Overall, it is a great time to be a Philadelphia Sports Phanatic (Canada changed the spelling of center, so we definitely have the right to make changes as we see phit).

I don’t know about everyone else, but despite the baggage and poor reputation we receive (on what seems like a daily basis) from all across America, I’m honored to call myself a Philadelphia sports fan.  Could it get any better than this? It’s a very exciting time for our beautiful historic city, since things seem to be on the up and up on all fronts.  Please, take a moment to digest and let me explain.

Prior to 2008, we had the longest championship drought for a city with teams in all four major sports.  Consistently, year after year, the season would begin with the highest of expectations, proceed through the season with various levels of hope, just to be battered, beaten, bruised, kicked, punched, mollywhopped, and embarrassed come the post-season.

However, the optimist in me implores you to once again bestow your faith in the athletes we have come to love and hate simultaneously.  Let me break it down for you…

Phillies

I start with the Phillies because they are the obvious choice.  They snapped that grueling losing streak in 2008, made it back to the Fall Classic again in 2009 and are primed for another World Series run.  The recent acquisition of Roy Oswalt along with the team in general realizing, “Oh yeah! Winning is fun and we’re good at it” makes all sports fans in the city unite. This team is currently the cream of the crop. I dare you to find a neighbor without any Phillies “shwag” in their closet…ok so maybe ol’ Granny next door doesn’t count.

Flyers

After reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997, and winning a home game in that series which hasn’t happened since 1987, the Fly Guys are chomping at the bit for another chance to drink out of Lord Stanley’s over sized chalice.  GM Paul Holmgren is continually making moves to better his team and this off season is no different.  I have already secured my home opener ticket and am more excited than Crosby before a dance recital. Boom! Roasted.

Eagles

While the Eagles season may or may not experience the same success we’ve had in the past 7+ years, Kevin Kolb is looking to prove himself worthy.  A dynamic offense partnered with a grinding defense will make an entertaining team to watch.  It may not happen this year, but I am confident our birds will fly their way back to super bowl contention relatively soon.

Sixers

Well, this is the one dark spot.  However, the glass is half full.  With that being said, we can’t get much worse than last year.  Young star Evan Turner seems to be the type of player a team can be built around.  If we can get some players to step up alongside him (looking at you, Jrue Holiday), maybe we can kick the laughingstock tune which has recently developed into our reputation.

Special Shoutout

I am going to take this opportunity to give a warm welcome to the Philadelphia Union.  Soccer and the MLS is growing in the good ol’ US of A and Philly is doing its part to contribute.  As with any other expansion team, the Union struggled this season.  If nothing else though, the games are highly entertaining. The stadium illustrates an overwhelming caricature of blue and gold complete with a 90 minute soundtrack of chants and drums.  Even non-soccer fans will be able to enjoy themselves.

Final Thoughts

Convinced?  I thought so.  So come on kids…dust off your blue and red cap, pull up your orange and black socks, throw on your Kelly green jersey, (dribble a basketball?) and join me in celebrating the greatness, that is Philly sports.  Oh, and don’t forget to chant “Asshole!” accompanied by an arm wave at every Devils, Mets, Cowboy fan you see.

Willie Penn would be proud.

When you look at the Eagles’ roster, there are two players with 10-plus years of experience–David Akers and Juqua Parker. This team is young, energized and ready to prove themselves.

“It’ll be exciting, everybody, including ourselves, will get geared up for what’s to come,” Kolb said in an interview with the media.

Are you geared up for what’s to come? I know I am. But, I also know there are a lot of questions to be answered and concerns to be had.

First let us begin with the transition from McNabb to Kolb at QB. Eagles fans have enjoyed an inordinate amount of success since 1999. It is only logical to feel unsure about the future of our beloved Philadelphia Eagles after the departure of McNabb. However, logical doesn’t always mean right. For Reid to trade his pride and joy—McNabb—Kolb had to be ready to step in and lead the team. There is no better time than now to move things in a different direction—Kolb under center, the young, speedy WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, the dynamic running back LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek at TE to move the chains, can now all grow together and begin a new decade of winning.

Although there is a change at QB, the offense will stay the same—West Coast style. Reid played to McNabb’s ability, which was the long ball. McNabb, rhythm and short, accurate passes were never in the same sentence unless you were complaining. That will change with Kolb under center. Although Kolb has a strong arm, he is known as a rhythm passer, who relies on short, quick, accurate passing. Kolb’s quarterbacking style plays into the receiving corps’ abilities to create and produce yards after the catch.
“Kevin’s accuracy is going to be the biggest factor [in the offense's success],” tight end Brent Celek said. “If you get it there accurately, the guy can catch it and turn up field. If it’s not [accurate], you’ve got to turn your body and it slows you down and the defense can catch up quicker. Getting the ball out fast and getting it to you in a position where you can cut up the field quickly is what it’s all about.”

With an offense based on moving the chains and using the clock, the defense now has the potential to perform at a high level. The longer the drive, the more resting time the defense will have. This is important with such a young, unproven defense. The probability of winning games increases the longer our defense sits on the bench.

Don’t get me wrong; I, in no way, shape, or form, believe this team will go 16-0. But I do think the Eagles will be fighting for the Wild Card spot in the NFC. Call me optimistic, but all signs point in that direction. Yes, this team is young and inexperienced on both sides of the ball, but Andy Reid has proven time and again that he knows how to coach—pre-gameday—and prepare his team for Sunday. An inability to execute on gameday has been the down fall of previous Eagles teams—such as McNabb’s inability to execute a simple six-yard pass. If all reports are true, and I believe they are, Kolb’s ability to execute a simple six-yard pass so that the receiver can gain yards after the catch will make Reid look like a genius.

Quick side note on execution of game day: Greg Cosell, of NFL films, was on 97.5 the Fanatic the other day. While talking about the upcoming Eagles season he said something that really stood out to me. He was talking about the Eagles vs. Cowboys, in the final game of the regular season before the playoffs began. Cosell said, “When you watch the coach’s film of that game, you see wide receivers open—wide open—but an inability, on McNabb’s part to accurately throw the ball”. Cosell continues by saying, “the average football fan watching at home just saw a QB who had no time to release the ball. The game plan was there, and working. It wasn’t executed properly”.

I threw that side note in to make my point about Reid’s coaching ability and execution. For the past ten years, when the Eagles would have a poor game, fans would sometimes put the blame on the coach’s inability to change the game plan during game time—the key word is sometimes, since Reid has had some idiotic moments, such as calling timeouts in the first quarter. Maybe, just maybe, the team’s lack of success was due to an inability to run a true West Coast-style offense correctly. That is not the case anymore. Expect big things from this young team for years to come.

The fact he was traded to the Redskins was and still is the most surprising aspect of this trade, but you wouldn’t know that if you logged on to Facebook (I am a college student this is how we gauge public opinion) on Sunday night after the news broke. You would think the McNabb trade was the apocalypse or some secret conspiracy.

Here is some people’s Facebook status from Sunday night:

The Eagles are very dumb. Donovan McNabb is the best QB to ever come through Philly. He went to NFC Championships with receivers like James Thrash, Freddie Mitchell, and Todd Pinkston. You finally give him two good receivers and two good tight ends and trade him? There goes the first Super Bowl to Philly.

and

Donovan McNabb, Dona-Dona-van McNabb, Thrown under the bus, this s— is really sad, Kevin Kolb takin’ snaps, I think I’m gonna relapse, My reality is blown; the Eagles are a joke, I’m literally f—in’ sick, watchin’ Kevin throw picks, To the opposin’ team, this must be a f—in’ dream, Andy Reid’s a fat bastard; the Philly fans are cowards, Dnabb is f—in sick, suck my d—, Michael Vick, Wings to the ‘Skins, for a couple crappy picks, in the blink of an eye, say goodbye, contemplatin’ suicide, This trade is whack, all we need is D-mac back, He shattered all the records, leaving Kevin playin checkers, Now we are the low dwellers of the NFC East cellar.

Eagles fans must have an awful short-term memory, or are “stunods” as my dad likes to say (I am hoping it is awful short-term memory). McNabb trade rumors first made the news cycle starting around March 24, and have been in the news cycle ever since. Remember he was supposed to be traded to St. Louis, then to Oakland, then to this team, and that team? ESPN and other NFL analyzers would attempt to connect McNabb to a team by unbelievably stupid connections. Al Davis went to Syracuse a hundred years ago, which means McNabb will most likely go to the Raiders. It was like watching Glenn Beck connect Obama to Hitler. Good analysis! Not!

On this very website, Andrew O’Brien (co-creator) wrote an article titled, “The nine levels of Hell: McNabb’s trade destinations”. In the article O’Brien wrote, “With the Donovan McNabb trade talks in the national spotlight, it seems all but certain McNabb will be dealt in the coming weeks leading up to the NFL draft—seems being the imperative word.”

Again I ask why Eagles fans are so surprised. Eagles fans are not known nationally for their “smarts” or “thinking” ability (trust me, this is hard for me to say since I am an Eagles fan). They are known more for harassing other team’s fans and throwing snowballs at Santa. Just look at who WIP has on the air in the morning, Angelo Cataldi, who is one of, if not the worst, sports talk radio host. He just babbles on and on without a clue. This is like listening to the Glenn Beck radio show. Both are great at giving their listeners facts. Not!

Eagles fans tend to go with their guts and their hearts. All Eagles fans live and die by the Eagles. They think about one thing and one thing only. They don’t look at other variables. It is either this or that. All of which lead to conclusions based on shoddy evidence. Eagles fans have always jumped to conclusions. Remember McNabb being booed at the 1999 Draft? Not too long after the draft they were cheering and chanting for McNabb to be put in the game.

And now fans are ready to jump off a bridge with the thought of a new era starting with Kolb as the QB.

Eagles fans have every right to be angry at the organization and apprehensive about the future. Fans can be mad about where McNabb was traded. Fans can be angry a great QB was traded and the Eagles organization decided to choose a relatively unknown QB (to fans) over a Pro Bowl QB. Fans can be mad there might be a year (or two) of subpar play. But, fans cannot be mad about the actual trade—McNabb for a early second-round pick (2010 Draft) and either a third- or fourth-round pick in 2011 draft. This trade gives the Eagles 12 draft picks in an upcoming draft full of talented players on both sides of the football.

Can the Eagles organization be arrogant, egotistical, and narcissistic? Yes. A great example is trading McNabb to the Redskins instead of shipping him off to the West coast where McNabb would be out of sight and out of mind of fans relatively fast. But, do they usually make good personnel decisions? Although there are a few exceptions, the answer is yes. Do fans have all the information the organization does about personnel? No.

It is time for Eagles fans to trust the organization.

Where I seem to butt heads with other Eagles fans is over Kevin Kolb, starting QB (at least until the end of 2010). Fans seem to be very angry about Kolb starting at QB—most likely because they know nothing about him. However, without any evidence the fans have already written off Kolb as a capable QB. Not only that but when they are making the argument against Kolb, they compare him to McNabb, an 11-year NFL veteran and a six-time Pro Bowl QB. That comparison is insane! As I stated earlier, Eagles fans make false conclusions using shoddy evidence.

It is time for Eagles fans to look at the facts. McNabb, Vick, and Kolb all have contracts that expire after the 2010 season. Vick has lost a step (or two) and was never really a great “quarterback”, he was a great “play-maker”, which he still has the potential to be, but not as a starting QB. McNabb has given the city of Philadelphia a decade of winning along with a decade of inconsistency. He is the most accomplished quarterback in the modern history of the franchise, but he failed to accomplish the one thing that everyone wanted the most: a Super Bowl.

It was evident the McNabb era would end either by trade or free agency. In my opinion, it was better to get something rather than nothing for McNabb. Kolb, although he hasn’t had the arena to demonstrate his abilities for the fans (he’s only started two regular season games and preseason games, which no fans watch), he has demonstrated to the organization and players that he is a natural leader, a much better West Coast offense QB than McNabb, and has the backing and respect of his teammates as a whole. By all accounts and reports, Kolb is ready to be the starting QB of this Philadelphia offense.

Eagles fans want success in the short-term. They are not thinking about the consequences of keeping McNabb. If the Eagles were to have kept McNabb for the 2010 season, they would have been going in blind when it came time to have contract talks with Kolb at the end of the 2010 season. What evidence would they be able to use in making their decisions? Two games? The answer is none. So yes, the Eagles took a chance trading McNabb and going with Kolb. But it was a chance that had to be taken now, not a year from now.

The odds of the Eagles winning a Super Bowl in the 2010 NFL season were slim. Their defense is not the defense of the early 2000a. As a matter of fact, their offense, without McNabb, averages 4.6 years of experience and their defense averages 5.5 years of experience. This is a young team, which is being built to win in the future. It is only logical to change things up after 11 years of being an excellent team who lost four NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.

From now on, Eagles fans should look to the future and the potential of this young football team. This is not the first time a franchise QB has been traded and it won’t be the last. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and many more have stepped in to replace outstanding quarterbacks.

Kolb is ready. He has lived his whole life around the game of football. He is a student of the game, and a natural born leader who has the whole team excited, rejuvenated, and ready to follow him to the promised land. It is now time for us fans to do the same.

Forget Roy Halladay’s debut or Tiger Woods’ “press conference”; the Philadelphia Eagles have an announcement!

The beautiful Sunday evening was shattered by the news that Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid’s chosen one and the scapegoat of the Eagles’ failure to win a Super Bowl in the past decade, was traded to the…Washington Redskins.

It wasn’t UNHEARD of—after all, FOXSports.com’s professional Matt Leinart MMA partner Jay Glazer floated the idea the other day. We all laughed it off, though, for good reason. After all, the Redskins ARE in the NFC East and ARE one of the Eagles’ biggest rival. The Eagles couldn’t be that arrogant, could they?

In short, yes. If nothing else, the McNabb trade has taught us not to underestimate how highly the Eagles esteem themselves. The organization is constantly accused of arrogance, egotism, and narcissism in how they conduct their affairs. Trading the franchise’s best quarterback within the division fully displays every one of those traits.

Granted, they did get good value for McNabb; no one can doubt that. An early second-round pick in a deeply talented draft is a quality return for an 11-year veteran quarterback who’s had his share of injury problems. If there is a lockout after in 2011, this trade will look even better—provided the Eagles use the pick properly.

Still, the fact McNabb is now the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins fails to give the Eagles fan base a sense of closure. Per usual, the Eagles could not make a clean break, but rather needed to get cute with how they made a McNabb trade. The wrinkle was the division rival, and now we must bear the burden of cheering against McNabb twice a season. Maybe it won’t be that hard once the initial reactionary feeling wears off, but for now the prevailing attitude makes it hard to root for the Eagles because of how they repeatedly conduct themselves.

And now it ends. McNabb is gone, for better or for worse, after 11 years of mostly winning football. It hasn’t been entirely exciting watching the Eagles the past five seasons, regardless of the three playoff appearances and four wins, which makes McNabb’s departure less “I can’t believe they traded him” than “They finally traded him”.

The McNabb trade was no surprise. Few can blame the Eagles for it, beyond the fact it was made with a division rival. The intentions behind its timing, however, will remain dubious so long as the Phillies upstage the Eagles in this city. Little reason remains for why this trade had to be completed tonight, on Easter Sunday and the eve of the Phillies’ opener, except for the opportunity to get the Eagles in the local and national spotlight for a few days.

With this attention-starved gang in charge, it is no surprise. Regardless of how good Kevin Kolb turns out to be, the Eagles will run second to the Phillies for the not-so-near future, and need to time their big announcements to coincide with knocking the Phillies down a few pegs.

But that’s business as usual with the Boston Baked Beans in charge.

So, let’s look at the seven possible destinations for McNabb in terms of the nine levels of hell:

Level 1: Arizona

Minnesota would seem to be the logical choice here, but Arizona combines the best of both worlds: great weather and a good team. McNabb wouldn’t have to deal with the Minnesota winters, or have to befriend Prince. He already has a house in Arizona – though the yard may need some work – and we’ve heard Matt Leinart throws some sick parties.

Level 2: Minnesota

McNabb is familiar with Brad Childress and has a lot of talent on offense. Plus, Vikings fans are already familiar with the inability to win big games. (see: Brett Favre, NFC Championship game, interception, broken hearts)

Level 3: San Francisco

Up-and-coming team in search of a proven quarterback. Also the possibility of watching Mike Singletary drop his pants. Cons: Living in the shadows of Joe Montana and Steve Young. Pros: Living in the shadows of Alex Smith and Shaun Hill.

Level 4: Washington

Mike Shanahan’s their new coach. Plus, McNabb would surely receive a $300 million lifetime extension from Dan Snyder.

Level 5: St. Louis

A bad team, but Steve Spagnuolo is a former Eagles assistant and the offense does have some playmakers in Steven Jackson and Donnie Avery. Scott Rolen parallels abound – could this be football heaven?

Level 6: Cleveland

If Andy Reid and McNabb have communication problems late in games, imagine the possibilities of McNabb/Mangini.

Level 7: Buffalo

Ralph Wilson Stadium in the middle of December, throwing balls in the dirt to Lee Evans while finishing out a 7-9 season? Sounds like a dream…

Level 8: Philadelphia

Donovan will dine in hell every night he is the starting quarterback for the Eagles without winning a Super Bowl. The only way it could be worse?…

Level 9: Oakland

So long as Al Davis’ corpse runs the Oakland Raiders, his team will represent the ninth level of Hell, reserved for treachery and losing football.

Kendra, a bona fide blonde bombshell, is well known for her girlfriend status with none other than Hugh Hefner in E! Network’s reality TV series, “The Girls Next Door“. In addition to the series, she also has posed nude in Playboy, capturing the hearts of teenage boys and perverts all across America.

Most recently, Kendra gave birth to her first (and hopefully last) child, Hank IV. To celebrate his birth, and her return, we’ve compiled some, er, relevant links:

Kendra’s blog, fresh off an appearance on Lopez Tonight.

Meanwhile, Kendra is contemplating what people are calling a “career reduction”.

Stalk Follow Kendra on Twitter: @KendraWilkinson

She’s also an entrepreneurial saleswoman! Introducing: The Kendra Wilkinson “Sport” Pole

The reason for her return? The Philadelphia Eagles resigned her husband, Hank Baskett-Wilkinson, to a one-year contract after a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts last season.

It’s good for the city of Philadelphia to have Kendra back in town sporting her fabulous set of…blue eyes.

McNabb started his first game Nov. 14, 1999 and led the beloved Eagles to a 35-28 win over the division rival Washington Redskins. In his first full season as an NFL starter, McNabb finished second in MVP voting to St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk. From that point on, McNabb, Andy Reid, and the Eagles organization were winners.

McNabb led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East championships (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004), five NFC championship games (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008), and one Superbowl. He is a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2009). McNabb is the Eagle’s all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, completions, yards, and passing touchdowns. He is undoubtedly a top 10 quarterback in the league and in my opinion, if he were to ever win a Superbowl, a Hall of Fame quarterback. Some may disagree, but with career NFL statistics such as 216 TDs, 100 INTs, 32,873 passing yards, QB rating of 86.5, and his winning record, it is hard to make a sound argument against.

Now, having said all of that, it is time to say goodbye to Donovan McNabb, and time to say hello to Kevin Kolb. Many may say why: “McNabb is a proven quarterback”; “He just needs more weapons and a better offensive line”; “It is not McNabb’s fault, it is Andy Reid’s play-calling that keeps the Eagles from winning the big game”; and “We don’t know what Kolb is capable of”.

Yes, McNabb has proven himself as a quarterback. Just look at all the accolades written in the beginning of this article.  At certain points in his career McNabb has needed weapons, especially earlier in his career. But over and over again when he has had weapons (Terrell “It is all about me” Owens, Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, and the other young weapons now on the Eagles), he still came up short, he still threw the football at the wide receivers feet, behind them, over them, and I think you get the point. In the Super Bowl against the Patriots, McNabb threw three interceptions (two in Patriots territory) and while down a touchdown, in the last minutes of the game—McNabb vomited in the huddle. What, are you nervous McNabb?

McNabb, even with weapons, is not known for comebacks when trailing going into the fourth quarter, McNabb is 2-for-22 (9.1%). When it comes to who is to blame, I blame the whole team and organization. Football is a team sport, but your quarterback is supposed to be your leader. He is supposed to be the go-to player when it is crunch time. A great quarterback is supposed to take over the game when it is needed. A great quarterback is someone who throws the football away on a final drive instead of forcing the throw (interception to end the game) or holding the football too long (sack).

McNabb is not that type of player. Over and over again when the team came up big it was our defense, not our quarterback, with amazing plays in the final minutes or at any time during the game. When the Eagles were contending for a Super Bowl (I don’t just mean winning 10 games and making the playoffs), their defense was ranked in the top five.

We have had twelve great years watching McNabb and the Eagles be competitive and win games. But sometimes you just need to start over. Time to start fresh, especially when your team is becoming consistently younger and younger. It is time to give Kevin Kolb a chance to prove himself. Time to give Kolb a chance to grow with and lead this young Eagles team. McNabb has maybe four or five years left in his career, while Kolb can (hopefully will be) be the quarterback for the Eagles franchise for the next decade.

Last season when Kolb had the chance to start, he showed potential and performed well. Kolb became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in their first two career starts. He was named NFC offensive player of the week in the Week Three win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Recently, there have been rumors that the Seahawks have been contacting the Eagles nonstop, interested in either Kolb or McNabb. Today, March 11, it has been reported that the Seahawks are only interested in Kolb. It would be a huge mistake to trade Kolb. The Eagles organization needs to move on. They need to think about being more than just a competitive team. The Cowboys are making noise in the NFC East and are now considered contenders. If the Eagles have done anything in the last few years, it was nothing more than sitting still while the Cowboys ran full steam ahead. This is also true for the Giants, who had a subpar 2009 season, but have a young quarterback in Eli Manning, who has proven he can win the big game.

Tony Romo is 29 years old, Eli Manning is 29 years old, Kolb is 25 years old, and McNabb is 33 years old. You may be thinking Romo, Manning, and McNabb are not many years apart. That is true. But McNabb has had an injury-prone career and has been a full-time starter for 11 seasons out of 12. He has taken a beating throughout the years. In comparison, Manning has only been a full-time start for four years and Romo has been a full-time starter for two years.

This is important because if the Eagles are to keep pace with the Giants and Cowboys they are going to need a quarterback at the helm for the next eight to 10 years. Barring a serious injury to either Romo or Manning, expect those two quarterbacks to be quarterbacking their respective teams for the next eight to 10 years, while McNabb has at the most five years left in his career. If McNabb is to stay under center with the Eagles, be prepared for subpar years filled with disappointment.

It is imperative the Eagles trade McNabb and go with Kolb at quarterback if they want to stay competitive for the next eight to 10 years, as they have been the past 11 years with McNabb under center.

All eyes were on Vick at the ceremony. The previous and probably still Most Hated Man in the NFL was voted for the award by his teammates, unanimously, in a show of some sort of solidarity for the backup quarterback. Vick was on-hand to receive the award, and made a speech in the common vein expressing sorrow for what he did, flattery for behind honored, and not-so-veiled references to his hope for future employment.

Vick called the experience humbling, then proceeded to make known (again) his desire to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Eagles officially picked up the option on Vick’s contract, meaning he will be an Eagle until traded—or be an Eagle. Fans are generally sick of the sideshow, and are hoping the bonus was a way of extending the trade window and not a sign of Vick’s future with the team.

They want him gone yesterday, for some sort of draft pick. His options may be drying up, however.

Sal Paolantonio, on 97.5 The Phanatic with Mike Missanelli Tuesday, said every Eagles quarterback but Vick is drawing interest from other teams.

Seattle is reportedly interested in Donovan McNabb and/or Kevin Kolb, a sure sign new Seahawks coach Pete Carroll does not believe in the long-term (or short-term) durability of Matt Hasselbeck’s hairline body.

Paolantonio also said the two teams linked to Vick—Buffalo and St. Louis— have withdrawn their interest.

There you have it: No one is interested in Michael Vick. The attention he draws these days comes from publicity-starved radio stations and dog lovers—neither of which will help him get a starting job in the NFL next season.

If he is forced to spend another season as a backup quarterback in Philadelphia, which would take real courage, Vick may just be in the running for the Ed Block Award in 2011.

Michael Vick leads this list, naturally. The Eagles picked up the $1.5 million roster bonus for the man determined to make up for every radio interview opportunity he missed while in prison.

In picking up the bonus, the Eagles have hopefully only bought themselves more time to trade Vick. If they are indeed set on keeping Vick, or worse, all three quarterbacks, next season, there is a real danger of sports talk radio imploding in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Other contract news saw the Eagles re-sign Mr. Reliable Hands, Freddie Mitchell Kevin Curtis Jason Avant, to a five-year deal. Avant, a restricted free agent, was a surprising find for the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He had 41 catches last season, and has shown a willingness to go over the middle that has made him a fan favorite—just like Todd Pinkston. Or not.

The Eagles also slightly restructured the contract of the more stable Andrews brothers (remember, it’s all relative), Stacy. The big free-agent acquisition of last offseason barely made it onto the field in 2009. Coming off a torn ACL in 2008 while with the Bengals, the Eagles still felt it was a low-risk move to sign Andrews to a big deal in hopes of solidifying the offensive line—and, more importantly, play lifeguard for his brother Shawn while he got his Michael Phelps on.

That didn’t work out so well. Now Andrews has one more season to prove himself to Big Red and Howie Rosepetal.

In the last move of the day (presumably), the team traded former second-round draft pick, top receiver of the future, underwhelming big contract, and best fifth wide receiver in the league Reggie Brown to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth-round draft pick.

A second-round pick out of Georgia in 2005, Brown’s career arc has been an interesting one. In five professional seasons, he’s posted 43, 46, 61, 18, and 9 catches. Those last two numbers got him traded, with injuries and whatever else attributing to a rapid decline for a once-promising player who was making big money as a special-teams gunner.

And with Brown goes a good nickname: Downtown Reggie Brown. Does this mean Kevin “White Lightning” Curtis is also in danger? We fear for the future…

Citing the usual unnamed, unidentified, and anonymous sources, it was reported that Andy Reid is the only one among the Eagles’ decision-makers who wants Donovan McNabb back as the quarterback next season.

This is really no surprise. McNabb has always been Reid’s quarterback and Reid McNabb’s coach. The pair has achieved a lot of success since the coach selected the quarterback second overall in 1999, though not the ultimate prize, which they feel continues to be only a lucky bounce away. Hence,the continuing status quo and growing frustration.

What is more surprising is that the rest of the front office appears to be set on moving McNabb. The impression of the Eagles organization is one of blind unity in thought, without dissension or strife, but if this report is indeed true, the view changes significantly.

Beyond that, everything has been quiet on the free agency front for the Birds. Fullback Leonard Weaver re-signed for three years, but nothing else has happened. The team was said to be in on Julius Peppers before he signed with the Bears, and have reportedly talked to free agent defensive end Aaron Kampman, but he will likely sign elsewhere.

The Rams, a team in no position to win a Super Bowl next season, apparently are keen on No. 5, which begs the question: Why?

St. Louis was the worst team in the NFL last season (hence their picking first overall) for a lot of reasons, the biggest of them being the lack of a steady (or competent) quarterback. Similar to the last few seasons, Marc Bulger was in and out of the lineup due to various injuries, and his backups were nothing better than mediocre.

First-year head coach Steve Spagnuolo put together a team that competed hard every week, but the absence at the quarterback position probably lost three or four games for the Rams last season. Not that losing is a bad thing for a bad team (Hello, 76ers!), but Spags obviously realizes his job is in danger if the team does not show improvement in 2010.

This is why the Michael Vick-to-St. Louis rumors make sense. Vick would help the Rams improve at least nominally, though he is far from a long-term option at the position, and it would buy Spagnuolo and the organization time to find and groom another quarterback.

For some reason, the same logic does not apply to McNabb. Vick has plenty to prove coming off his first season back in the league, and would allow the Rams to use the first overall pick to draft a more proven commodity than Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen. Plus, he would be cheaper to acquire than McNabb—the Eagles, despite their public stance, will probably jump at any draft pick in the fifth round or higher for their former social-redemption experiment.

McNabb on the Rams, however, would be a waste. It is inconceivable the Rams would be any better than .500 at best next season, and it’s fairly obvious McNabb performs best on a team capable of flaming out in the postseason.

Of course, that logic is contradictory to why the Eagles should/would get rid of McNabb. They are a contender now, but at least they have the luxury of Kevin Kolb to fall back on. There’s no reason to think the Eagles cannot flame out just as spectacularly with Kolb as they have done with McNabb, and who knows—maybe the team will actually not collapse in big games.

Earlier today, the all-wise, all-knowing, Ochocinco-loving Skip Bayless said something stupid wondered aloud (via Twitter) if the Rams would give up the first overall pick for McNabb. Were that the case, we’d gladly carry McNabb to St. Louis and stop in Nebraska to bring Ndamukong Suh back to Philadelphia.

In reality, Skip is an idiot prone to exaggeration at times—and no one ever accused him of being a man the smartest guy. If the Rams agree to that, though, they don’t deserve to have the first overall pick in the draft anyway.

deseanjackson10 posts on Feb. 22nd at 11:51 PM:

“Wassup world y’all talk 2 me I’m at tha house chilln enjoyn time off is great wat a life…”

I’m sorry…Nuff said. Sheeeesh!

On Tuesday, hours after Brian Westbrook was released by the Eagles, SportsCenter thought they had wrangled the free agent running back for a live interview. What they got was something quite different:

“I look forward to a future of worshiping the prostate of Howard Stern.”

The faux Westbrook is actually Captain Janks of the Howard Stern Show; hence, the prostate reference. Who knows how this happened, but a major breach at the Worldwide Leader means a few good laughs for all of us.

This must be Tony Kornheiser’s fault somehow…

Your Philadelphia Eagles cut your heart out once again this offseason. Last year, it was Brian Dawkins. This year, it is Brian Westbrook, the one-time most explosive player in the NFL and the glue to an Eagles offense for a good part of the his eight seasons with the team.

It is rather ironic the day after LaDainian Tomlinson was released by the San Diego Chargers, Westbrook was stuffed in the trunk and dumped on the side of his own expressway, 36-West. This is business in the NFL these days, and unfortunately this is no surprise. Westbrook only played eight games in 2009, hampered by ankle and knee injuries along with two concussions, and was far from the dynamite all-purpose player of his prime.

In his career, Westbrook has rushed for 5,995 yards and 37 touchdowns, to go along with an impressive 426 receptions for 3,790 yards and 29 touchdowns. If he will continue his career is unknown, and where that would be is an even bigger question, but the realization sinking in across Philadelphia is LeSean McCoy will be the starting running back for the Eagles in 2010.

According to the Eagles website, a press conference is scheduled for 4 PM. Prepare yourself to say goodbye to another Eagles great.

“On my cali shit that’s why the world of tweet ain’t heard from me…. y’all stay tunned tho got major shit craccn betta believe dat…”

Not a great week for DeSean tweets. He did give us a lot of his insightful Ustreams though. I suggest taking a look at those if you’re in need of your D Jacc fixin’ for the weekend. I’m not sure what his “major shit craccn” is but I’m guessing it has something to do with his new sleeve tattoo? Oh we believe that. Nuff said. Sheeeeesh!