Inquirer Editorial: Eagles sack reporter while beating the Cowboys

The Eagles ended another disappointing season by beating a rival Dallas Cowboys team conspicuously manned by backups on a sun-splashed New Year's Day. But an Eagles functionary managed to upstage the win by tossing a sportswriter from the press box.

Apparently some loud-talking reporters were asked to pipe down. Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane then told Eagles public relations coordinator Zach Groen to "grow up."

That prompted Anne Gordon, the Eagles senior vice president of marketing, media, and communications, to have McLane escorted from Lincoln Financial Field for violating the press box's "code of conduct." Inside voices, boys.

Apparently the same code of conduct doesn't apply to the many rowdy, foul-mouthed, drunken, pot-smoking fans that pack the stadium.

Nor does it apply to the laundry list of Eagles players who routinely make the police blotter for a variety of offenses ranging from assault and battery, disorderly conduct, drugs, gun violations, and animal abuse.

Even for an Eagles team and the National Football League, which go to extreme measures to try to control the free-flow of information, Gordon's move was petty and unprofessional. (Did McLane's game-day column that asked if first-year coach Doug Pederson is the right guy for the job play a role?)

After finishing in last place in its division with another losing record, the Eagles have more pressing issues than policing the press box like mall cops.