Desean Jackson, Victor Abiamiri, and are Eagles fans losing interest?

by JasonB on Aug 14, 2008 12:26 PM EDT in News Comment 11 comments

Earlier this offseason we all winced when we heard that Victor Abiamiri, who was being relied upon as an important part of this D-line, injured his wrist and would end up missing significant time. The speculation since then has centered around whether the Eagles second year DE would be placed on IR and miss the whole season. Victor says that won't happen.

"Oh, I'll play this year," Abiamiri said. "I'm confident of that. I'm not going to miss the whole season. I'll be back. I don't know when that will be — they haven't put a timetable on it. I'm just taking it day by day right now and not thinking beyond my next rehab session."

"Yes, it's tough. Yes, I put in a lot of work in the offseason. But I have to look at the bright side. It happened early in the preseason, so that gives me the opportunity to get back sooner and miss less of the season.

"And it's not season-ending. We have the best training staff in the NFL, and I'm just doing everything they tell me. I'm confident I'll get back. I'm getting better.

Let's hope VA's optimism translates to being back on the field... A big, versatile body like Victor would be a welcome addition to the left side of this defensive line.

Desean Jackson caught everyone's eye as the standout performer in the Eagles' first preseason contest and all eyes will be on him again tonight. The speed with which Jackson has picke dup the offense and integrated himself in has surprised some, but not Sean Considine.

"His ability to get open and his ability to get downfield have been impressive," Eagles safety Sean Considine said. "He can create separation and the quarterbacks have a lot of confidence in him, which is pretty unusual for a rookie. It didn't take long for them to figure out he was getting open."

Finally, Rich Hoffman wrote and interesting piece in the DN about the noticeable drop in attendance at the Eagles training camp in Lehigh.

Definition of plummet: from a record 139,123 spectators at 11 practices in 2007 down to 80,227 at 13 practices for which the Eagles announced attendance this year. That is a 42 percent decline overall and a 51 percent decline per session, a shocking drop.

Hoffman argues that it can't be the economy because nearby Dorney Park's attendence was only down slightly... Not the most scientific conclusion I must say...

So let's take an informal poll. Did you skip training camp this year? If so, why?

Poll

If you have gone to Eagles training camp in the past, did you go this year?

Yes

55 votes

No

125 votes

180 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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Comments

Yeah, quite the exhaustive analysis he does with the amusement park comparison. I can’t believe he actually had the balls to state that the economy wasn’t a factor in a 42% drop in attendance.

If boredom or declining interest in the NFL was the problem, as he suggested, he should have cited statistics revealing declining web traffic to the official and unofficial Eagles’ or other NFL websites. Declining ticket sales, or something, anything else. But those would show the opposite effect.

Just kind of a goofy few paragraphs for him.

Eagles fans, like everyone else, are traveling less. Training camp is an easy thing to cut from a summer to-do list.

Now, if the Eagles had added some big offensive firepower, it wouldn’t have been so easy for everyone to stay away…

www.sportsdork.com

by BFH on Aug 14, 2008 12:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’ll see his Dorney Park statistics and raise him a “The Federal Highway Administration stated that Americans drove 12 billion less miles this year.”

I’m with you BFH. With gas prices the way they are, Training Camp is an easy cut from your summer destinations. First, let’s examine your typical fan that goes to see training camp. More than likely it’s a male who may/may not have pulled their wife and/or kids with them. The typical Dorney Park attendees are kids who may/may not have drug their parents along. It’s alot easier for Mr. Smith to cut training camp day out and still take the kiddies to Dorney than to come home and tell little Suzzie that she doesn’t get to go this year because daddy wants to go see sweaty men hit each other instead.

Also, let’s not forget the fact that a large number of Dorney’s attendees are local people who buy season passes.

Alot of people just can’t justify spending a hundred dollars or more in gas on something that they really didn’t need to do right now.

by foos05 on Aug 14, 2008 12:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I didnt go this year because of two reasons...

The gas price was one of them, but the main reason was that I started a new job in May and only had 8 vacation days for the rest of 2008.

I’ll definitly be up next year.

Also I figured the $ i saved in not going up this year (taking a day off work $150+gas money… aprox. $35+ Food $15 plus other eagles goodies $20… more than paid for the thanksgiving day game.

Not that I’m an accountant or anything

Concretefield can suck it

by 700 Level on Aug 14, 2008 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i missed it because of running out of vacation days and other family related plans on the weekends. already planning a weekend trip for next year

by 0sirys on Aug 14, 2008 1:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I passed this year

Two reasons;

1) Gas
2) Not excited about this team

Kevin

by kevinmc on Aug 14, 2008 2:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Is Kevininmc and Eagles fan?

“Not excited about this team”…

I say fanhood is in question

Concretefield can suck it

by 700 Level on Aug 14, 2008 2:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the craziest thing I've ever heard anyone say ...

how can you not be excited about a team that feature Westy and Number 5.

by Whodie126 on Aug 14, 2008 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

EVERY YEAR is an exciting year for a fan...

Y’know why, because this year, we are going to the superbowl. And if not this year, then next year, and if not next year, then the year after that. Every year is a year to get excited and every roster has the chance to be great.

I mean come on, just listen to spadaro talk, he would lead you to believe that each year, from his training camp prospective, we have an all pro-bowl team that could go undefeated. Now maybe this team will drop one, or two games, but I believe this will be an exciting year, and will send us back to the top of the NFC east.

If you don’t agree with me then screw off.

by thwalls on Aug 14, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sounds like a bandwagan guy.

First off, let me say, the name kevinmc is clever. If it refered to kevin kolb/Donny Mac. But its probrably just his name.

I don’t know how he can say

2) Not excited about this team

.
I guess he just missing watching Eagles games with TO.

I bet you he can’t answer questions us true fans would know.

Hey Kevinmc, you must prove your fanhood to us by answering the next few question. And do it withoud googling it. Because if you did, then you a loser.

What is the name of the player that hit Randal Cunningham in the Knee and tore his ACL.

Who filled in at QB for him. (for extra credit, what were the names of the other QB that were used to fill in for Randal) at one point the back up went down as well. I’ll give you some clues,

1. One guy was former Jet, and was a total stiff of a QB who got killed on Monday night by Washington.
2. One guy went on the World league football fame.
3. One guy father was a senator.

That same year, who was the QB the Eagles drafted in the late round from Miami that held out and never played for the Eagels?

What Houston Oiler receiver had his nose broken by Wes Hopkins in infamous Baby Bag game on Monday Knight?

Finally, Who was the QB that led the Eagles to a huge win over the Detroit Lions in the ’90s?

Hey 700 level, I know you can knock those out, with no problem. But Give my man Kevingmc time to prove himself.

Dallas Sucks

by yophillybro on Aug 14, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That same year, who was the QB the Eagles drafted in the late round from Miami that held out and never played for the Eagels?

I wanna make one correction. I am not sure of the year of the QB from QB holding out. But it was early ’90.

Dallas Sucks

by yophillybro on Aug 14, 2008 4:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Missed It

I took the day off work, had everything set up and then had a family emergency pop up so couldn’t make it. Wound up wasting the vacation day, still a little steamed about it.

www.depressedfan.com

by depressedfan on Aug 15, 2008 12:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs