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09/30 2010

Will Donovan McNabb Get Booed This Weekenzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Posted by Dan Levy.

The hot topic in the NFL this week is Donovan McNabb’s return to Philadelphia. And while most people should care about the fact that the Eagles were rebuilding with Kevin Kolb and are suddenly contending with Michael Vick or the fact that McNabb could play at a Pro Bowl level and it still may not help the Washington Redskins avoid a 1-3 start that sure a heck looks like 1-6 if they can’t win on Sunday, it seems most conversation surrounding this game starts with whether or not McNabb is going to get booed when he runs out of the tunnel.

Here’s CSN Washington’s Brian Mitchell — who played in Philly as well as Washington — talking with Andy Reid (via DC Sports Bog):

“They remember the good times,” Reid told Brian Mitchell, when asked about Eagles fans. “They might give him the business during the game or something, but he’ll get a great reception.”

Later, B Mitch asked if McNabb got a fair shake in Philly.

“Absolutely,” Reid said. “I think the organization does these different polls around the community, and this guy is loved by 99 percent of the population here. It’s that one percent that’s that loud voice.”

First of all, what is Reid going to say there? He thought McNabb got a raw deal? That’s ridiculous to ask. Second, if anyone thinks McNabb did get a raw deal, they either have an agenda or simply weren’t paying attention the last 11 years. Reid is right that most people here loved McNabb. It’s the loud few (full disclosure: I’m one of these few) who didn’t like him that seem to make people outside of Philly feel like McNabb wasn’t beloved. It’s a dozen or so morons who booed him at the NFL Draft that ruined it for anyone with a legitimate gripe about his play on the field, or how he handled himself with the media. Getting criticized isn’t the same as not getting a fair shake.

McNabb will get cheered. There won’t be more than 100 people in the stands who will boo him. If you hear the boos, it’s because the FOX sound people always mix the sound to help tell the storyline of a game. Ever watch a game where the opponent scores a big touchdown and suddenly you can’t hear the announcers over a sea of cheers, while the video shows images of home fans sitting on their hands in disgust? Thank the FOX sound mixers. They make every score seem more exciting, so if you hear vociferous booing coming from the stands, my bet is they found a few guys to stand next to the parabolic mic during introductions.

The people who want to boo McNabb are a bunch of big talkers, and not much more. Look, I don’t like the guy and think he’s one of the most divisive figures in the entire NFL, but booing him doesn’t make any sense. He’s gone already, so who cares about booing him now? Boo him when he throws a six yard crossing pattern four and half yards on third and five. Boo him when he tells local reporters one thing then talks to his national buddies and says the exact opposite, making the local day-in-day-out scribes look bad in the process. Boo him for that. Don’t boo him now that he’s gone.

Eagles fans are smarter than that. Sadly, the media storylines…don’t seem to be.

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Posted on September 30, 2010 at 3:00PM

 

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  1. Unsilent Majority
    09/30 2010

    “Eagles fans are smarter than that.”

    Whatever you have to tell yourself, Levy.