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Fox host slams Nick Foles, Troy Aikman dismisses QB comparison

The decision to start Carson Wentz and bench Nick Foles was predictable and uncontroversial to just about everyone not on FS1.

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was the target of the latest hot take from FS1 host Jason Whitlock.
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was the target of the latest hot take from FS1 host Jason Whitlock.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer, FS1

The return of Carson Wentz as the Eagles starting quarterback has been largely uncontroversial, which in some ways is remarkable considering it means a return to the bench for last year's Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles.

But for Jason Whitlock, a former columnist at ESPN and the outspoken host of Speak for Yourself on FS1, the predictable demotion of Foles to the back-up role somehow reveals the Super Bowl MVP's only real desire is "to cash a check."

"He likes being a backup. He wants to be a fire extinguisher that you pop open during an emergency. Otherwise he just wants to cash a check," Whitlock said to his new co-host, former NFL defensive end Marcus Wiley. "You win the Super MVP and go on that run, and you're satisfied being a backup and getting paid backup money? He's let everyone know, 'I don't want the responsibility being a day-to-day NFL player.' "

In forming his opinion of Foles it appears the only person Whitlock didn't consult was the quarterback himself, who has said repeatedly he'd like to start again and explained the decision to restructure his contract (earning him a $2 million raise plus incentives) to reporters back in April.

"The grass isn't always greener on the other side," Foles said. "Do I want an opportunity to lead a team again? Absolutely. But am I trying to run away and do it now? Well, I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful that the team was able to work through a restructure that benefited me and the team. … I love it here."

Whitlock also used the segment to chastise Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, making the bizarre claim that the move to start Wentz so soon was born out of Pederson's "big ego."

"In Doug Pederson's mind — it's not true — but in his mind, there are people that think, 'Man, you just got lucky.' He thinks he needs a second one to shut up the Mike Lombardis and everyone for good," Whitlock said.

Watch:

Troy Aikman dismisses comparison to Ryan Fitzpatrick

After dealing with having been labeled an "armchair quarterback" by Dallas Cowboys VP Stephen Jones over his in-game analysis of the Cowboys' lackluster first game, lead Fox NFL analyst and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman felt the need to publicly dismiss an otherwise random observation made by a Buffalo sports radio host.

Joe DiBaise, the evening host on WGR Sports Radio 550, pointed out on Twitter that after torching the Eagles for four touchdown passes in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fill-in quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick now has 16 more career passing touchdowns than Aikman in 44 fewer starts.

Aikman, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys and rarely engages in battles on Twitter, thought it was necessary to call out the comparison with a succinct response.

Sunday's Eagles game against the Colts airs on Fox this week, but Aikman won't be calling the game. Instead, the broadcast crew will be play-by-play announcer Chris Meyers, analyst Daryl Johnston, and sideline reporter Laura Okmin.

Jemele Hill already has a new gig

It didn't take long for Jemele Hill, the outspoken sports host and commentator who left ESPN at the end of August following a buyout of her reported $2.5 million a year contract, to land a new gig.

Hill, a former Inquirer intern, will narrate a new Showtime documentary series developed by NBA superstar LeBron James called Shut Up & Dribble, which will focus on the role of athletes during the Trump administration. The title of the series draws its inspiration from Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who used the phrase in an attempt to dismiss the importance of political opinions being offered by James and fellow NBA superstar Kevin Durant.

"I think LeBron, like a lot of people, has been very frustrated by the behavior of this administration," Hill told The Hollywood Reporter. "[Black Americans] feel very insulted and vulnerable within this time because of who's in charge."

Hill drew fire at ESPN for calling President Trump a "white supremacist" on Twitter over his response to the racial violence in Charlottesville, where the president equated neo-Nazis and members of the Klu Klux Klan with counter protesters. She also referred to Trump as "an unfit, bigoted, incompetent moron," which led to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling on ESPN to fire her.

Shut Up & Dribble, a three-part series, is directed by Gotham Chopra (who also directed the Tom Brady documentary Tom vs. Time) and is scheduled to air in November.