Ashley Fox: A ray of sunshine in Birdland
Ashley Fox: A ray of sunshine in Birdland
It's a holiday week, or maybe fans were just happy that the Eagles are still in the hunt. The tone of yesterday's online chat was much more upbeat than it's been in weeks. Not too many insults directed at Andy Reid. Not too many slights of Donovan McNabb. That's rare these days.
Here are a couple of questions from the discussion:
DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
Donovan McNabb celebrates with LeSean McCoy after a second-half score by the Eagles against the Chicago Bears.
In your eyes, is Donovan McNabb a Hall of Famer, or does he still need to win the big one to qualify?
Contact staff writer Ashley Fox at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.
- Carl
I don't know whether McNabb has to win a Super Bowl to get there, but he at least needs to get to another one. His stats are very, very good, but he's going to be judged against his peers at the position - Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and others. Manning and Brady are locks, Roethlisberger probably will get in, and Brees is building quite a resume and might get his this year.
At the end of the day, McNabb has put up consistently good numbers, with the exception of this one: 1-4 in NFC championship games. Quarterbacks have gotten into the Hall without winning a Super Bowl - Dan Marino and Warren Moon among others - but if I were voting on McNabb's achievements to date, I wouldn't vote him in. Not yet.
What do you make of the Eagles re-signing Winston Justice?
- John
It was a classic Eagles move, locking up a young player before he was able to get on the free-agent market. Good for Justice, too. He could've let his first NFL moment define him, and instead, he worked very hard at getting better. He's a humble guy, quiet and determined, and you haven't heard his name much this season because he's been doing a good job at his job. Obviously, the Eagles recognized that.
Could the Colts or Saints run the table and make it to the Super Bowl?
- Jay
Could they? Yes. Will they? Doubt it. And that's no disrespect to either team. There's no question Indianapolis and New Orleans are the class of the league. Their offenses are creative, impossible to stop, and play error-free football.
But there's a reason only one team since the Dolphins has gone undefeated in the regular season. It's really difficult to do. Soon, every move each team makes will be scrutinized. Every game will carry that added pressure of continuing the streak. The Colts have been through it before, and couldn't pull it off. The Saints never have. And New Orleans might not even be in the discussion this time next week.
Ashley, Ashley, Ashley ... it must be Tuesday. Gotta love these Philly fans - one week they are ready to run McNabb out of town, the next week they are debating whether he should be in the Hall of Fame. Get a grip people. ... Who is the best interview on the Eagles? The most honest? The funniest? The most insightful?
- Mike
My two favorite players to talk to are Sheldon Brown and Quintin Mikell. They're thoughtful, insightful, truthful and unafraid to speak their mind, particularly Sheldon. And when Sheldon talks, he makes the funniest facial expressions, like when he thinks a question is silly or when he thinks you already know the answer. He's just so real. It's refreshing.
Mikell used to be a little timid saying what he thinks, but he really has blossomed into another truth-teller, not unlike Brian Dawkins.
The funniest players, to me, are DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel, because they are divas and take their diva status seriously. Todd Herremans has a dry wit and self-deprecating way about him that's pretty funny. Trent Cole is capable of saying anything, which makes talking to him a thrill ride.
Contact staff writer Ashley Fox at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.
