Weapon X Mailbag: Who is the tomato pie of Philly sports?

We’re in full offseason mode and it’s a lull period, so I’m going to go goofy with our lead question this week:

@TheNotoriusGVB: Who is the tomato pie of Philly sports? (Not sure I even know what I mean, but I feel like you’ll figure it out.)

I don’t want to overthink this, so I’m going with the first player who comes to mind: David Akers. Now, there was this big controversy on Twitter earlier in the week after someone not From Here said they didn’t get why people like tomato pie in Philly. Should tomato pie be your favorite food? No. Is tomato pie awesome in the right setting, something to munch on at a holiday party or tailgate while you’re picking on food all day and throwing them back? Absolutely.

Taking a bite of it when the sauce thickens after being left out and getting room temperature just hits perfectly. Grab a pie from Cacia’s on Ritner Street in South Philly and bring it to Jetro or the K Lot in Week 2. You’ll be the MVP of the tailgate.

So why is that David Akers? Akers, while a several-time Pro Bowler, was ultimately a complementary player as a kicker. Still, he was damn good for a long time. We took for granted having an awesome kicker all those years. With the way kicking woes have plagued the team at times since then, I yearn for the days of David “Green” Akers.

Its excellence is consistent. You might take tomato pie for granted. Don’t. Have a slice while you’re stress-eating during the Dallas Monday Night Football game. You’ll love it. If you don’t order one the following game, you’ll think, “Damn, I really wish we still had tomato pie.”

I wish Akers could still be the Eagles’ kicker. I wish I could have some tomato pie right now.

[BLG Note: I’d just like to add that Trenton tomato pie is arguably the GOAT pizza style. Just had one over the weekend and it was fantastic, as always. Pictured below.]

@Aidan00459305: Who is realistically getting traded at the deadline this year for the Eagles?

Howie Roseman has consistently been the most aggressive front office executive in the league. While I would actually begin getting feelers out there for old-ish stars like Fletcher Cox who could still command a hefty return, I’ll believe it when I see as it concerns this franchise.

@MillsWrld: Do you actually buy what’s been going around saying Howie is going to make a big move before the season starts?

This basically comes down to whether you think the Eagles are going to make a trade for Deshaun Watson, right? I’ve written previously that I want nothing to do with Watson at this current point in time for ethical and moral reasons.

There are two ways to look at the Watson rumors:

• There’s enough smoke on the Eagles’ part that there is legitimate interest even with the pending legal ramifications.
• The Eagles are starting a second-year, second-round quarterback with four career starts and it makes sense for either the Texans or Watson’s agent to leak them as an interested party.

My head says it’s the first option, but my heart says it’s the second.

Again, as I mentioned regarding Roseman’s aggressive nature, I can’t say that this type of deal would shock me.

@CitizensBankers: Thoughts on the Eternals trailer?

I’m into it! There’s been some controversy surrounding it given that the characters’ designs and outfits, as well as the scenery, are quite muted. That’s a resounding difference from what we saw when the characters were originally created by comic book legend Jack Kirby in the ‘70s. If you enjoyed the technicolor thrills of Thor: Ragnarok, that’s because that film had Kirby’s fingerprints all over it. Eternals? Not so much, at least on the surface.

It’s a risky move on Disney/Marvel’s part. We’ve seen another completely unknown cast of characters explode into stars with the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, but this one seems even grander in scope. With the idea that the Eternals themselves have been on the Earth for thousands of years, we’re likely going to see some retconning and get a look at past major MCU events through a different prism.

Still, that cast is absolutely bonkers. Chloe Zhao just won an Oscar as a director. Marvel Studios is trying to make this their Game of Thrones and that comparison goes beyond the fact that two of the Stark children will be in this. The palace intrigue could hook us just as Thrones did.