by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

It’s fickle. It’s phony. It’s totally Philly.

This farewell to Nick Foles silliness with all the dripping-with-sincerity well-wishers making sure that he, the only quarterback in franchise history to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory, knows that he will forever be … a legend in town.

Puh-leeze.

The majority of people sharing such sentiments were the same ones who either outwardly stated how things would have been even better with Carson Wentz at the helm or inwardly wished Wentz was at the helm because he – not Foles – was their guy.

The memory of what Foles accomplished not only last season, but this one that was careening off the rails for the Eagles until he took over for an injured Wentz yet again, started to fade immeasurably the moment that spot-on pass went right through Alshon Jeffery’s hands and into New Orleans defensive back Marcus Lattimore’s lap to seal an NFC divisional-round clinching victory for the Saints.

You could hear the collective sigh of mindless rationale immediately emanating from Midnight Green Nation, headed by, laughably, the media, across the country – or at least read about it in ridiculously stated code.

The gist of it all: “Well, now we can get back on the path we wanted. With our ‘franchise quarterback’ at the helm.”

Yes, you can … and, at this point, you – and, more importantly, the Eagles – should.

This is the reality: The Eagles have believed in Wentz from Day One. They bent over backward to move up in the 2016 NFL Draft to get him with the No. 2 pick. They traded Sam Bradford the moment it became possible to do so in order to make Wentz the starter. They gave Wentz carte blanche to do whatever he decided was best to do from his first snap.

With that, he has performed well. As well as credited as performing? That’s debatable. Highly debatable. We could argue stats all you want, but they can be skewed. Heck, Wentz was a shell of his 2017 self this past fall, yet his quarterback rating was better in 2018 than it was in his “record-setting” one.

Foles, conversely, has never, ever gained the trust of the Birds’ braintrust. Didn’t matter how well he performed, or what ungodly numbers – or wins – he put up. Or the franchise records he set. When they cast a shadow over anything Wentz did, the Eagles ignored it, or, worse, downplayed it. They, like most fans and media, just chalked it up to “in the moment” momentum, or luck, or magic.

Insulting. Totally. With Eagles head coach Doug Pederson further piling on true lack of appreciation just two days after this title-defense season ended, proclaiming, essentially, he now knows how to handle Wentz better – because, geez, if we can accomplish this, that and the other with a guy like Foles, the mind boggles at what we’ll be able to do with Wentz running the show.

Yeah, coach, get back to me when your boy makes it to the playoffs, and wins a game. Doesn’t even have to win the whole shebang. Just one postseason game.

But, we digress …

Keeping it real, Foles didn’t exactly play stellar in either of the playoff games he started this month. Oh, he performed exceptional right at the outset against Chicago and New Orleans. Then Pederson pulled in the reins, got conservative and reverted to his fetal position of calling on Darren Sproles’ number all too often. Both games.

Doesn’t matter. Even with that, Foles had opportunity to shine, and he didn’t.

Oh, he was directing the Eagles on another thrilling, game-winning drive before Jeffery’s whiff. The masses, incredulously, have somehow skirted over that in their haste to make sure it’s time to move back to Wentz. But, still, Foles was – overall – nothing special against the Bears and Saints.

His efforts paled in comparison to those he gave in last season’s championship run, when he had to throw his way out of Pederson’s “oh, he’s not Carson” shackles to bring Philly its first NFL title since 1960.

The greatness Foles displayed then … that won’t be remembered. It certainly won’t be legendary. Because the Eagles’ organization and the majority of the fan base made that so.

Everything Foles did came with an asterisk attached. Like he didn’t earn it. That he stumbled into it. That everyone else stepped up their game to carry him.

Pretty soon we won’t be hearing Foles’ name linked to Wentz, but, rather, Trent Dilfer.

With those same well-wishing phonies nodding in unknowing unison.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

City of Champions now, huh?

Maybe it is time the fan base started to act like it then.

Enough with the whining, the pouting, the crying, the bitching and the moaning all centered – at its most primal, baseline level – on how everyone is out to get us, including the medical staff of the 76ers.

Yeah, OK, no one outside of us shows us any respect.

Why would they? It’s gotta be next to impossible to feel anything other than contempt for a group that forever promotes itself as the best there is and never fails to fall into narcissistic rage should anyone question that, or, heaven forbid, disagree, before fading into a depressive funk.

Yo, Philly, toughen up.

Can’t be crawling into a hole and hatching all kinds of diabolical rationales about how the sports universe is conspiring to cause you – not the teams or the coaches or the players, but you – some undo harm every time the stars don’t align … or require surgery that may cause them to miss time. Perhaps even playoff time.

Enough with the nonsensical, “the Sixers can’t win without Joel Embiid” rants. They’re as inane and uninformed as the same ones screamed in regard to Carson Wentz a few months ago.

All the Eagles did with Wentz out was go 5-1, grab the organization’s first Super Bowl victory and have his replacement, Nick Foles, earn MVP in the NFL’s signature event.

Since Embiid banged heads with Markelle Fultz back on March 28, suffering an orbital-bone fracture to his one eye and undergoing surgery, the Sixers have gone 9-1 and become the most entertaining, free-flowing outfit this side of Golden State.

The one loss came in the last game, so, naturally, everyone is in a panic entering tonight’s Round 3 of this best-of-seven series against Miami.

Frankly, Philly sports fans have been pitching apocalyptic outcomes for the Sixers ever since that collision. Just as they did once Wentz blew out his knee.

Regardless of how much evidence was provided them that, you know what, there really isn’t anything to worry about.

Get it. A great player being lost for something beyond the next timeout can cause some concern among the masses.

But, hey, championship teams find a way – regardless of the obstacle – and when they’re showing everyone, repeatedly, that they’re doing just that, well, then, it seems only right that the, uh, support system would show something more than chicken-hearted faith.

Especially when it is “the best” there is.

Embiid or no Embiid, the Sixers can win this series. Heck, they can win the whole damn shebang.
So save the doomsday talk for something else.

You know, like a potential quarterback controversy brewing now that Foles and Wentz have both confirmed that they are, indeed, human, possessing individual wants and desires and not being cult-like linked to some phony, fan-appeasing “team first, team only” philosophies.​

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Never understood the move in the first place.

Aging player on the decline with a big mouth, Michael Bennett didn’t seem a fit at all with the Eagles, never mind a good one.

But they acquired him anyway in a trade made official last week.

Now this – an indictment for an alleged crime that took place 14 months ago that could cost the veteran defensive end a fine, a jail sentence and, frankly, his career, especially since he kept the NFL, his current team, the Eagles, and his former one, Seattle, in the dark about everything.

Not for nothing, but don’t really care about the particulars of the incident or the repercussions that could come from it.

What does raise an eyebrow for me is that someone, or some grouping, from the team’s personnel braintrust – GM Howie Roseman, talent guru Joe Douglas, head coach Doug Pederson, etc. – felt it necessary to bring in Bennett and any baggage he may have.

Didn’t seem like the type of thing a reigning Super Bowl champ would do. Came across as more of a panic move.

Guys, the blowhard stuff on the steps of the Art Museum was fine. A little chest-thumping, curse-hurling BS to celebrate a championship … didn’t hurt no one.

But bringing in a player to, let’s face it, make that a full-time thing? Not the smartest of moves.

To me, Bennett’s game never came close to matching his mouth. Oh, he can perform. He’s no slouch on the field. But he’s an overachiever who somehow has parlayed a tiresome anti-establishment act into more respect for what he does between the lines than it deserves.

A step up from Vinny Curry, who got away via free agency? Or Chris Long, who left his future in doubt with suggestions of retirement or wanting more snaps? Maybe, maybe not.

Curry, in his career, has played a fraction of the snaps that Bennett has. They’re not really comparable, due to circumstance or scheme far more than actual ability.

Long is part-timer whose impact play-per-snap dwarfs what Bennett produces.

To me, Bennett is a classic example of an athlete who became overrated because so many were concerned about him being underrated they incessantly trumpeted his deeds, often when never merited.

He’s been a Pro Bowler the last three seasons. Why? Dude has just 23.5 sacks in that time as the primary pass rusher for Seattle’s defense. His tackle total of 126 in that span is OK, sure, but he has just 2 forced fumbles.

In short, he’s not exactly a game-changer, and certainly not worthy of the hullabaloo that followed his joining Philly.

Toss in his self-absorbed ’tude and it makes little sense. Heck, it makes no sense that the Eagles even wanted him before the indictment popped up.

Perception can be a very distorted beast, and it seems to have skewed things for many when it comes to Bennett. Put it this way, ask most Eagles fans, or most NFL fans, whom they think is a better, more impactful player between Bennett and, say, Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan, odds are they will say the former, not the latter.

Despite overwhelming evidence (Kerrigan, a fellow three-time Pro Bowler and defensive end, despite being listed a linebacker, has 33.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and an interception return for a TD, against the Birds, no less, since 2015) to the contrary.

Bennett, through counsel, has stated he will turn himself into police, and the spin doctors will champion that, too.

But, for me, that doesn’t matter. The Eagles getting him does; just not a smart move.
​

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Kinda cringe-worthy for me.

Every time the Carson Wentz hype machine starts to kick in, even off the most trivial of things, such as an Instagram story he posted Monday that shows the rehabbing, knee brace-wearing Eagles quarterback making a few throws, well, it makes me feel for the fans and, ahem, "professional" media members crushing on Kid Ginger, like, “uh, umm, OK, hope you’re right.”

Don’t see the same thing at all that many of you seem to see, but, ya know, hope you are right – for your sake.

Fingers crossed. Don’t wanna see your world shattered.

Honestly, really dig Wentz. He comes across as a quality individual and something beyond that on the playing field. But the hullabaloo that follows him by just about everyone concerned, or even curious, with Midnight Green activities just seems so … insane.

Unwarranted even.

​Skewed.

Look, if you wanna prattle on about his intangibles, his leadership skills, his ability to make something out of nothing, his toughness, his command of the huddle, his confidence, his genius with processing things quickly and decisively, am right with you. No argument.

But when you start talking about his arm talent being off-the-charts or his escape-ability being at Michael Vick-level, sorry, gotta hop off the crazy train right there.

If there is one thing NOT to promote about the guy, it is his passing. He’s fine. He’s OK. He’s NFL adequate. But real good, or something more than that?

Hey, we get it. No one wants a QB controversy between him and Nick Foles. Most of you have chosen Wentz to be your savior and you want nothing to impede his path from being that. That’s fine. But he can’t throw with Foles. Just can’t. He does, well, just about everything else better than Foles, but throw, with touch, with accuracy, with timing – uh, no. Not even close. Not now. Not ever. Get a grip.

It’s OK. Your guy is still “the guy” … if he’s healthy.

Let’s chill on the Vick or RGIII comparisons on an athletic spectrum, too.

Silly stuff. Because he’s not even close. Not that kinda other-worldly athlete. Physically. Oh, he’s brilliant. But in a way they were not … and, frankly, he will need to be in order to evolve as the linchpin of Philly’s NFL franchise.

Put it this way, the injury he incurred in early December out at the L.A. Coliseum was severe. Tore two ligaments in his left knee. Required reconstructive surgery later that month.

He is not going to be the whirling dervish you remember. Not initially once he returns. Maybe not ever again.

But, thing is, he has the mind, the toughness, the physicality and that hard-to-put-a-finger-on-it quality to keep on course to be a great quarterback.

Maybe focus on that. Not the fantasy you keep clinging onto in your head.

Would bring a clearer, saner and safer view of what the future holds with him.

Or without.​