Mikell on McNabb's air guitar in Dallas: "What?"
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Mikell on McNabb's air guitar in Dallas: "What?"
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Remember when Donovan McNabb walked out of the Cowboys Stadium tunnel prior to last year's playoff game against Dallas strumming an air guitar?
OK, you may have already wiped away any trace of that moment or of anything that followed in the Cowboy's 34-14 massacre of the Eagles.
But it's Cowboys week and it's time to revisit the past and really -- honestly -- we [the media] didn't bring up McNabb's much-criticized mime act before what proved to be his last game in an Eagles uniform.
Quintin Mikell did.
"I’ll tell you this: I didn’t even see the whole guitar thing until this season," the Eagles safety said Wednesday when he was asked if McNabb's performance in that game was the final nail in his coffin. "I was just like, ‘What?’ I didn’t even know about that until this year and I was just like, ‘OK, that makes sense.’ I don’t know. It is what it is. That was last year and we got a new team.”
A reporter joked that McNabb might have been playing a banjo.
“He’s got a little too much soul for the banjo," Mikell said.
McNabb, of course, was traded away three months later. But he wasn't the only Eagles player sent packing from that team. Andy Reid and the Eagles front office made some wholesale changes and jettisoned a number of aging players including running back Brian Westbrook, cornerback Sheldon Brown and McNabb.
“I feel like everything was calculated," Mikell said. "Obviously Coach Reid and the front office has been around this game for a long team and they know the right guys to keep around and the guys to let go to keep everything flowing. So I feel like everybody is in here – and they told us this – everybody’s in here for a reason. This is the elite.”
We'll see how elite this Eagles team -- or at least how different -- it is from the one that lost to the Cowboys in all three meetings last season. Dallas is a much different squad than the one that won the NFC East a year ago and clobbered the Eagles in back-to-back games at the end of the season, 58-14. They opened 1-7 but have won three of their last four.
The Eagles think they'll see a team that's playing much better under interim coach Jason Garrett and a team similar to the one that gave them beat downs in Dallas last season.
"When you're sitting on your butt in the playoffs and you see the team destroy you two times in a row, it's sickening," Mikell said. "So I've definitely had this one circled."
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In injury news, tackle Winston Justice did not practice today with a hyperextended knee and is questionable for Sunday at this point. King Dunlap took his place at right tackle.
"We have full confidence in King, so if he has to be the guy that goes, then I think all the players have full trust in him," Reid said.
Cornerback Asante Samuel (knee) and defensive Juqua Parker (hip) returned to practice. "I think they're ready to go" for Sunday, Reid said.
Reid was also asked if anything came of the Eagles' complaints to the league office about the extra hits they feel quarterback Michael Vick has taken.
“You know what, I’m done with all of that," Reid said. "We’re moving on playing the game and Michael feels the same way. And I probably put him in a bind by saying anything about it. So it’s about going and playing now. We’re not worried about any of that stuff.”
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Vick leads All-Pro balloting with 729,838 votes. He is ahead of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (691,146 votes), Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (623,074 votes), Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (591,598 votes) and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (547,340 votes) to round out the top five. Voting at nlf.com concludes on Dec. 20.
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yea...Mcnabb is a Redskin...dunno if this stupid paper has gotten the memo yet since you can't let him freakin go— pucky88- yeah sucky88! you tell that stupid paper who's boss!! gosh darn stupid paper. wait, can a paper be stupid? aren't we on the internet right now? where am i?
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I never got the big deal with the air guitar thing.— phillydude - The Eagles should be looking for Mr. Mikell's replacement soon. Nice guy, suspect safety.— bobcitydoc
- Quintin - if you are the "elite" this season is destined to end up the 11 before it! Please not mention he air guitar again - is there nothing else in sports in the city to write about!!!!????— jakster
The air guitar was nothing compared to what he did seconds later: banging on that glass partition at a cheering Eagles fan. If the Eagles win, McNabb showed great leadership, keeping everyone loose. But they lost and he gets derided and blamed for something that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Dallas offense line or their schemes, including all those freakin' BUBBLE SCREENS, that smoked the Eagles. It's much easier/idiotic to talk about air guitar and blame McNabb, thus . . . you'll never see Sheil write a post like this, fellas.— Leegles- who caresguitar? How about Mike leading the ballots for All Pro? That's a story. Go MVP Mike!— Kolb
- This article is straight pandering to the chuckleheads on this site who are fixated on the air guitar thing. Absolutely pathetic, bottom-feeding, speaking to the lowest common denominator of fans out there. You "journalists" can do better than that, can't you?— FKD215
- These aren't journalists, remember?
- Mikell shouldn't say the elite, otherwise his blown coverage, non tackling behind would be sent packing. total liability in coverage. Once samuel is too slow to be a CB, i can see him taking over as the captain of the secondary as a FS— xlGmanlx
- Wait a second...the Tonner is getting the impression that playing air guitar isn't viewed as a cool thing to do. Well let the Tonner tell you something...the broads down at Cookies go nuts when the Tonner does his "Stairway to Heaven" air guitar solo. NUTS the Tonner says. It's like shooting fish in a barrel for the Tonner after that. Maybe McNabb just wasn't doing it right. You can't do air guitar half way just like you can't do Karate halfway like Mr. Miyagi (the original, not Jackie Chan) said. Wow, that was a lot of writing, the Tonner's going to go have himself a Genny Cream Ale to help him relax.
Wait'll Apocalypse or Aristotle or Brainf*rt, whatever he calls himself, catches wind of this article. Ya HAD to stir the pot, right Jeff?- McBOZO----Philadelphia's greatest guitarist EVER !!!! Maybe Justice's knee would have felt better today if he wasn't suck a##ing as the eagle's rep next to the players union mouthpiece on the news last night.— jwatson
- Where's DooDooFresh when ya need him????— chief_jaysons
- Im with Phillydude...I just took it as the guy was showing he's loose during a big game...trying to loosen up his young teammates...then again, what do I know? Kevin Kolb is still the future!
Year in and year out, I had high hopes for McNabb. Now, I realize It was an air-guitar induced coma. Mike Vick for Mayor!
Comment removed.- Oh , the wolverine bit by Dawk wasn't that bad........
Not to be anti air guitaring, but I thought it was pathetic kind of - like he knew the Iggles would get trounced. He looked nervous to me.
But, Let's blame Andy for the 2 Dallas losses - Donderoo is gone. - Some of the morons that call themselves "fans" are really a crossbreed..."farons" maybe, or "morfs" if you will, take your pick. THEY are the ones that concentrate on the stupidic minutiae that surround any and ALL sports teams. Real Iggles fans, especially those that shell out sometimes EXTREME coinage to be there at home games don't really give a damn about ANY of that nonsense. We support our team win or tie. (Insert laughter here.) We may notice that stuff but only as a very small sidebar, totally unimportant to the games themselves. So, pander if you must(I DO understand demographics, children!) but how about some real stories about REAL things?— TBear
- Cannot believe that Mikell didn't see the whole guitar thing until this year. If he watched a replay of the game, which I'm sure he did, he would have seen it. Thats not counting all the conversation about it. Don't think he's being upfront. As an aside, maybe Donovan can go on tour with Nils Lofgin after the season. They can call themselves 2 Dog Night.— watsonmr
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- I like stories about McNabb, he plays down here where I live and I still watch him most weekends, and he is the same guy he used to be (i.e does well when the Skins are way ahead or way behind) except more picks this year. DC fans treated him like Obama when he rolled into town.— ras#2
- From an air guitar player to an air tackler! Another future former Eagle has his say.— lalaw9833
- I think the McNabb air guitar goes down as one of most embarrassing moments. when i saw it...i knew the Eagles lost the game already...no reputable QB acts like that before a big game. I think McNabb was trying to shake his big game jitters and it failed miserably.— Tripod691
As long as the deadskins sit last place with the cowpukes, I am happy. Lets just add the Gints to the mix.- @xlGmanlx ...of all the dumb things I've read on here (and there has been a lot of idiotic comments), your theory that Samuel will play Free Safety may take the cake. The only thing he can tackle is the air...too bad it wasn't #5's air guitar. I'd rather the Eagles borrow Juan Samuel from the Phillies to play that position.— PeaceFrog1969
- classic Juan Samuel comment! Dallas Sucks!!— TheBurn
- Guess Reid's moving on from the complaining about the officiating because the league told him to stop putting Vick in those situations to be a running back.— kmon
- I don't care if McNabb plays the air guitar when he's pumped up before a big game. Did Dawkins come out like a wolverine before his terrible performance against the Cardinals in the NFC Championship? Did Trotter use his "axe" at all in that game? It doesn't matter.— p-diddy
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- Long live DooDooFresh! Thanks for providing the humor, keep it coming.— Static87
Bump, set, spike, Aristotle.
It was an uptight McNabb TRYING (emphasis needed) to appear loose. Like something out of Leadership 101. Except it didn't fool anyone (OK, maybe a couple people, judging by the comments... whoops), and the Birds got waxed. 'Nuf said.— Doctor D- Brady was playing a fake piano the other night coming out of the Pats locker room right?— Theo1980
- Funny stuff there DooDooFresh with the whol AI/air guitar bit. McSadd had to come up with the air guitar though. It wasn't because he thought he was trying to loosen up the young guys either. He had retired the Michael Jackson schtick so the air guitar fit! At least his fat @** is gone and we have The Mike Vick Experience!!! GO EAGLES!
- i'm FINALLY in the game everyone! 'bout time! the king has spoken (and is starting)— iamkingdunlap
- A big McF-U to all you phony philly fans!!! Remember Mc(Whatever you idiots wanna call him) got your hopes up playing the same way vick is..only to let you down in the playoffs!! Anything short of a suberbowl victory IS A FAILURE! And makes the QB of this year and failed years to come no better than MC......?— realphillyphan
- I went in for an interview and started playing the air guitar. Why I didn't get the job I have no idea. Guess I didn't play it good enough.— neddyflanders
- Come one people, it was pretty stupid. Then he tries to spiderman himself to the wall and gets pwnd by the glass...epic fail McPoop, epic fail.
-not bob levy— remyy - You clowns on here talking air guitar might as well be following Nascar or pro wrestling.— ahab
- McNabb was far better at the air guitar than he was at the 2 minute offense eh? Just accept the fact he s*cks, and always had. The fact that anyone would even mention his name as an "elite" qb in the same company as a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, is just an insult to those guys.— BosoxJohnny
- McNabb's season will be over after the lst week in January. He's lining up the tour dates on the eastern seaboard for his new band--"McBOZO & the goofballs". McBOZO will be the leade guitarist and tour BUS driver(has lots of experience in both-guitar & driving people under the bus). Obama will handle the MC,comedy routines & play base guitar, N. Pelosi will be the sex symbol & leade singer of the band, Henry Waxman will pound the drums, Barney Frank will be the backup singer and play the cow bell & skin flute, fat ALBERT H. will be in charge of security, and S.ANDREWS will be the music director and groupie precurer. Check local pubs & dumps for dates for this touring mega group.— jwatson
- And jwatson will be available to be trickled down upon by his betters. Which is pretty much everybody.— ahab
