Donovan McNabb's Last Year as the Eagles Quarterback is Now

Ten years ago, I watched the NFL draft on television with my husband. It was during that draft that Donovan McNabb, a quarterback out of Syracuse University, was selected in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles fans in the New York audience booed the choice loudly, lustily and, at least to me, for no apparent reason. When I asked my husband why they were booing this man who'd never yet set foot on an NFL playing field, he shrugged his shoulders and said "That's Philadelphia for you." Obviously, we are not natives of this area, but have lived here long enough to have watched those initial boos and catcalls continue for the past decade.

Ironically, McNabb, his wife and little girl live less than a half mile from our own home in southern New Jersey. I've never met him, although at first, there were many reported sightings of the Philadelphia Eagles' new quarterback, their new face of the franchise. (I found the most amusing to be at the Old Towne Buffet, across the highway from the Moorestown Mall. This particular buffet chain has about as much cachet as a Cracker Barrel would in Manhattan.)

I've watching McNabb's progression from unknown to pretty good to pretty darn good and back all the way down to unknown again. It's not been a pretty sight. Philadelphia sports fans, I honestly believe, are covert racists in many cases. I often wonder if they would have booed McNabb if he had been white. After having lived in this area for fifteen long years now, I can say with all honesty that I don't think that they would have booed a Caucasian quarterback.

Much has been made of McNabb's feud with the best receiver he's ever had, Terrell Owens. We have the unique perspective of having lived two houses away from Owens (his house in New Jersey is STILL for sale, by the way, three years after he and the Eagles parted ways.) One of Philadelphia's most vocal sportswriters, Stephen A. Smith, who also happens to be black, adamantly claims that both McNabb and Owens bear equal responsibility for the rift that really did tear the team apart. I find that somewhat hard to believe, especially considering the source. (Smith is a portentious, overbearing individual who has played the race card more than once in the City of Brotherly Love's sports arena.) I do know that the McNabb family was at Owen's home many, many times when he moved here. Even little old Wilma McNabb would come by, crusing slowly through the neighborhood in a black Mercedes the size of a Sherman tank and waving to those of us who might be outside at the time.

I don't think that the fans of Philadelphia have given McNabb a fair shake from day one. I don't think that Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles' owner, has given him a fair shake. I think that the mentality of the ownership of several Philadelphia sports franchises is that of being pound wise and penny foolish. They just don't - or won't - spend the money to bring quality athletes to the city. With the exception of Owens and poor, sorely overworked Brian Westbrook, I'm hard pressed to think of any outstanding WR or TE or RB that McNabb has had with whom to work. None. The Eagles seemingly pride themselves on a stellar defense, but I'm inclined to think that that's more the workings of that silent guru of the sport, Jim Johnson, rather than the DL that the Eagles pick up, often on the cheap.

Following the Eagles' Super Bowl loss in 2004, word spread (mostly by way of T.O's always-busy mouth) that McNabb had thrown up on the sidelines, indicating that he suffered from a bad case of nerves, a lack of confidence, a lack of self-discipline. (According to McNabb, it was a case of allergies. We'll never really know.) After that loss, things - which had never been really great for McNabb in the city - got bad, very, bad. Following a torn ACL, backup QB Jeff Garcia had a stellar season, only to be shipped off to Tampa Bay by Andy Reid for his efforts.

Andy Reid, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is, figuratively speaking, joined at the hip with his chosen quarterback, some saying that he has served as a father figure as well as coach and mentor. It is my belief that a lot of the troubles that have plagued the Eagles, and McNabb in particular, rest squarely on Reid's shoulders.

After Brad Childress left the Eagles to accept the position of head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, things were never quite so good for the Eagles and thus for McNabb. Reid brought Marty Morninwheg aboard as offensive coordinator. Morningwheg should have been released by the franchise at least three years ago. Somebody is making some very poor QB calls for McNabb between Reid and Morninwheg. McNabb is certainly not in the same physical shape or predisposition that he was when he was drafted, yet that doesn't seem to have occured to either of them. After his torn ACL, he really can't run as he did five, seven years ago. It's painful to watch McNabb, who was once quite nimble in the pocket, now lope off to his right side, almost seeming to drag the rest of his body with him. What is wrong with Donovan McNabb is what is wrong with Andy Reid. Reid is a poor coach, and his bad calls and decisions are as much responsible as McNabb's physical problems for his current abysmal performance on the field. He's not the same QB that Reid drafted ten years ago. Unfortuntely, Reid is too proud, too stupid or a combination of both qualities to admit this.

I believe that there is a place in the NFL for McNabb to start afresh. I believe that with proper coaching and a fresh start, he has many years of quality play left in him. It's just not going to happen in Philadelphia. Too much water under the bridge, too many people in places of authority with locked mindsets, have combined to make that a reality. The coach who drafted McNabb a decade ago is largely responsible for his declining performance on the field. It's time to move on to greener pastures - and a more appreciative fan base, and a more enlightened head coach -, Donovan.