World Champion Eagles!!!!!
Still hard to believe... The following notes and thoughts on the Eagles stunning 41-33 win over New England to win their first-ever Super Bowl...
* Right from the start, it was a Philly crowd in Minnesota. Our fans traveled well all year long, and we were in attendance at the Super Bowl. The celebrities were there- Bradley Cooper, Mike Trout, my nephew Adam ( Smitty from Barstool Sports). But the everyday, loyal, blue-collar fans were here as well. Millions of fans watched at home, in sports bars and restaurants. Thousands flocked out into the street. Even here in Phoenixville, fireworks went off after the game. Cheers were heard outside.
* So great the Birds got their revenge on the evil empire, the Patriots. They proved all the so-called football "experts"- especially at ESPN- wrong. They stuck it up the backside of guys like Mike Lombardi, who called Doug Pederson the "most unqualified coach ever." And guys like writer Mike Sielski, who said the Eagles "don't have a home field advantage." Vegas, which continued to make the Birds underdogs.
Hardly anyone else believed. But the players, coaches and fans believed. And that's all that mattered.
* Jake Elliot's early missed extra-point could've came back to bite the Birds in the butt., along with the failed two-point conversion after the second touchdown.But New England botched an extra point too, as well as a field goal. Elliot came through late. His 61-yard field goal in the third game of the season to defeat the giants will always be remembered as maybe the key play during the year to vault the Eagles to greatness, a sign of the destiny yet to come.
* The Patriots only had one penalty called on them all night. Yet they whined about the two so-called controversial touchdowns by Philly ( more on those later) and even thought the Hail Mary Brady threw at end was pass interference in the end zone. What a bunch off classless sore losers, from Coach Belichek to Owner Kraft, to their pompous, arrogant fans. Sweet to defeat the best to become the best.
Screw Giant, Redskin and Cowboy fans too. No longer can they say to Eagle fans "You've never won a Super bowl." They need to bow down to the Birds. Get used to it. With Wentz returning and a core of young players,are the Eagles going to go form destiny to dynasty?
* The Philly pass rush finally got to Brady late, Brandon Graham forcing a deciding fumble. Knocking him down, if not sacking Brady, added up. Safety Malcolm Jenkins crushed wide receiver Brandon Cooks in the first half, knocking him out of the game. Big play, not only taking away a key speedy receiver, Brady's favorite long-distance guy, but sent a message to the Patriots as well.
* WR Alshon Jeffrey played great, making difficult catches all night. Corey Clement , an undrafted running back, played big. Nick Foles , the Super Bowl MVP, put the bow on the storybook season. Everyone came up big. Pederson didn't turtle-up. He learned from the failures of Atlanta and Jacksoonville and stayed aggressive. Pederson will never have to buy a drink in the city for the rest of his life. He did what Andy Reid and Chip Kelly could not. Pederson, no matter what the future holds, is now a legend in Philadelphia sports history.
* Chris Collinsworth had a horrible night calling the game with Al Michaels. He continually whined about the no-calls on the Eagles, and the two controversial Eagle TDs. He obviously was a Patrio fan last night.
I do wish they would fix the "catch-or-no-catch_ rule. Waiting for a review takes away the fun and excitement. The Clement touchdown was more Iffy than the late Ertz score, which clearly was a touchdown. The NFL needs to rework the rule and simplify it. If the refs would've turned over both scores, Philly would've gone nuts. What is a catch anymore?
* Big plays kept the Pats in the game. Good thing CB Sidney Jones will play next year, as Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby looked shaky last night. Unbelievable that the Patriots amass over 600 yards in total offense, 500 passing yards by Tom Brady, and do not punt even once, yet lose the game.
* Questions: Will the Eagles visit Trump at the White House? The parade should be Thursday- how many million fans will attend? Did anyone really care about the lame Justin Timberlake halftime performance or the Super Bowl commercials? The best ad I saw was the "I'm 85 and wanna go home " commercial- but I can't remember what it was trying to sell.
* What does it all mean/ New England doesn't get their coveted sixth title under Brady and Belichek. The Eagles defeat two hall of Fame coaches for their world championships- Lombardi and Belichek. Their dynasty is tarnished. Yet Vegas has made them early favorites to win the Super bowl in 2019.
For the Birds,they win their first-ever Super Bowl. The fans and the community came together all season. Destiny. Strangers who say "Go Birds!" in the grocery store. Little kids at schools chanting the fight song. Old folks in nursing homes , cheering, something to look forward to, their bucket list checked off,. "I can die in peace now."
Now comes the gigantic celebration and parade. Philly pride reigns. Imagine the home opener in September when the rings are presented and the world championship banner is raised at the Linc.
Enjoy, Eagle fans! It's a once-in-a-lifetime memory. Savor it. We deserve it!
Finally, Ray Didinger reported that a real Eagle landed on his garage roof Sunday morning. He got emotional as he speculated that the eagle may have been the spirit of his father, or mother, or late grandfather. I believe him. But I also think that eagle was the spirit of every loyal Eagle fan no longer with us, including my dad, who died in 1977. That bird is the spirit of past Eagle greats, like Bednarik and McDonald. And that eagle is the spirit of me and you- Eagle fans who have waited so long to call our football team champions of the world.
Fly Eagles Fly!
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