Posted: Monday, December 29, 2008, 2:03 PM | 66 comments |
 

McNabb's motivation
options
 
It is a dynamic as old as sports, the circling of the wagons (or, in the modern day, the circling of the Escalades). A pro team comes back from a rough patch and declares that everybody was against them all along, that nobody believed but the people in the dressing room. You have heard it a million times.

You aren't really hearing it from this Eagles team, though -- except for quarterback Donovan McNabb. He is into a complete victimization-as-motivation mode. As he said after Sunday's beatdown of the Cowboys, "They've thrown me out, ran over me, spit on me, but you know what, I continue to prevail. I kept my chin high, staying positive and making sure that the guys in this locker room understand that if given the opportunity we would take full advantage of it; that last week just wasn't us, and if anything worked in our favor with all these scenarios, I would not let them down."
 
Spit? Well, OK.

Whatever it takes.

Some people are insulted by all of this. That's a little short-sighted. Because McNabb has been criticized through the years -- never more so, at least implicitly, as when Eagles coach Andy Reid benched him at halftime against Baltimore last month.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: this man has always used criticism as fuel. Even if he is embellishing or inventing a little here, well, so what?  He has been  inconsistent  this season.  The benching was entirely deserved even  if the timing was lousy -- I mean, what chance did Kevin Kolb have against that Ravens defense without any pre-game preparation?

Three things happened after that day: Brian Westbrook got healthier, the play-calling got adjusted, and McNabb settled down. And if McNabb is fueled now, increasingly, energizingly, by whatever criticism has come his way, that's all good. If he wants to point at the name on his jersey after a big play, that's all good, too.

Right?
Posted by Rich Hofmann @ 2:03 PM  Permalink | 66 comments
66
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:22 PM, 12/29/2008
    Hope McMartyr can climb down off his cross and play a good game next Sunday.
    — MrMayhem
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:26 PM, 12/29/2008
    Was McMartyr patting himself on the back yesterday or pointing to his last name? I was a little confused.
    — psu05
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:27 PM, 12/29/2008
    I generally don't like to criticize McNabb - I think Reid is more to blame for McNabb's problems than McNabb himself, but really, enough with the whiney, crybaby stuff. Just shut up already and play the game. He isn't criticized half as badly as he makes it out to be.
    — Gary Varsho
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:31 PM, 12/29/2008
    how about Ryan Moats scoring a key TD for us yesterday, i mean for the Texans!!
    — daveH
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:44 PM, 12/29/2008
    I have always been a supporter of McNabb, not Reid so much... but this type of stuff lumps everyone together, and he is insulting his loyal supporters too. I am not going to lose any sleep over it. But 5 should probably be take a page from J Roll's book. "Smile Philadelphia..." and give some respect to the city he plays for. By the way J Roll was in the McNabb family box yesterday and I think he should travel with the team througout the playoffs.
    — gho_matt
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:50 PM, 12/29/2008
    I say Let McNabb be. He has endured. He has be whipped and beaten (as well as praised) in Philadelphia. He has undergone a lot of criticism - perhaps more than his elite QB peers have and do. He takes a lot of heat and has heard the calls for his dismissal. He has earned the right to "flex" and speak his mind. He has also helped (once again) to lead the Eagles in to the play offs. For the Philadelphia Eagles - he is simply the best they have ever had - and his numbers say that for him. If the dancing and pointing as well as the "woe-is-me" attitude helps- I say "great". I see a team 90 miles up the NJ turnpike who let their QB go to another team this season - happily - and we all see how things turned out for the Jets, QB #4, and their (now former) head coach. Be careful what you wish for. Anyone remember Bobby Hoying? No? EXACTLY.
    — mebphila
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:15 PM, 12/29/2008
    I agree he has earned it. Hell, i never thought anyone would miss Pat Burrell but i found myself not wanting him to go...Same thing with McNabber hes endured and come out of it alive. If they win the Super Bowl what a year this will have been... The OT mis-understandings, the benching, the inconsistency(the Eagles as a whole), the divisional losses and so on. It would be a real life soap opera.
    — Prego614
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:23 PM, 12/29/2008
    Rich, cry me a river. Cowboys got stomped by B-Dawk and McNabb was clutch in a big game. Just give the guy some credit and stop rehashing a bunch of nonsense, cause you and Smally wrote him off weeks ago. And how do you know he was pointing to his name? He was saying Back the bus down to Dallas cause they were steam rolling everyone.
    — aman1711
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:43 PM, 12/29/2008
    Yesterdays win along with Chicago and Tampa losing , was the biggest surprise gift ever. Now that there in let's see if Andy can gameplan effectively against their opponent.
    — MJPD345
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:16 PM, 12/29/2008
    If the Eagles actually do make it to the Playoffs, I think J-Roll should have something to do with the game. After all, it was McNabb who announced the lineups in Game 5 of the World Series.
    — roque32
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:20 PM, 12/29/2008
    McNabb is nothing more than a big whiny cry baby.. you constantly have to stroke his ego and tell him how good he is. he still whines about being benched, well you know what Donovan? your not the 1st QB in the history of the NFL to get benched. Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Steve Young, etc.. were benched at one point in their career so get over it. his comments that "I had a great season" is so laughable. you won't find Peyton Manning or Tom Brady saying I had a great season, you know why, because they are PROVEN WINNERS.
    — sean77
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:22 PM, 12/29/2008
    daveH just nailed it!Lost in all the upheaval yesterday was that wonderful TD by a guy I had deaqd and buried when he was cut. Bless his little (BIG?) heart!
    — TBear
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:30 PM, 12/29/2008
    Where is the 'McSoftee' guy today? Another loser like lonewolf that won't show his sorry self and take the heat. C'mon, lonewolf, we know you've read this stuff today. Loser.
    — PhillySubsMac


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About Rich Hofmann
Rich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest. Rich has blogged the postseasons of the Flyers and Eagles. E-mail Rich at hofmanr@phillynews.com

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