Lurie's final walk to Reid's office
How the Lurie-Reid conversation went.
Lurie's final walk to Reid's office
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
His office? Your office?
“His office,” Jeffrey Lurie said. “When Andy and I talked, especially about these kinds of things, it was usually in his office. I just thought you showed respect by doing it that way.”
It was coming up on 9 o’clock on Monday morning. That is when the Eagles’ owner took the walk down the hall, the walk that he had been dreading. Out the door, down the hall, into a common area and then over to the football side of the NovaCare Complex. Maybe the walk took 15 seconds. Maybe a little bit more.
Fifteen seconds. Fourteen years.
Lurie had known he was going to fire Andy Reid for weeks. After 14 years, he was gong to dismiss the man who did more than anyone in the building to change the culture of the Philadelphia Eagles. It is not like firing a baseball manager or a hockey coach. When you fire a coach in the National Football League, you end up fundamentally altering just about everything involved on the football side of things. It isn’t like you’re just changing the bunt sign.
You say to Lurie that, given everything, it must have been such a weird and uncomfortable conversation. But he brightened at the memory. The press conference was over, and the post-press conference press conference was over, and he was swigging from a bottle of water and smiling what seemed to be a grateful smile -- grateful for Reid’s final act.
“It was so comfortable,” Lurie said. “Oh my God. We were both prepared for this in our own individual ways. We’re close. We’re friends. We knew, both of us. It was unspoken, but we knew. Part of me dreaded it but part of me just knew it was going to be comfortable. You work with somebody for 14 years and you just know.
“We knew it needed a change. It was time for him to have a change. He needs a change even though he was still fired up about the future here.”
We have not yet heard Reid’s side of the conversation. He talked to his players, and then to the entire front office staff, but he offered no public reaction to his firing. Maybe soon, maybe never -- with Reid, you can never be sure.
After today, all of the news looks forward -- to the search for a new coach, and to the decision on how the new coach and general manager Howie Roseman will work together, and to the ritual dismantling of the roster. Because no matter how much the players and Roseman spent Monday talking about a lack of chemistry and leadership in the locker room, Roseman acknowledged that the Eagles did overrate their talent in 2012. As he said, “You’re 4-12. It’s not just chemistry.”
Still, even though the future is more important now, this final day deserves to be respected. The man did win more games than anyone in franchise history. And while Lurie and Joe Banner were the ones who got the stadium and the practice facility built, it was Reid who turned the team into a winner on the field and who kept it there for more than a decade.
But even though it was time, and everyone knew it, that walk down the hall must have been hell. Pretty much every good thing that has happened to the Eagles under Lurie has happened with Reid as his coach. That is a mouthful, but it is true. You can foresee a hopeful future and still recognize everything Reid did. The walk down the hall had to have been hard.
“I don’t know,” Lurie said. “Maybe we’re just so comfortable with each other that, even under the duress of having to do this, it was OK. We were just honest with each other. We’ve been honest with each other forever.
“I was honest when I said that I was just so disappointed and felt like a change was necessary. He accepted my honesty. I accepted his honesty back.”
It was reported that Lurie actually fired Reid on Friday. Lurie said that was not true, but that there was a philosophical conversation between the two men that day.
“We did speak twice,” Lurie said. “We spoke on Friday but there was no decision made. He spoke about his hopes for the future. He offered me a great analysis of where we’re at, and his optimism about the future.
“Today? It was almost sort of a fait accompli. He knew, and I knew, that it was time. That was all.”
With that, for Jeffrey Lurie, there is a final reality on the last day of the Andy Reid era: that while this was certainly the right move, there are no certainties after today.
Easy decision, but still tough to do.— Mr. Magee
Yes, there's a little drama involved in any firing. But let's not treat this like an everyday Joe getting his walking papers before the New Year. Reid's not going to need to file for unemployment. He probably already has an offer on the table from San Diego, and is about to move on to greener pastures (with bluer skies, beautiful mountains, and an ocean view). Thanks for everything, Andy. Enjoy your trip West to a better life.— Sam Crow- Well, in remembrance of all of those games in my youth in the 70's, with Joe "must go" Kuharak, Jerry Williams, etc... when the season was over by the end of september, I for one truly appreciate all of the exciting Sundays, and even weekdays in anticipation of the game Sunday. Meaningful games in December, that Andy Reid provided.
Anybody else remember all of those lean times? No Super Bowl, but it sure was fun!! You just KNOW he's going to come back with another team and take them all the way, and I hope he does.— joeibt - I absolutely agree, joeibt — Bobphxville
- San Diego was adamant that they don't want Reid.
I think Reid coached himself out of a lot of good jobs in 2013. Poor player selection, inability to lead a team, inability to adapt to players selected, inability to adapt to injuries.
He was a terrible coach in 2012, and no guarantee he'll be any better in 2013.
I think Jacksonville would be the only job open to him.— fmMD - Sam Crow - Very classy comment. And Mr. Magee - yes, without question.— knebman
- When he punted on 4th and 10 in the playoffs with little time left he should has been gone.— Bustleton guy
*sniff* I just can't *sniff* hold back the tears about Reid getting fired – NOT ! ! !
This guy should've hit the road with his bags packed LONG ago! He was quick with discipline on players who he should've been more tolerant with and was ungodly slooooooow with disciplining players who were his personal favorites. That's NOT a coach – that's a guy who has no ability to honestly control the flow of team effort because he's a freaking HYPOCRIT.
And another thing, ''moneybags'' Lurie should bow out now as owner of the Eagles (if he understands anything about good timing) and sell the Great Philadelphia Eagles franchise to an owner who UNDERSTANDS FOOTBALL, because clearly this ''moneybags'' only cares about the cash register and hasn't a freaking clue what makes a true football team good, if not great.
Good riddance, Reid
— AND?- What a bozo. — joeibt
- Wonder if Christina did the same thing to jeff— Friend to All
- Andy remained the Mad Scientist until the bitter end. Go away Andy, won't miss you, not for a second, ever.— Voytas
- ...let's hope Mr. Lurie makes another smart pick for HC...he did OK with Reid. I've always been an AR fan...he's not perfect, but he's good...real good. It was time to move on and some of his current players should be out the door before he warms his car.— ziggy
- The man should never talk in public without a prepared statement. What a clown.— PhillySubsMac
- PhillySubsMac I could not say it better . We will never get the job done when you have this putz in charge.— d1955h
- You're correct; you could not say it better. — joeibt
