By Ben Present
At around 7:30 p.m. Sunday night, as the sun was just setting on our nation’s capital, as the Philadelphia Phillies were less than 24 hours away from beginning their NL title defense in the very same district, and as Philadelphia’s most influential blogger (me) was out for a stroll on an otherwise beautiful night outside of D.C., the news broke. Somebody from home would be joining us very soon.
The Eagles reached a deal with the Redskins to ship quarterback Donovan McNabb to their division rival, showing respect to their 11-year starter but, in the eyes of many, none to their fans.
My phone rang. It rang a lot. Some calls were happy, others sounded like misdials for a suicide hotline. Lifelong fans were ready to give up on a team I’ve watched them cry over. Those calls didn’t bother me quite as much as the one that came in to break the news. “Did you hear about McNabb?” “McNabb got traded to the Redskins!” Of course I knew! It’s my job to know! I thought everyone I knew read Wednesdays With Kevin. Perhaps we have some more branching out to do.
I’m going to abstain from publicizing how I feel about the move. We’re all going to hear enough of that over the next few days. Instead I’m going to take the Dr. Seuss approach. The world’s most famous doctor once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Let’s take a look back at one of the most cherished careers in the history of Philadelphia sports.
As many things do in Philadelphia, McNabb’s career started with boo-ing. A lot of it. They Eagles fans present wanted their front office to take Ricky Williams with the second overall pick in the 1999. Instead, they took a risk on a 22-year-old quarterback out of Syracuse, and they were met with this. And while Ricky’s career was respectable, it was often clouded by issues off the field. McNabb, the city would learn, would bring no such haze to the city of brotherly love.
His rookie season showed promise. He started about a third of the team’s contests, displaying a powerful arm but also some real dynamic athleticism. He could throw it deep (sometimes even accurately); he could make guys miss; he could run the ball 30 yards down the field himself; he was about to turn around a franchise that had been won only 14 games in the past three seasons.
During his second season, he showed just how quickly he planned on turning that team around. And for the first few years of his career, many remember him as being as close to perfect as it gets. Back-to-back-to-back 300 yard games, perfect passer ratings, 100-yard rushing games. He also rarely turned the ball over. Throughout his career in Philadelphia, fans, coaches and teammates got accustomed to fewer interceptions than those vying for any other active starter.
McNabb quickly turned the Eagles into a playoff team and every season brought with it higher hopes than before. He looked more and more like a pocket passer every game. But quietly mounting behind what statistics suggested was straight-up dominance, were injury concerns and questions about whether McNabb had the poise to play on football’s biggest stage.
Helping Andy Reid achieve an impressive playoff record, McNabb lead the team to three consecutive NFC Championship games between 2001 and ’03. But the team fell in each contest. In 2003, during a late fourth quarter comeback, McNabb completed one of the most celebrated passes of his career, known exclusively as fourth and 26, to lead his team from behind and make their third straight conference championship game. Again, they fell. This time to the Carolina Panthers by a disquieting 14-3 score.
In 2004, everything seemed to be coming together for McNabb’s Eagles. With running back Brian Westbrook in his prime and key off-season acquirements of Jevon Kearse and Terrell Owens, the team seemed primed to make it’s run at the dynasty that lived 500 miles north, the New England Patriots. During the regular season, the Eagles breezed by opponents, winning their first seven on the way to posting a 13-3 record. McNabb and T.O. seemed to be the best of friends for the first part of the season. For the first time in his career, Number Five had a legitimate downfield weapon. But in classic T.O. form, the receiver got in McNabb’s face when he didn’t feel like he was getting the ball enough, and the two never really seemed friendly after that point. In fact their rivalry is viewed as one of the biggest intra-squad rivalries the NFL has ever seen. After Owens broke his ankle late in the season, McNabb made it clear that he thought his team could win with or without their star receiver. After all, the Eagles were a playoff presence for four years without him.
Making it to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1981, when they lost to the Raiders, the Eagles looked to dethrone Tom Brady and the Patriots, who were making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years. There were two big questions going into the game, and both of them were answered game’s end. The first was how big of a factor T.O. was going to be, and he proved to be more than a decoy returning from his ankle injury. Secondly, people wanted to know: Does McNabb have the leadership and poise to win a championship against such a dominant Patriots team? After the game, many argued the answer was no.
McNabb had success and struggles in his only Super Bowl experience. He threw three touchdowns, but also three interceptions. And even though he denied it, some of his teammates claimed McNabb was ill the whole time. Others came out saying the pressure was too much for McNabb. The rumors that he threw up on the sidelines or field have never been confirmed.
Thus, the McNabb legacy in Philadelphia, while he was undeniably successful, has one gaping hole: it is without any championship rings. The years ensuing his championship loss have been filled with up and downs and injuries but a few glimpses back to the old McNabb. He has been somewhat successful running the ball (when he tries), he has shown poise in the pocket (although he often puts on his patented “happy feet”), and he has meshed well with second-year wide-out DeSean Jackson. Things were looking up for Mcnabb heading into his 12th year as an Eagle. And he wanted to stay.
But when the front office made their decision to send of their pro-bowl QB elsewhere, he decided he was at least going to pick where. Through refusing to talk with teams he wasn’t interested in like Oakland and Buffalo, Yahoo! Sports reported, McNabb forced his front office to send him to Washington.
To see him go is sad. And there are definitely questions about Kevin Kolb’s readiness to come in and be a starter in a town that is used to winning in football. The Philadelphia Phillies’ heroics aren’t going to take any of the pressure off, either. Regardless, those in Philly, fans from elsewhere, and simply those who appreciate the game, should strive to look back on the McNabb era with gratitude. He is one of the all-time greats. And that first time he comes back to Lincoln Financial Field and walks through those gates, nobody in that arena will be sitting down to welcome him. The ensuing times, however, I make no such guarantees.
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