McNabb too good for Philly?
That's what at least one writer thinks. Allen Wilson of The Buffalo News wrote a column last week (that we somehow missed here at MTC) in which he said Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is too good for Philadelphia, and he wishes the Birds would get rid of him. The Philadelphia Eagles said Monday that quarterback Donovan McNabb will return next season. He has two years left on his contract, so they have no reason to get rid of him. But I wish they would. Philadelphia doesn’t deserve him. Since arriving in the NFL in 1999, McNabb has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But I don’t know of any professional athlete who is less appreciated in the city he plays for. You can click on the above link to read the entire column, but it's mostly commentary you've heard before. The fans booed him when he was drafted. The fans are too hard on him. The city is unforgiving. McNabb was the reason they got to the NFC championship. You get the picture. He ends the column: Word is the 32-year-old McNabb wants his contract reworked into a long-term extension, a stance that has created speculation that Philadelphia may rethink its decision and send him packing. Some Eagles fans would like that. So would I. McNabb has never been treated with enough respect in Philadelphia anyway, so he should leave. He deserves better. Yesterday, we posted comments from NFL Network's Jamie Dukes, who had a similar stance.
McNabb too good for Philly?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
That's what at least one writer thinks.Allen Wilson of The Buffalo News wrote a column last week (that we somehow missed here at MTC) in which he said Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is too good for Philadelphia, and he wishes the Birds would get rid of him.
The Philadelphia Eagles said Monday that quarterback Donovan McNabb will return next season. He has two years left on his contract, so they have no reason to get rid of him. But I wish they would. Philadelphia doesn’t deserve him. Since arriving in the NFL in 1999, McNabb has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But I don’t know of any professional athlete who is less appreciated in the city he plays for. You can click on the above link to read the entire column, but it's mostly commentary you've heard before. The fans booed him when he was drafted. The fans are too hard on him. The city is unforgiving. McNabb was the reason they got to the NFC championship.
You get the picture.
He ends the column:
Word is the 32-year-old McNabb wants his contract reworked into a long-term extension, a stance that has created speculation that Philadelphia may rethink its decision and send him packing. Some Eagles fans would like that. So would I. McNabb has never been treated with enough respect in Philadelphia anyway, so he should leave. He deserves better.
Yesterday, we posted comments from NFL Network's Jamie Dukes, who had a similar stance.
Comments (49)
The Buffalo News...please.— drewc74
Comment removed.- McNabb is TOO GOOD for Philly? Has the entire world gone crazy????— chrissmith
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- Buffalo? Jim Kelly lost 4 superbowls. STFU!— mariomick
- mcfumblish is the slightly (VERY slightly) more educated version of lonewolf
Coming from Buffalo where they're slowly sending their ENTIRE team to Toronto.— burholme- Comment removed.
- Is Buffalo ever represented at Wing Bowl?— shakenbake
- there's nothing wrong with our QB. we need a #1 receiver. if we had one he would have caught that 4n10. that ball hit curtis in his chest & hands.a #1 receiver would have made that catch or drew the flag. i like curtis but he's a #2 receiver. when we did have a #1 receiver andy & co. in the front office didn't do their homework & brought in a receiver from hell. there also been 2 teams since 2000 to when the superbowl without a #1 receiver baltimore & tampa but their defense didn't give up 32 points in the AFC & NFC championship game neither.— DERECK
- McNabb was introduced at the Sixer's game Saturday night, and got a nice reception from the crowd. What was odd was that he showed ZERO emotion throughout the game, never clapping, cheering, or anything! Maybe he really doesn't understand how fans think and listens too much to the Deion Sanders, Jamie Dukes and Angelo Cataldi's of the world. I'm as frustrated as anyone with the Eagles' annual crash and burn, but McNabb is only one factor. Having been an Eagles fan since the early 60's, I'm not ready to see him go, and I wish all of these detached commentators would simply shut up.
- Forget the accurate reporter of this story or the commentators, I'm from right off Ogontz ave. and Walnut Ln, in West Oak Lane, and I hate the Eagles Fans! Over the course of this year, they have hoped to boo McNabb on to victory, the most genius move in sports! Let's break him mentally, and if he can withstand it, then he's...? I have more respect for Rush Limbaugh, who admitted he hopes Obama fails, even though Rush lives in America too, and knows what Obama's failure could mean. McNabb is the BEST player on our team(.) I have heard enough excuses for Curtis zippy receiver with NO clutch catches to speak of, Brown(cut him), Westbrook(even though he's still my dude), Dawkins, and more to make my head explode in anger. Like my man said we need an everydown receiver. Jackson will be a number one receiver with more focus, but for right now he's our #1. There's been two consistent players on our most successful teams for the past ten years. Dawkins and McNabb, but McNabb and his FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, our estute fans can't take it! I'm sad to say D-Mac should go and free himself from this dumb ass city, and I hate to see G-Lew go too, but our estute fans will want you gone for the bomb. The difference is G-Lew may need Philly. Donavan will come back with somebody like Chicago, North Carolina, or Minnesota and destroy us and I'm taking bets in advance, Limbaughs. AS you can see I can go on forever. What we'll do is lose 5, then pick up a receiver for KK, and Feely, and suffer another 10 years on the bottom of the east, but we always have a bubble gum trophy in the pennant! 5 loves misery if he stays. Pray brotha, pray for guidance. Maybe you will get a Moss like Randall did, and Maybe your version of Moss will hold onto the ball in the endzone, unlike Randy, and you get your ring! We'll still have our gristle filled Pat's or Gino's. Damn.— cecilneme
- Dereck...When we had TO we still lost the SB and in the end, McNabb choked, er, puked. and I like McNabb, but like a cheating girl friend he lets you down again and again. PS The best receivers in football would not have made that 4th down catch with Hood falling on the back of their legs— JamesJ
- I read that the 2 Phils at the Sixers game got a big cheer but when the camera found Donovan, he was booed. That's just pathetic and makes me ashamed to be an Eagle fan. It's one thing to want desperately to win, it's another to act like an ass. If one person says something negative about Philly fans, we can laugh it off. When it's the entire world, it's time to take a good, hard look in the mirror.— ricky11211
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- I can understand that thew general perception of the rest of the world would be that we are selfish and stupid and impulsive, etc...I like McNabb and I like Andy. I want them to stay. But, as a frustrated fan, I want to see some things fixed...the simple fact that this has been going on now for over 10 years is the part that outsiders can't relate to. If you have the best Steinway in the world, but middle "C" gets stuck once in a while, what would be the smartest thing to do? A) learn how to play without it? B) Trade it for a Yamaha? C) Trash it and get a new one? D) Fix it? If you answered any one other than "D"...I have some prime swamp land that I am willing to sell you! The rest of the picture that the outsiders can't or won't see, is that most of us (meaning the "smart" Philly fans) would love for that to happen and would accept that scenario...unfortunately, we have seen no evidence that the coach or organization is willing to do that. Note to Mr. Laurie: It takes a specially trained expert to repair and tune a Steinway...just because a person it proficient at playing an instrument, doesn't mean they are capable of repairs and maintenance!— extremebeat
- Buffalo is used to quarterbacks choking in the big game. We are tired of it.— marioP
- Every reporter, columnist, commentator and his /her brother seems to think if McNabb leaves Philly that he will succeed wherever he ends up next. I think that is a fallacy. I, for one, do not and never will believe that McNabbs accuracy will improve one iota no mater where he plays. he will continue to overthrow, underthrow, hold on to the ball entirely too long, refuse to run north and south for positive yardage and make the same bad decisions he has made here. And when fans at his NEW residence latch on to what Philadelphians have witnessed for the past ten years then, and only then, will the fans of Philly be recognized for the justified criticisms that we have been nationally condemned for. for the love of God, it's NOT I repeat, NOT about race for you idiots that persist in searching for reasons other than incompetence for the critics of McNabb. What about the critics of Reid? Are they all black? Please. WE WANT A WINNER AND OUR STANDARDS ARE HIGH.— essell
- I am a die hard eagles fan i have attended almost every home game for the last 20 years.... I am sick and tired of all the philadelphia cry baby's.... I hope they get rid of mcnabb and Bobby hoying Jr,(kolb) starts and we have to rebuild for the next 5 years.... we do not have another quarterback get that in your head.... None of you know football, essel" you say mcnabb doesnt run and is inaccurate.. kolb threw four perfect passes to the other team in the only game he played. and he is one of the slowest players on the eagles roster. open your eyes people, when we had a number one reciever we went to the super bowl, get him the weapons and he will win....— bleed green forever
- Yeah you only made the Super Bowl when you gave this guy a legit WR. I mean that happens so often here. LOL— mongoS
- essell, Mcnabb completed 64% of his passes, had a 104 qb rating and led the team to a super bowl when he had a legit wr. Your bashing argument is flawed and ignorant— mongoS
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- Two outside experts (out of many) see what a bunch of us see. I'm glad is only a handful of blind pea-brain idiots who don't appreciate what we have in #5.— EL Zorro
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- Watch the tape Guys. That last ball was catchable, but it hit his outstretched fingertips, not his chest, or even his whole hands. If he didnt have Hood on his legs, he probably would have caught it, but it should never come down to one play. The defence in the second half, started making good plays, but then acted as if they won the game on the second to last pos AZ had. They were jumping up and down before they had finished it off, and blew their collective load, mentally. This game comes down to not being able to continue to stop the AZ offence in the end.— lateofphilly
- I think the whole country listens to the 2% that don't know football, call the stupid sportstalk radio, and get drunk and act like idiots at games. It's so funny that the Cardinals fans that burned up McNabb's lawn is a non-story.— Marvelous
- I'm pretty sure NFL football is too good for Buffalo. Maybe it should leave.— evolutionary
- Over 97% of the city respect and appreciate #5. Funny how that state never makes it out of the mouths of these Pullet Surprise "reporters". Seems impossible for so many different guys to lay the same egg.— ItalianSausage
- so everyone's argument is that Curtis should have caught the ball...That's funny...that the entire reason, we are even to this point is because McNabb couldn't throw that pass in the first half. It doesn't come down to one play, it's the whole game. So McNabb had a good second half...so what? He is supposed to have a good game in the championship game...simple as that. There were certainly more problems than McNabb in that game, but he doesn't get off the hook because he threw a good pass that was dropped. that drive should have never been needed...— MFPhils
- Once again, we Eagles fans, get trashed by out-of-town reporters and national media that we do not deserve certain playes. On Sunday, it was McNabb. Yesteryear, it was Richie Kotite. We all remember what the NY Media received when they recommended Richie as the NY Jets coach - a 1-15 team! They certainly knew better than our fans. The same fate will happen to McNabb. He is not the same QB after 10 years. His greatest strength was his ability to avoid the rush and convert on a busted play. His legs are gone now and he must rely on his timming plays to complete his passes. After 10 years, I do not believe that he will improve his accuracy nor do I feel that he can handle the come-from-behind victory with less than two minutes to play. I hope that we can get a 1st and 3rd for McNabb for a team that "deserves" him.— PaulM
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- MFPhils, it is not an argument about Curtis it is pure fact. Catch the ball and then complain about no flag. The guy choked with what was an easy catch even with the contact. I say Mcnabb is off the hook because he was the only offense on a team with an incompetent running game and incompetent WRs led by Curtis. The biggest letdown however had to be that defense. We knew Curtis and the other Wrs sucked. Westbrook did absolutely nothing in terms of being a consistent contributor but the defense was supposed to be a strength. They just choked. They looked inferior to Fitzgerald. He did whatever he wanted and made Philly look like a high school defense playing against a man.— mongoS
- I don't know PaulM, McNabb seemed to extend plays and convert long 3rd downs against the Giants.— Marvelous
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- Point of the Buffalo article is that Philly fans are brutal on Mcnabb, its as if we are the new Boston fans. Unsufforable, over-bearing, F-the-world attitude, but we havent won a Championship. We destroy the best athletes that come through here, picking apart their game and never really giving our full support. I have lived my enire life in Philly and I bleed green, which is why, if they dont give Mcnabb help, I would love to see him in a different team finally win a superbowl. Think of Mcnabb as the Next Garnett. He gave his blood and sweat for that city, and near the end, they turned on him too. Next year he goes and wins a title, sucks to be in Minny and it will suck to be in Philly too.— Superkavi
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- DMACRULES 12:55 PM, 01/26/2009 CrotchetyOldMan how do you know that Donovan showed No emotion, where u up his arse to know that???? Maybe he doesnt like the Sixers.... Actually, DMACRULES, I was sitting across the court from him. yeah, there were a couple of scattered boos, but he got a warm reception from the crowd. I thought it interesting that he never got in to the game. It was almost like old times there - the place was rockin', but 5 never acted, reacted, or participated. If you're right and he hates basketball, let someone who cares sit in those courtside seats. I only wrote what I observed, although I wasn't as close as your message implied.
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- It was the same blank look we've seen so many times on the sideline during an Eagles' game. Whatever. I'm done....
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Sheil Kapadia is in his fifth season writing about the Eagles and the NFL for philly.com. His earliest
memories as a sports fan include several trips to Veterans Stadium with
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