It's been nearly 15 hours since the Eagles lost to the Skins and I will not rehash what I wrote in The Morning After but now that I've had time to stew over it even more... I have some additional thoughts to share.I simply cannot escape this undeniable feeling of arrogance.
Arrogance from the owner who thinks he walks with the Robert Krafts of the world. Arrogance from the Head Coach/GM de facto who thinks he can just plug anyone into any hole and be successful (See: Johnson, Charles; Small, Torrance & Lewis, Greg and so on and so on).
And arrogance from some players, particularly Donovan McNabb, who feeds off the arrogance of his coach and in turn believes he can walk onto the field and flick the switch and walk away with a W.
Is it me or does Reggie Brown seem to be almost expecting the ball to come his way? On at least once instance during the Packers game he was visibly upset at not being thrown the ball when he was, in his estimation I'm sure... open.
You don't think this team has a sense of entitlement about it do you?
***
The word "leadership" is far too often bandied about in professional sports. I often think teams use leadership, or lack thereof -- as a crutch when performing in a less than stellar fashion.
Time and again we hear this team or that team lamenting the fact that they either had no leadership or their leader was out due to injury and thus the rudderless ship theory comes out.
But for this particular professional sports team in this particular professional sport, the word leadership cannot be overstated.
From last year to now, the Eagles lost significant, vocal leaders from both sides of the ball, for varying reasons.
Jeff Garcia, who was not offered a contract, at least according to him, moved onto Tampa. And Jeremiah Trotter was released during training camp because of an apparent loss of ability... ability on the playing field that is... and ultimately joined Garcia with the Bucs.
There is simply no denying the impact these players had on their respective sides of the ball in addition to the whole team itself.
Well know that Donovan McNabb is not Jeff Garcia much like Mike Schmidt was not Pete Rose. People like Garcia & Rose are wired differently. They express their enthusiasm and passion outwardly while the McNabbs and Schmidts of the world are more introverted and reserved in their leadership style.
The problem of course is that Donovan MacNabb happens to be a quarterback in the NFL and one duty of that position, whether the player wants it or not, is leader. Call it by default. Call it whatever you want. The fact is the QB of an NFL Team must be a leader on his given team. Preferably an outward leader... yes a rah-rah guy. A get-in-your-face-when-you-screw-up kind of guy.
But like oil and water when you mix arrogance with leadership, it ain't pretty.
Right now this team needs a vocal leader and the man whom many expect to be that, Brian Dawkins, is surely trying his best but I fear he is near the end of the line and simply cannot do it all by himself.
'Til next time.
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