December 20, 2005

Defending Donovan, Cont'd

Les Bowen of the Inquirer writes the column that every yammering talk-radio idiot should read:

THE NEXT person who spews an anti-Donovan McNabb screed should be forced to watch the tape of Sunday's Eagles-Rams game until he or she repents.

McNabb - despite the overpublicized griping of some former political aide who writes for a newspaper nobody knew existed a month ago - is far from "mediocre at best." He's made five Pro Bowls, set a number of franchise passing records, led a team to five successive playoff berths and the Super Bowl.

"Mediocre at best" is what the Eagles have now, and what they are likely to have whenever McNabb's tenure here ends...

The Eagles aren't about to go off in another quarterbacking direction, but if they did, the odds say they'd likely end up with an Akili Smith or a Tim Couch. Precious years would be wasted figuring out that the developing quarterback wasn't developing. Then they'd start over...

It's not OK to think that guys capable of throwing more than 30 TD passes and fewer than 10 interceptions, as McNabb did last season, grow on trees, and all the Eagles have to do is reach out and grab another one. In fact, McNabb was the first QB in NFL history to ever accomplish that feat, which would be truly remarkable for someone who was "mediocre at best."

Quarterback is the most important position on the field, and the Eagles have a talented one, who has tried to conduct himself with dignity and restraint. I don't buy the idea - pitched mostly by people who have never seen the Eagles' locker room except in the background of interviews they watch on TV - that McNabb has somehow lost some of his teammates in this bewildering mess of a season. But if he has, maybe the Eagles need to lose those teammates, and find some who understand what a privilege it is to play with a franchise QB.

But... but... he's aloof! And he can't win the big one!

Posted by Stephen Silver at December 20, 2005 08:28 PM
Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?