The Phillies open their season exactly one week from today in Texas vs. the Rangers.
So of course we will talk about the Eagles.
There were two big Eagles developments over the weekend. First, in a move that will no doubt be cheered by many, the team noted the end of the Michael Vick Era. The quarterback signed a deal with the New York Jets and will compete for the starting job against Geno Smith. The Jets released Sanchez.
Vick was not going to get an opportunity to be a starter here, so he decided to move on.
As with just about everything else he did since arriving in Philly, Vick departed with class.
Just as he did every day since leaving a federal prison and re-entering the NFL in Philly after serving two years for running a brutal dog-fighting operation, Vick said and did all the right things.
He released a letter in which he thanked Jeff Lurie and Andy Reid for giving him another chance at an NFL career. And he also thanked the fans.
This has not - and likely will not - be a popular opinion. I was a big Michael Vick fan. Or maybe I should say I was a big fan of the Michael Vick who showed up in Philly.
I could not stand the Michael Vick who played in Atlanta, who once flipped his own fans the Bird as he exited the field after a poor performance.
I abhor what Vick did in connection with those dogs. And I understand why some people divorced themselves from the Eagles for the second they introduced Vick as being part of the team.
But he paid a huge price for his transgressions. He lost two years of his prime in the NFL, which equates to untold millions. He spent two years in prison.
And he clearly was a changed man when he got out, and landed in Philly.
From Day One, he did and said all the right things. He was a leader, and a solid teammate.
I will miss him, and wish him well with the Jets.
Then there is the DeSean Jackson story.
I must be missing something here, or there is something that the rest of us don’t know.
It now appears clear that Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman are not fans of the pint-sized wide receiver.
Jackson did not help his cause when he announced, just hours after the Eagles’ unexpected season was short-circuited by the Saints, that he would be looking for more money.
He’s also prone to disappear for some plays and even some games.
His size leaves him at a disadvantage against the superior teams in the leauge, such as the Seattle Seahawks. Maybe that’s why the Eagles have decided to move on.
But even at that, I’m not sure they would simply release Jackson and not get anything in return.
Like I said, there has to be something else at work here.
I hope at some point we find out what that is.
Comments