Banner: We can win with Reid, McNabb
Following the Eagles' NFC championship loss to the Cardinals, Joe Banner raised some eyebrows with his comments about Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid. "What do they say? If you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result, you're kind of kidding yourself," Banner told Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn after the game. Today, in an interview with CSN's Michael Barkann, Banner clarified his comments. "I still think my answer was unambiguous but for the first time in all the years I’m here, somebody interpreting differently than I meant (laugh), so we thought that it was important to clarify it because you don’t want those things to take on a life," Banner said. "And the reality is my view and our view is unambiguous. We can win a championship with those people and they will be back and I’ve gone on to say we believe we’re very lucky to have them." Banner was also asked about McNabb's desire to sit down with management in the offseason and possibly discuss a contract extension. "We’re not gonna -- as we have always done -- talk about what we’re gonna do and not do publicly with contracts," Banner said. "But we’re obviously more than happy to sit down with Donovan and discuss or address any issue he wants. That’s not unusual. It’s probably unusual that he discussed it publicly but it’s not unusual for Andy to talk to Donovan or us to talk to Donovan. He’s a special player and been a huge part of our success and more than happy to do that." Banner was asked a follow-up question about the perception that McNabb can't get over the hump and doesn't come through in clutch situations. "We all know the only way we can end that conversation is to win the Super Bowl. And that’s legitimate," Banner said. "It’s a fair criticism. It’s a fair question, but until we win a Super Bowl...we know that’s what we gotta do. My own view is that to have even gotten to where we’ve gotten to, we had to win an awful lot of big games and I don’t care if he scores on the last drive of the game and that’s how we win or he scored on the first three drives of the game and that’s how we won. To me it doesn’t matter. We have to have won an awful lot of games. He had to have played well in a lot of important games. Andy had to have coached well in a lot of important games for us to have gotten to this many games. But our ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. Their ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. And they know the only way to prove that that criticism is isolated but inaccurate is to get on the field and prove it."
Banner: We can win with Reid, McNabb
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Following the Eagles' NFC championship loss to the Cardinals, Joe Banner raised some eyebrows with his comments about Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid."What do they say? If you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result, you're kind of kidding yourself," Banner told Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn after the game.
Today, in an interview with CSN's Michael Barkann, Banner clarified his comments.
"I still think my answer was unambiguous but for the first time in all the years I’m here, somebody interpreting differently than I meant (laugh), so we thought that it was important to clarify it because you don’t want those things to take on a life," Banner said. "And the reality is my view and our view is unambiguous. We can win a championship with those people and they will be back and I’ve gone on to say we believe we’re very lucky to have them."
Banner was also asked about McNabb's desire to sit down with management in the offseason and possibly discuss a contract extension.
"We’re not gonna -- as we have always done -- talk about what we’re gonna do and not do publicly with contracts," Banner said. "But we’re obviously more than happy to sit down with Donovan and discuss or address any issue he wants. That’s not unusual. It’s probably unusual that he discussed it publicly but it’s not unusual for Andy to talk to Donovan or us to talk to Donovan. He’s a special player and been a huge part of our success and more than happy to do that."
Banner was asked a follow-up question about the perception that McNabb can't get over the hump and doesn't come through in clutch situations.
"We all know the only way we can end that conversation is to win the Super Bowl. And that’s legitimate," Banner said. "It’s a fair criticism. It’s a fair question, but until we win a Super Bowl...we know that’s what we gotta do. My own view is that to have even gotten to where we’ve gotten to, we had to win an awful lot of big games and I don’t care if he scores on the last drive of the game and that’s how we win or he scored on the first three drives of the game and that’s how we won. To me it doesn’t matter. We have to have won an awful lot of games. He had to have played well in a lot of important games. Andy had to have coached well in a lot of important games for us to have gotten to this many games. But our ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. Their ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. And they know the only way to prove that that criticism is isolated but inaccurate is to get on the field and prove it."
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Posted by phillyindubai 11:59 PM, 01/26/2009 Give Donovan some tools to work with like RECIEVERS!!! Yeah, and someone who can take it to the hoop when they get the bounce pass.— hessjc- You better get a power running game or forget the next level...Passing game wins during the regular season but the running game wins Chanpionships.— MJPD345
- In a way Joe Banner is playing us all for fools. He used this interview to subtly criticize McNabb ("It's a fair criticism. It's a fair question") and set the stage for negotitations with his quarterback.— stingo
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- If you can win with them, why, in 10 years, haven't you? No, it is not racist to question a quarterback who is erratic and has "cpntrol issues", it is not always the receivers.— Icacrai
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- Banner is in deep denial. Many of the Eagles players are on the downside of their careers and they will not even make the playoffs next season. They would not have made it this season if the Bucs, Bears and Cowboys had not crumbled those last few weeks and even then when they were close, they lost to the Redskins 10-3. They could score a touchdown! Is that the mark of a champion? Come on guys, you're kidding yourself. The Bucs, Bears and Cowboys gave them one more shot on the last week of the season. That will not happen every year. Face it, the Eagles are not a championship caliber team.— marioP
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- wolfie--what makes you an authority on soft? have you ever played a sport at the highest level? didn't think so-so how do you know what it is like playing a physical game against world class athletes? football is a team game and no one person is responsible for wins or losses-to pin the Eagles failure on one person is just idiotic and proves that you are an unknowledgeable, racist blowhard. get a clue--nobody cares about your top ten lists--you have no knowledge of the sport.
I wonder what it would take for some of these moronic fans to realize that Einstein's definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result.— wokmaster- its funny the guy who is has denver in his name is talking trash about 10 years without a ring and success, how long did it take elway and how many people said he choked in the playoffs before he got a ring, think before you speak— jbettner
- Dierte - Bull Connor, I mean lonewolf, makes these statements for 1 reason, he wants a white QB. He calls Mcnabb "McSoftee" because the real Mr. Softee makes great vanilla shakes!— madaboutit
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