Don't Know How Good You Had It!

Donovan McNabb

If I keep on, this just might become a sports blog. Just kidding! It just seems that sports has been upper most in my mind these past few days. If you've followed this blog from it's inception (and I doubt that there is anyone other than my wife and I who have), you'll remember that my very first post was about sports and it concerned the Philadelphia Eagles. So this, my 638th post, is also a sports post and also about the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the past 72 hours, the Philadelphia Eagles have traded Donovan McNabb, its winningest quarterback ever, to its division rivals, the Washington Redskins. Why am I not surprised at such a stupid move? This is after all the city that traded Wilt Chamberlain away isn't it? Throw in Charles Barkley, Brian Westbrook, Brian Dawkins, and a few other talented and yet unappreciated athletes and you have a picture of what I'm talking about.

Everybody around the country, except for people in Philadelphia, are shaking their heads and wondering what is wrong with the brain trust (okay, if you want to call it that) in Philadelphia sports. You have people who don't watch football calling for Donavan's head. You ask them why he should go and they come up with the obvious... he didn't win a Super Bowl. You tell these people that this man won you several division titles, led this football team to several NFC championship appearences, and put you in the playoffs practically every year he was here, and they act like you haven't said jack. The reason why is because you haven't. They don't watch football and all of these statistics mean nothing to them.

True football fans know that before Donavan McNabb came to this city, the Eagles were a joke and they could be counted on to finish in the bottom (just like our basketball team, the once great 76ers). True football fans know that for the past eleven years, the Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the elite teams in the National Football League. True Football fans seam to be everywhere, except Philadelphia.

People on Sportscenter are shaking their heads asking why this guy is even in a discussion about a trade. I 've heard people comment that McNabb has constantly been getting hurt. You play football for eleven years against huge men well over 300 pounds and have them smash into you and throw you to the ground and see how well your body takes the beating.

Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Brett Farve, and Tom Brady have never been as unappreciated or as disrespected in their towns as Donavan McNabb was here in Philly. You can also bet that if they are traded, it won't be to a division rival. You can also bet that with the possible exception of Brett Farve, who is on his way out (one of these days), that if these guys are cut, their teams will get equal value for them.

I am outraged that the Philadelphia Eagles would do this to Donovan and I wish Donavan luck. What is done is done and when the Redskins come here next season, I'm rooting for them. The rest of the season, I'll root for the Eagles and hope that Kevin Kolb can live up to all of the expectations that will be put on him. I won't be surprised if these same know-nothing Monday morning quarterbacks in this town call for his head in time and demand that Michael Vick become the lead quarterback. That's just the way these fickle Philadelphia fans are. They are spoiled, they have short memories, and they don't know how good they had it.

If Kevin Kolb works out and we win the division next year and make the playoffs, I'll be happy. If the Eagles wind up in the lottery, I won't be surprised or shocked and I'm going to give all of those folks here in Philly who were cheering yesterday when news of Mcnabb's trade was announced the serious side-eye!