Rain Relents for Lehigh Farewell
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Rain Relents for Lehigh Farewell
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM -- Usually at Lehigh, the Eagles get at least one morning that's really cool and rainy, to the extent that you wish you'd brought a jacket.
This year, that morning finally arrived on the final day of camp. The Eagles held their morning walkthrough indoors at Rauch Fieldhouse as a chilly downpour pelted the fields. But as Eagles coach Andy Reid noted afterward, the team was hoping the forecast for clearing by noon would allow a light afternoon session, starting at 2:45, and an opportunity to offically bid farewell to fans on what was scheduled as Fan Appreciation Day. Skies do seem to be clearing.
UPDATE: It's still a little grayish, but the rain did indseed stop and the Eagles are taking the field for an abbreviated outdoor practice, which will allow them to say goodbye to however many hearty fans braved the puddles to get here.
Asked what he learned about his team in three weeks in the foothills, Reid said: "The thing I was looking for, were they gonna carry over that energy that they had at the end of last season [when the Eagles won their final four games], that they brought into the OTAs, now could they bring it into this camp here? They seemed to do that. Now, does that mean that's going to carry you through? No, but it's a good foundation to start with. And then, are you gonna work hard? I thought they did that. They busted their tail, they weren't trying to get out of practice or look for the easy way out of a drill. They pushed themselves through and we got better.
"Do we have a long way to go? Absolutely. We need the rest of this preseason to get ourselves right for the season. But at least there's a foundation there to build on. I've got an idea of their personality. I like that part of it. But we've gotta go do it, and we've got to finish up these next few weeks very aggressively."
Reid said starters will play at least a half in the Monday preseason game at New England, less in the game four days later at Cleveland.
Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha did not take part in the walkthrough. Reid said he is day-to-day with whiplash-type symptoms, the day after Asomugha's scary collision with safety Nate Allen. Reid vigorously denied Asomugha ever lost consciousness, which would imply a concussion. the Eagles have said Asomugha has not suffered concussionlike symptoms.
7 - 9 and Goodbye Andy. Energydoesn't win any ball games.— Bama- This comment has been deleted. — fungus
- only one preseason game in, and fans already getting overly negative. I try to have a bright outlook but I was never a fan of Vick when he was in Atl. I always felt he could be game planned against and was not consistent enough. Kinf of a gimmick QB with his running ability but that never translates to playoff runs etc. Im all for giving players time to get better, but my gut feeling on Vick hasnt changed much. Sure, he can win 10 or 11 gms in a season but how much higher is his ceiling after that. Im afraid now, if the left tackle position struggles it will be another excuse. I hope Im wrong, but if not, Im ready to see this team rebuild after this season with a new coach and QB. Does 1 playoff win and an exit buy Reid and Vick more time? I hope not.— peteike
- I hear ya, Pete, but it's not "only one preseason game."
It's the way we lost last year, coupled with the way we looked in the "one preseason game."
Like I'v posted before, Titanic survivors can't be blamed for heading toward the lifeboats at the mere site of an iceberg. 
by the time the NEXT team andy coaches for knows that he will never win .. the big boy will have a hundred million in his vanguard account!— daveH- bye eagles!!! have a super season!!!!!!!!!!!!— defroe
- The Eagles are the NFL's version of Moneyball. They have a braintrust of numbers crunchers who have figured out a system to spend money in certain positions which seems to always put them in contention for 9, 10 or 11 wins. However when pitted against football teams with superior talent and organizations they consistently fall short when it matters most. It's getting boring. We have already experienced winning 10 games and going out in the first round of the playoffs with Ryan, Kotite and Rhodes as coach.— guyguy4
- What?!?! So signing the best CB available, signing the top DE available, trading Kolb for another top CB, and having Vick, Jackson and McCoy on offense is a Moneyball strategy? — logicandreason
- "The thing I was looking for, were they gonna carry over that energy that they had at the end of last season [when the Eagles won their final four games]". Those Teams, Andy, unfortunately won't be available to play until their miserable seasons are nearly over and their backups are auditioning for jobs. In other words Coach Reid, getting a higher draft position was more important to 3 of those 4 Teams than winning a meaningless game. The other team, the Cowboys, played mostly backups (Romo didn't play at all) as the game meant nothing in the standings of the NFC East (played the Giants next for Wildcard). Even Lurie, the Owner, called (correctly) the 4 wins Andy keeps referring to, as "Fool's Gold"! Win 4 in a row to start this season and you'll have something to brag about. Til then I would keep quiet and hope for the best!— cooperhawk
- The Fat Man remains delusional. Give him a lifetime gift card to the Golden Corral and send him on his way. Get Him outta here!!— oneway
- Haha, the arm chair quarterbacks on these forums are always good for a chuckle.. I especially love the ones who think that Lurie is just coasting on giving me kool-aid cause he makes so much money.. oh wait wouldn't winning a super bowl net him a whole lot more?? And to the cry babies who whine about Reid, shut up! He is a great coach, not just a good coach and hindsight is always 20-20 so if he gets canned and we have 5 plus years of a coaching carousel. @cooperhawk, this is still the NFL, didn't the Patriots lose to the Bills? Did the 9-7 Giants win the super bowl but also lose to us one time? See I can throw irrelevant stats out there too— mtwall06
- Andy will do what he does...double digit wins for the 9th time and another playoff run. Best coach in Eagles history...nobody is close. Go Birds!— rssjkr
- And another first round playoff loss. — coloradoeagle
- again more posts from football geniuses!! what do you expect Andy to say, " This group of guys have absolutely no shot of winning anything and I brushing up my resume after I am done talking"..... I just ask you one favor, if this team starts off 4 - 0, please do not post any comments, at all. Please don't tell us all how lucky they are, or how they are winning in spite of the coaching or, and this would probably kill you, that they are a good team and actually have a shot to do something this year..— tiredofthewhining
