Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie gave his State of the Team address today and made a number of newsworthy comments.
First of all, he said he still loves the fact that Andy Reid is his head coach but he didn’t say he wanted to extend his contract which ends in two years. It makes me all the more sure about what I said previously about Reid and his quarterback, Donovan McNabb.
They have two years to get the job done or they’re gone. Eagles President Joe Banner’s comments about the team having the best roster in the league wasn’t done on a whim.
Maybe some of the feistiness on Reid’s part about the public disclosure of the injury to Stewart Bradley is because he can hear and see the clock ticking.
Lurie told us in a roundabout way that he’s retiring Brian Dawkins number. According to Lurie, no other Eagles players will ever wear Dawkin’s number twenty-jersey, again.
The owner of our football team told us that the long season and tough post-season really tests the entire roster. He believes they all expose the character of the players and coaches.
When asked about the decision to put President Joe Banner out in front as a public spokesman, Lurie defended his long-time friend, “I see nothing but positive with Joe [Banner]. He is one of the best executives in sports," Lurie said. "Sometimes what’s written has no reflection of reality. He is one of the hardest working and best hearted people you could ever come across. I pay no attention to inappropriate headlines or anecdotal conversations or anything like that. We are talking about a star in the NFL and a star in sports. He does a great, great job.”
He also told us that the NFC East is the best division in football and he focused that comment on the quarterbacks in the division. He made a statement that again backs up my belief that Reid and McNabb have two years remaining here in Philly if they don’t win a Super Bowl.
Lurie looks at McNabb, Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Jason Campbell as superior quarterbacks because he feels they can win a Super Bowl. He thinks everything is about the quarterback.
Therefore he probably gives Manning more credit for beating the New England Patriots even though he only led them to only 17 points against a mediocre defense.
The Giants defense held one of the greatest scoring offenses in NFL history to a mere 14 points and Manning is more responsible for the victory. You’ve got to be kidding me.
I’m not a believer in the quarterback-hype. Quarterbacks don’t win championships, teams win championships.
Also all of the other NFC East teams have outstanding defenses and running games. Take away those defenses and running games and you’re not talking Super Bowl.
In addition who told him the Redskins are good enough to win a Super Bowl. Maybe it was some of Jason Campbell’s relatives.
Lurie refused to comment on the Juqua Parker arrest.
