Chip Kelly, meet John McKay. And you might want to consider adopting his sense of humor.
Like Kelly, McKay was a legendary college coach, the faces of excellence at USC. He got lured to the NFL by the thought of taking over an expansion team, the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Unlike Kelly, McKay had a sense of humor.
When asked what he thought of his pathetic team's execution, McKay famously shot back: "I'm in favor of it."
Kelly is not nearly as clever.
Execution is Chip's new favorite word. He insists that's what at the root of the Eagles' problems, and their 1-3 record.
Every time he's asked about what is ailing the Birds' offense, which has a penchant for not showing up at the start of games, he insists it's all about "execution."
Not talent. Not play-calling. Not desire.
It's execution.
The smartest guy in the room isn't budging.
"I think we have the right guys, and we're doing the right things," a defiant Kelly informed the media after Sunday's game in which the Eagles' offense again was pretty much non-existent in the first half. "We need to execute the plays better. That's what we need to do."
Kelly insists his team is merely a couple of plays - and kicks - away from being 3-1 and leading the division, instead of 1-3 and at the bottom looking up at three other mediocre teams all deadlocked at 2-2.
Chip Kelly put this team together. He won a power struggle in the offseason, deposing GM Howie Roseman. All personnel and roster decisions are now in Kelly's hands.
How's that working out for you, Eagles fans?
The least Kelly could do would be to emulate McKay, and develop a sense of humor.
Instead, he seems to bristle at anyone who questions his thinking. That now might include star running back DeMarco Murray, who made it pretty clear after Sunday's brutal loss to the Redskins that he didn't think he was getting the ball enough. It will be interesting to see what if anything happens between Kelly and his star back.
In Kelly's world, it's all about culture. It beats scheme. It even trumps talent.
If only it worked that way on the field as well.
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