Last night, I purchased tickets for the Eagles' Monday Night Football tilt on Stub Hub for 60 bucks. I took an old friend out to get him out of the house. I listened to the radio all last week to hear the reaction to the Eagles putting up a solid 6 spot in a blowout loss to the Redskins. There was an amazing range of emotions. They were discussing why you would go to the game, how you should cheer or boo or chant. I personally am a fan of the team, and even though they were 3-7, I still thought perhaps I should take advantage of this opportunity to see my team playing in Monday Night Football, thus completing the full slate of game times I have now seen (although the Sunday Night Football Game I saw was in New York, not Philadelphia).
So, I got the standing room only tickets. It is absolutely awesome in my opinion, if you don't mind standing for 3 hours. There are standing areas in the 100 level, but you practically have to be there like 30 to 50 minutes early to stand their first as, especially me, it is very hard to see over the shoulder of a 6 feet tall man when I am only 5 feet 7. I always preferred to stand in the concourse as you can see most of the field from an angle and usually the cast of characters that pass through can provide some sort of entertainment.
I was expecting a crowd of angst. There was that aura of uncomfortableness that the fans were ready to diss the team on a national stage. The National Anthem is sung and the game starts. Even the opening fireworks were week. The typical Rocky opening starts, and the crowd actually seems to kind of come alive. The Eagles get the ball first. They are making some major headway on the opening drive, an unfamiliar site. When the public address (PA) announcer says "First dowwwwn EAGLES!" and I heard somebody shout from the level above me, "What's that?!" I mean the Eagles were making catches that they have typically shied away from. Celek caught a deeper pass as the hit was coming. Maclin and Jackson were doing what they could seemingly playing with what I initially thought was courage. Turns out they were playing professionally. That's what they were supposed to do. That thought is kind of lost on us after this dismal season. Cheering our asses of at something as simple as a catch was ridiculous. Sure enough, when the run and some tricky wildcat plays got the Eagles close, they went for the passing touchdowns that wouldn't come. They had to settle for the field goal. At least they had the lead.
What happened next was inexplicale. Two drives for the Panthers, two touchdowns. It was an annihilation already. The Eagles could only muster up another field goal. 14-6, for this team, has been insurmountable. However, something happened, and Bryce Brown broke off a ridiculous 65 yard touchdown run. The crowd exploded. It still wasn't as loud or energetic as games I have been to in the past, but for the season, it sounded like the crowd woke up. What happened next was just a total folly that could sum up the season. It seems like every game lately has one of them. A missed extra point against the Cowboys, a ridiculously deep touchdown reception for the Redskins, and the Eagles going for two just to tie the game rather than being 1 point down with the extra point. There was no chance in Hell that the Eagles would convert. And they didn't. They did manage to hold the Panthers actually and soon enough scored a field goal to go ahead before the end of the half. That was pretty awesome, to see them carry a lead into halftime. When this happens, they tend to blow it.
The third quarter saw a lead swap and eventually had the Eagles up 22-20. Sometime in the third quarter, the defense came alive again. Mike Paterson, who had BRAIN SURGERY in the off-season, made an amazing sack. The Panthers punted, and the Eagles looked prime to make a good run to the end zone. Adrenaline was flowing and the fans could...wait Bryce Brown fumbled. That was his second of the day, I think, by that point. It was essentially a pause in the game for the Panthers offense that gave them like 40 yards of progression. The Panthers either did a field goal or a touchdown at that point. I think it was the field goal. Eventually Cam Newton jumped and extended the ball into the endzone, and the game score was set. 30-22. I forget if it was a punt or kickoff, but Boykin was making a very good return (another rarity for the Eagles) and the crowd is starting to get frothy at the mouth that they may see something finally that is posi...oh Boykin fumbled at like the 40 yard line.
My friend asked me if I wanted to leave. There was just over 4 minutes left. I didn't want to. I said, "Sorry brotha, I'm a fan. I still believe there may be some kind of chance. I need to see how this ends." Yeah, I may be a delusional fan, but hey, the defense was 50-50 all night, maybe they could be 51-49 for the night. Alas, the Panthers ran out the clock to the two minute warning. Cam started taking knees and we rolled.
If this was like 2 years ago maybe the crowd would have thought they had a chance to see something magical. I don't know why I expected two teams with a previously combined 5 and 15 record would put on a classic game. Shame on me. Now those teams combined records are 6 and 16. At least it was one of the closer Monday Night Football games as they have recently been real clunkers. I don't know how the game came across on TV. But the Eagles actually showed that they may be able to pull something off when they work together. I hope it was respectably entertaining.
So, moving forward, I realize I start a lot of my paragraphs with "so." Next week, the Eagles are featured in prime time again. We are talking Sunday Night Football!!! More like Sunday Night Foolsball. The 3-8 Philadelphia Eagles are coming Dallas to get obliterated by the contending Cowboys. I honestly have no faith in this game. If the rookie is our quarterback, he will get eaten up. He mustered a touchdown against the Cowboys in his first pro playing time. However, that would be his last and he was eventually owned by the Cowboys defense.
What are the Eagles now? They are the Kansas City Chiefs. I like the Chiefs, too. But they are now the team you start your fantasy team against. Don't trust the Cowboys defense for the rest of the year? Start them against the Eagles. Remember when Kevin Ogletree was the shit in week 1? Bring 'em back.
What do I want with the Eagles at this point? I want them to finish 0.500. If they fail next week, I want them to finish 7-9. And so on. Even if they finish 3-13, I want to see my team. No matter who is the coach, the quarterback, the line, the secondary - I just want to see a team that wants to play for my city. But I don't see that. You are all grown men. Just play like you are proud of yourself for making it to the NFL, not just being complacent with it. What about some pride in your work. I guess what I am looking forward to, and what I HAVE to look forward to, is people playing for their jobs, and possibly knocking some teams out of playoff contention. Rebuilding will be more painful than this. So I want to enjoy what there is left to enjoy of this season.
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