Does anyone rally believe that the Vick/Reid combination will ever win a Super Bowl? Talk about "fool's gold".— syddan26
- Vick isnt getting 100 million. he'll get about 25-30 guaranteed dollars over 3-4 years...then will be cut.— cdedrick05
- I am All IN for 2012 !!— dmanphilly
- Any truth to the rumor that Spagnuolo will be hired as Offensive Line Coach?— AreaMan
- Lurie called the last 4 mop-up meaningless wins against lousy teams FOOL'S GOLD...at least Lurie got that right....Lurie made a HUGE mistake in giving Vick $100 million.. and Vick has won ZERO PLAYOFF GAMES DURING VICK'S TWO YEARS HERE....LOL.— frank105
- Did you really think that Lurie was going to let a bunch of nuts like you and this so called media outlet tell him how to run a billion dollar business LOL LOL.........Really Espcially you, your only concern is that 100million dollar contract, dam everything else.. — charmaine
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Eagletarian is your home for comprehensive coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Les Bowen
Daily News Staff Writer
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Daily News NFL Columnist
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