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Thank You, 2010 Philadelphia Eagles....

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 10, 2011 1:23 PM EST

The ups and the downs, but here we are......

To BGN....

Just before every NFL season starts, fans around the world sit with high hopes as to what their team will accomplish that year. For some teams, it's to get one more year under their belt with a young squad in hopes for future success. For others, its advancing deeper into the playoffs and hoping to hoist the Lombardi Trophy....

But for us this year, it was one of the most unknown teams that we have ever seen fielded. Everything had changed and it was so hard to predict what we could do. Our franchise QB was gone. Our young defensive coordinator was starting his 2nd year and we were hoping he was coming into his own. We had a huge draft class with a lot of guys expected to play key positions. Kevin Kolb was handed the keys to the franchise. To top it all off, we had been beaten badly by the Dallas Cowboys to close out our 2009 campaign....

We had some analysts picking us to go 10-6, while others had us going 5-11. With as many changes as we'd seen, its tough to have any idea how things will turn out. There was little continuity. And in the NFL...that seems to be a component of success.

So here we are. Made it to the playoffs. Lost the first game. And now watching everyone that's left fight for the elusive Super Bowl Victory.....

Everyone here knew all of this though. I am writing this because of the odd feeling that I had yesterday. The feeling that we just witnessed a Philadelphia Eagles season that we wont soon forget....

I sat on the rail of the 220 level yesterday. It's on the Visitor sideline, in the endzone. The endzone where our season was officially intercepted. Very good seats for yesterdays action. A lot unfolded on that side of the Linc.

With just under 40 seconds remaining, Vick pump fakes, and stares down the sideline that i'm on.....

And right as Mike Vick let that last pass leave his hand and was heading almosty directly below me......I smiled.

The ball was in the air for what seemed seemed an eternity. The entire season wrapped into this one pass. It was all there for the taking. And it was so close....

And then it fell short. Intercepted. Game over. Just that quick.

It was OK though.....

And I continued to smile. What a season we just witnessed. What an absolutely, unbelievable season we just had. And no matter the outcome of that play....I couldnt not smile about being a part of the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles' Season.

I made it to 5 games this year. Colts, Giants, Cowboys, and Packers playoff games at home. And Redskins game in DC. I was part of this awesome year. And I am proud.....

So I will end my little "I'm proud of you, Eagles," speech with this.....

I truly believe that ONLY the team that hoists the Lombardi Trophy this year will have better memories of this 2010 season. We will all remember the Miracle at the New Meadowlands, the beatdown we put on the Redskins on MNF, the crazy back and forth with our QB's and the insane runs put together by Michael Vick.

This may not have been the way we wanted, nor the most successful seasons that we have ever had, but it certainly is one of the most memorable.

So smile today, Eagles fans. It was a heck of a ride that few expected us to take. We were a part of it, and wont soon forget.

Thank You,

GreenInBaltimore

Poll

E-A-G-L-E-S.....

EAGLES!!!!!!

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Eff age, were winning now!

by number5 on Jan 10, 2011 1:28 PM EST reply actions

Agreed. As pessimistic as I usually am, I was eerily at peace after the Vick pick. I truly believe that he made the right decision, it was just underthrown. (I wish Cooper was able to read the throw a bit earlier and have a shot at breaking it up though). The game could have easily ended in a much more frustrating way (fumble, stupid penalty, etc), at least they went down on a good decision.

On top of that, the season as a whole exceeded my preseason expectations, so from that standpoint I find that I am cautiously optimistic for next season. I look forward to the offseason moves, the draft and the influx of BGN newbies that follows, the over-analyzation of every new Eagle, the endless posts begging for this and that free agent, and so on.

by captain nodar on Jan 10, 2011 1:41 PM EST reply actions

I agree. This ending was different than others. It was almost satisfying because of the low expectations that we’d all set. Certainly a win would have been a million times better….but every team in the NFL can say that every week. Not all of them can say that they were part of a a truly memorable season like we just had…..

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 10, 2011 1:45 PM EST up reply actions

I agree as well

Great season because of low expectations…well great season period. Now that we all know what everyone is capable of, next years expectations are going to be through the roof…I can only hope the eagles can keep up

I'M GONNA TRIP BALLS!!! -Frank Reynolds

by Mapost1 on Jan 10, 2011 2:40 PM EST up reply actions

Me too.I was dissapointed, but not upset. I just really didn’t think it was fair for this season to end that way. But in the end, if you told me in September that we’d make it to the playoffs, I’d be incredibly happy. Hopefully this season was only the beginning of something great.

He's slick, he's quick, he's Michael Vick.
I’m miles ahead of you two hacks when it comes to online toughness and throwing down from behind my computer.- DickMuffin

by IwantVick on Jan 10, 2011 3:49 PM EST up reply actions

Thank you for this post

I was also at the game yesterday and you echoed a lot of what I wanted to say – I was up a lot of the night thinking of all of the “Thank you for a great season” stuff I wanted to get off my chest. So thank you for expressing that so eloquently.

Now I am all choked up :P

by Cadmia on Jan 10, 2011 2:16 PM EST reply actions

Mighty Casey was up to bat

I wasnt there. But when I seen the ball leave Vicks hand. It was like time sat still.

After the play was over. I stared at the TV for a good long while. I wasnt watching the TV any more. I was just staring at it . Trying to come to the conclusion that our season was over.
But what a great season it was!!

I loved being able to share this season with all you guys. Thanks BGN.

by greenage on Jan 10, 2011 2:23 PM EST reply actions

WOW!

Great Post. People forget how people said this was a rebuilding year. Great Job

by Mr.electric10 on Jan 10, 2011 4:26 PM EST reply actions

Tough loss

But it was a better season then some expected from us, and I’m happy with this season overall.

I am a bear of very little brains and big words bother me.

by Topher Doll on Jan 10, 2011 4:37 PM EST reply actions

Yeah. Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Jeff Laurie are all Winners!

Andy is the winning-est coach in Eagles history.
Banner is the capologist-primo, saving huge dollars creating the most budget friendly winners ever.
Jeff Laurie’s multi-million dollar investment is now worth a billion.

CONGRATS ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS FELLAS!

But I can safely and regrettably point out that you are not and more than likely NEVER WILL BE CHAMPIONS!

I want a damn CHAMPIONSHIP! Thank God for Chuck Bednarik! Love that guy!

GO VICK! (And Kolb too if necessary!)

by Lombardi and Broad on Jan 10, 2011 7:48 PM EST reply actions

Rec'd

sorry we didnt get to meet up yesterday. We ending up going to Penrose instead of Chickies.

What an awesome atmosphere at the linc yesterday. Woulda liked the win, but still….

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

by 700 Level on Jan 10, 2011 8:07 PM EST reply actions

Hey 700,
Actually very funny….we didnt go to Chickies either. Too packed. We drove by Penrose and considered there, but we went about half a mile up and went to Chili’s instead. LOL. Random, but it worked out well.

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 11, 2011 10:07 AM EST up reply actions

You gotta try Penrose man. Thats the 5th time i've eaten there and i love it. especially on game day!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

by 700 Level on Jan 11, 2011 9:06 PM EST up reply actions

I thought Eagles would only win 5 games this year

So I was very surprised by their success. But one note to Riley Cooper: you’ve got to beat that guy down if he has any chance of intercepting that pass. I saw you do it at Florida, you can do it in the NFL.

by donniethelion on Jan 10, 2011 8:13 PM EST reply actions

It was a bitter ending for me

For a trillionth of a second,I thought Riley Cooper had the ball in his hands,I shouted for no reason at all.Just like the Redskins game in week 4 when I thought Avant had the ball.It was a great ride.I will surely remember the Redskins and Giants games for many years to come.

by starship 007 on Jan 10, 2011 9:06 PM EST reply actions

I generally agree with this post

But have to admit, I am more disappointed this year than last. Last year going into the wildcard game we had just gotten our asses kicked by the Cowboys and had to go right back down there again for the playoff game. I just did not see any indicators that we would flip a switch and beat the Cowboys. The season ended with that regular season loss, IMO.

This year was different. Yeah, we lost to the Vikings, but all of our games were close this year and your going to lose some of those. I thought that the Packers game would come down to the end. Disappointing losing that one at home.

But yeah, I agree that this team pretty much played to its potential and there is definitely something here to build on.

Go Eagles!

by MRPH on Jan 11, 2011 7:12 AM EST reply actions

If our team were expected to go 0-16….there would still be disappointment at the end of each of those losses. And i get that.

But i think that you see where i am coming from when you look at it more broadly. This was a very memorable year.

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 11, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I definitely see where you were coming from....

… and agree when looking at the season as a whole. My disappointment was in comparing the last two playoff losses, not the two seasons.

Go Eagles!

by MRPH on Jan 11, 2011 12:59 PM EST up reply actions

Reading this post made me smile...

27 days from now: 1 fanbase extremly happy; 1 destroyed; 29 unimpressed…..and ONE still smiling (and a bit still drunk…lol)

by samson9 on Jan 11, 2011 9:59 AM EST reply actions

Man, this gave me chills.

GreenInBaltimore, you’re an awesome part of BGN and although I’ve been hibernating for this season, it’s great to come back to read a post of yours like this.
Rec’d rec’d rec’d (but I could only click it once)

Greenman lives!

by antoniak on Jan 11, 2011 12:54 PM EST reply actions

Thanks, Antoniak! Good to see you back.
And i tell ya what…..It was a very surreal feeling. I am such a diehard fun, and have had people calling me the past 2 days to “check on me.” Totally unnecessary. I am absolutely happy with this season, and i am glad to have been a part of it.
Glad you liked the piece!

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 11, 2011 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

Thank You, Iggles 2010 but....................

It has taken this long to calm down so I could post. I expected my Eagles brethren to be absolutely despondent with how the last 4 weeks of the season unfolded. Instead, to my utter amazement………………………………………..most of BGN is "satisfied" with the season in an overall context.

RUFKM………………………………Lets go back to the last game we won (let that sink in for a moment) Eagles vs. Giants 12/19. We enter the game 9-4 with the winner in all likelihood winning the division. For 3+ quarters we are completely outplayed and THEN like Moses parting the Red Sea, we are delivered by some great play, coaching and effort on our side and Giants completely fall apart like the mentally weak team they are (Cue the Justin Tuck soundtrack about how much he respects the Eagles and thinks AR is the best coach, is this not a man who has a mancrush!). Back to the story, we score 28 4Q pts, SHOCK SHOCK the Giants and take a 2 game division lead.

Up next…………….Minnesoda AT HOME. Third string quarterback starting. No Problem. This is going to be Easy and FUN too. Oh, BTW- thanks to old man winter, we get 2 extra days to prepare and GET FOCUSED on winning the 2 seed.

So what happens…………..Minny vs. Eagles= 24-14 LOSS. OK, well not OK….but the Eagles rationalizers are saying ya know…Minny wanted to win for Fraiser and knowing that Chicago won their game on Sunday the 2 seed was out of the question so we didn’t put the petal to the metal. Blah, Blah, Blah. OK, well not OK…….what really pissed me off about this game was how we got beat up physically by Minnesoda at home. I think this is the game where it was VITAL we maintained our edge. I mean coming off the Second Miracle we needed to play like we did against Atlanta, Indy or Wash #2. I think the level of execution and the confidence derived thereof would have left us in a better place for GB. The Minny game has to be on AR. It’s the coaches’ job to keep the team focused.

One of my good friends is a Giants fan. While I kick his ass every year, he has experienced three (3) incredible moments of pure Euphoria, three nights that he says last a whole week.
I want this feeling.
I want a Super Bowl victory.
I want to feel the Euphoria of my team winning the last game of the season.
I want a smile on my face so f’in big it should be put on a billboard.
I want to see the EAGLES SB Champs pasted EVERYWHERE

When DJ10 hits the end zone with the ball in his hand and Coughlin standing there with that stupid ass look on his face, how could BGN not think…………….this is it! This is our SIGN! Here begins our run.

Then Sunday happens. Bill Parcells said something along the lines of "the older you get…… the harder it is to take the losing". 50 years and counting.

by Whiskeysour on Jan 11, 2011 3:07 PM EST reply actions

1st of all….welcome to BGN……
To comment on what you wrote….I have to first pose the question….What was your prediction for the 2010 Eagles? McNabb left, Kolb held the keys, our defense was young, and the amount rookies starting in key positions was concerning. So with that…what record did you predict?
If i were to guess….a mid-range of 8-8 was a pretty popular pick. But……what was yours?

Certainly the goal is to win the Super Bowl. And there is nothing more i want than that! But of the 31 teams that dont win the big one this year…..I am glad that the Eagles are mine.

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jan 11, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

I had us at 8-8...

i might have wavered to 7-9 or 9-7 but i looked at our schedule, took into account our changes… and had us going .500

GIB, i GET why you wrote what you wrote. I WANT to feel the same as you, but i just cant… not all of it, exactly.

After the Comeback against the Giants, I felt, for the first time since I was born, we could win the Superbowl. I was confident. Even when we played the Pats, i was less confident then…

Vick was electrifying.. Our Offense clicked when it mattered most. Leadership. Trust in one another. Our Defense held the Giants to 7 2nd half points… Stopped them when it mattered most.

I felt like we finally had fate on our side…

I mean really, how could you not?

1) It’s Andy Reid’s time! he’s been so good for so long… (see Bill Cowher)

2) McDermott has found ways, even though giving up way to fucking many red zone points, to win games… no matter what… and with less talent.

3) Michael Vick. He IS THE STORY OF OUR 2010 SEASON. OF THE NFL’s 2010 SEASON. I don’t have to elaborate. Every able minded free-thinker associated with BGN knows what the fucking fuck i’m talking about.

During the week after the Miracle 3, I compared our team to the ’09 Saints… In theory only, mind you…

A fast, big play offense… an average defense… an average defense that had a knack for making plays when it mattered the most.

it all was for naught.

I live in the DC area (Fairfax) and i watched the game at a friends house…

I was fucking excited for this game…

I was PISSED OFF that over 80% of national sports writers picked the Packers…

I understood why but i was still pissed…

I was pissed, when a friend of mine gave me a copy of the Philly Daily News and all writers except 2 picked the Packers.

we all know how the game went.

After the Vick interception, i sat there staring at the TV for at least 5.3 minutes while conversations were taking place around me.

I was angry… no… not some much anymore… i was confused…

how could my team of destiny… lose?

i had complete faith in my eagles…

why didnt riley cooper try harder?

why did vick choose that throw?

blah blah blah…

i logged in to BGN that evening and i could tell that even our beloved leader, JasonB, was sincerely at a professional loss for words…

it took until this morning to get over it.

i now agree wholeheartedly with you.

thanks for being on, BGN.

-Chubbs Out

by Ralf E Chubbs on Jan 11, 2011 8:36 PM EST up reply actions

Destiny year

I actually thought that the year we lost to Arizona was our destiny year. We got hot at the end of the season, things fell our way in other games the last week then we crushed the Cowboys to get into the playoffs. Then we beat Minnesota and the Giants (#1 seed). When Arizona came back in that last drive it killed me. That was our year.

I never really felt that way this year, even after the Giants win.

Go Eagles!

by MRPH on Jan 11, 2011 9:05 PM EST up reply actions

I know a lot of my fellow fans will agree with me, whether publicly or privately...

but i thought once we got rid of Donovan McNabb… and had the year we had… I thought we were the fucking of destiny…

who fucking does that?

jettisons their franchise qb… for a semi unknown product??

okay… the packers… rog… but you get my point.

by Ralf E Chubbs on Jan 11, 2011 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

*team of destiny.

fuck! lol

by Ralf E Chubbs on Jan 11, 2011 9:45 PM EST up reply actions

Thank You, Iggles 2010 but....................

GIB..Thanks for the welcome. I wont write another big missive but to answer your Q: 10-6 or 11-5. New QB yes but we had weapons.. one year more mature (Shady, DJ10, Mac). I expected nothing from Wash, figured we own the Giants and though we would pay back Dallas for last year.

I can’t and won’t debate the beginning of the year with you. My despondency is that we “WERE” playing well up until the Giants game and managed to win a game we had no biz winning. Save the Bear game that was our run.

Maybe I’ve got this all wrong but just feel we powered down after the Giants game instead of exploding. Look at what NE has done after the Cleveland game. Frightening……like we should have been. I’m out.

by Whiskeysour on Jan 11, 2011 11:08 PM EST up reply actions

I went into team of destiny mode after the Giants game too. It seems like I’m watching the same movie over and over. Problem is they changed the ending at least they would win a playoff game the first 5 times I saw it.

I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.

by no1pipelayer on Jan 12, 2011 7:52 AM EST reply actions

Different season....same result

People can accept the status-quo for what it is, a business that puts salary cap and maximizing profits above all else (another successful season for Lurie and Banner). A “Patriots fan” for an Owner (at least his team still has a chance to win another championship) and a Head Coach who couldn’t adjust a game plan if his life depended on it. Sure, thank them for giving the fans exactly the same things they have been gracing us with every season, a loss and another ring-less year. Forty years and counting for this fan, I can live with the disappointment but I won’t thank them for another season which ends with a wildcard playoff loss.

by Kachtice on Jan 15, 2011 9:13 AM EST reply actions