Earlier today I turned on NFL Network just as it was starting the replay of the 2017 NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the underdog Eagles. Still caught up in the euphoria of that magical Super Bowl run, I completely forgot that the Vikings marched right down the field on their opening drive to take an early 7-0 lead in that game after head coach Doug Pederson decided to defer getting the ball first until the second half.
As a life-long Eagles’ fan, I have been trained to expect the worse and hope for the best. I am sure that deep in the recess of my mind I was thinking ‘here we go again’ even though I picked the Birds to win that game.
You have to keep in mind that I was at the Vet when the Philly blew an early 10-0 lead in sub-zero temperatures against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose the 2002 NFC Championship Game. The Bucs came into that game 0 and forever in games played under 40 degrees.
The following season against Carolina at home at the Linc in the 2003 NFC title game, I watched the Panthers’ defense completely dominate Philly in a 14-3 loss. Even after the Eagles beat Atlanta in their fourth-straight trip to the conference championship, I was just waiting for the next shoe to drop against New England in Super Bowl XXXIX and it did.
I fully understood why Philadelphia had gained a reputation for having some of the most angry and inhospitable fans in the NFL even though they were living in the City of Brotherly Love. It is one thing to lose when you are expected to. Losing games on one of the NFL’s biggest stage, such as the conference title game on your home field as clear favorites is a hard pill to swallow.
The 2017 Eagles rallied as underdogs when their leader Carson Wentz was lost for the season in Week 14. In just his second year in the NFL, he was in the midst of a performance that made him a virtual lock to win league MVP.
Taking absolutely nothing away from Nick Foles (who I had previously anointed Philly’s franchise quarterback in his first stint with the team), the big gun from North Dakota State had found a way to quickly instill a winning mentality in this team. This new-found confidence was heavily fed by Pederson as one of the most unassuming, yet highly effective head coaches in this league in just his second year at the helm.
New England may have Belichick and Brady, but moving forward I would rather be a fan of a team that boasts the Pederson/Wentz combo. As my new cohort in crime at Eagles Lincs, KO Kelly would say, “It is time for Eagles’ fans to start embracing the ‘New Norm’.”
No shit the Eagles are favored to win the NFC Championship this season. They should be! You should also know by now that this homer is going ‘all in’ on a successful defense of last season’s NFL title. I have to…it is the New Norm!
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
The Neuroscience of Success and the New Norm
By KO Kelly
Last week, the former coach of the NY Giants - Ben McAdoo - offered up his prognostications on how the NFC East will play out this season. He has a great deal of faith in his old team; primarily because he doubts the abilities of the other three teams. Here’s what he had to say about our beloved Birds:
“I think Philly, how much success has Philly had? I think they are going to have a hard time handling success.”
Take a second Eagles’ fans to cool off after this incendiary take. While the messenger may not be the most qualified person to talk about success given his recent track record with it - there is still some merit in his message.
First, though, let’s go back 15 years to when Jeffrey Lurie made his infamous statement about the Eagles being the “Gold Standard” of franchises in the NFL. While the Eagles likely were the “Gold Standard” in some areas at the time (i.e. new stadium, front office operations/analytics, green & community initiatives, etc); in the one category that truly matters in the “Gold Standard” conversation - Super Bowl titles - Lurie had nothing to showcase.
Fans and commentators across the country aptly mocked his statement by pointing out the Eagles were not even the “Gold Standard” in their own state, let alone the entire NFL. Eagles fans, still recovering from their heart-wrenching loss to the NFC-title-snatching Buccaneers in January of the same year, were skeptical of Lurie’s comment and to paraphrase Rod Tidwell demanded Lurie “Show us the Trophy!”
Somewhat ironically, the taunts and jeers related to the “Gold Standard” only grew louder, even as the Eagles went on to three NFC title games over the next six seasons, because each season ended the same way: no parade down Broad Street.
They had more success as a group than any other Eagles team in decades but fell short of the ultimate goal in no small part because of egotism from a few prima donnas. They were fun to watch but they did not have the same team chemistry as the 2017 squad. They didn’t know how to handle success and the burden of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy was too much to bear. So yes, McAdoo’s comments have merit - for the Eagles of the early 2000s.
The 2018 squad, though, they are different. Decades of coming up short-handed may still be there but they are not trying to live up to being the “Gold Standard” of the NFL anymore. They are too busy working on creating a “New Norm” of playing winning football in February, which they have a good shot at accomplishing because of something called the “Winner Effect”.
Namely, when an individual wins in a contest the brain releases testosterone and dopamine, which in addition to making the individual feel good in present, “changes their brains structure and chemical makeup” over time. Therefore, when an individual overcomes one set of obstacles they become both psychologically and biologically more prepared to face the next challenge. Simply put, winning begets winning.
Does this sound familiar? It should - it explains how all of the 2017 setbacks added up to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. Every time a key player went down and the rest of the team stepped up, their brains were re-wired for success. They entered the playoffs battle-tested and ready for their next challenge. Outsiders may have doubted them but they had the “Winner Effect” literally coursing through their veins.
In his follow-up to McAdoo’s comments Coach Pederson stated, “It’s my job to make sure they don’t get complacent and we stay hungry and there is an edge.” The injured players returning to the field plus the free agents will prevent complacency from settling in; Jason Kelce will bring the hunger; and the edge will come from the championship experience they gained last year.
While there will be plenty of stories about a Super Bowl hangover or Coach Pederson being exposed or Carson’s performance potentially slipping - this team knows how to win and more importantly knows they are winners. These Birds aren’t the “Gold Standard”, they’re the “New Norm”.
Last week, the former coach of the NY Giants - Ben McAdoo - offered up his prognostications on how the NFC East will play out this season. He has a great deal of faith in his old team; primarily because he doubts the abilities of the other three teams. Here’s what he had to say about our beloved Birds:
“I think Philly, how much success has Philly had? I think they are going to have a hard time handling success.”
Take a second Eagles’ fans to cool off after this incendiary take. While the messenger may not be the most qualified person to talk about success given his recent track record with it - there is still some merit in his message.
First, though, let’s go back 15 years to when Jeffrey Lurie made his infamous statement about the Eagles being the “Gold Standard” of franchises in the NFL. While the Eagles likely were the “Gold Standard” in some areas at the time (i.e. new stadium, front office operations/analytics, green & community initiatives, etc); in the one category that truly matters in the “Gold Standard” conversation - Super Bowl titles - Lurie had nothing to showcase.
Fans and commentators across the country aptly mocked his statement by pointing out the Eagles were not even the “Gold Standard” in their own state, let alone the entire NFL. Eagles fans, still recovering from their heart-wrenching loss to the NFC-title-snatching Buccaneers in January of the same year, were skeptical of Lurie’s comment and to paraphrase Rod Tidwell demanded Lurie “Show us the Trophy!”
Somewhat ironically, the taunts and jeers related to the “Gold Standard” only grew louder, even as the Eagles went on to three NFC title games over the next six seasons, because each season ended the same way: no parade down Broad Street.
They had more success as a group than any other Eagles team in decades but fell short of the ultimate goal in no small part because of egotism from a few prima donnas. They were fun to watch but they did not have the same team chemistry as the 2017 squad. They didn’t know how to handle success and the burden of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy was too much to bear. So yes, McAdoo’s comments have merit - for the Eagles of the early 2000s.
The 2018 squad, though, they are different. Decades of coming up short-handed may still be there but they are not trying to live up to being the “Gold Standard” of the NFL anymore. They are too busy working on creating a “New Norm” of playing winning football in February, which they have a good shot at accomplishing because of something called the “Winner Effect”.
Namely, when an individual wins in a contest the brain releases testosterone and dopamine, which in addition to making the individual feel good in present, “changes their brains structure and chemical makeup” over time. Therefore, when an individual overcomes one set of obstacles they become both psychologically and biologically more prepared to face the next challenge. Simply put, winning begets winning.
Does this sound familiar? It should - it explains how all of the 2017 setbacks added up to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. Every time a key player went down and the rest of the team stepped up, their brains were re-wired for success. They entered the playoffs battle-tested and ready for their next challenge. Outsiders may have doubted them but they had the “Winner Effect” literally coursing through their veins.
In his follow-up to McAdoo’s comments Coach Pederson stated, “It’s my job to make sure they don’t get complacent and we stay hungry and there is an edge.” The injured players returning to the field plus the free agents will prevent complacency from settling in; Jason Kelce will bring the hunger; and the edge will come from the championship experience they gained last year.
While there will be plenty of stories about a Super Bowl hangover or Coach Pederson being exposed or Carson’s performance potentially slipping - this team knows how to win and more importantly knows they are winners. These Birds aren’t the “Gold Standard”, they’re the “New Norm”.
Monday, July 2, 2018
Gratitude for All
By: KO Kelly
Thank you, Uncle Dave, for inviting me to contribute to Eagles Lincs. This has been your passion project for the past nine seasons and I am excited to join the editorial staff for the 10th season of Eagles Lincs. I look forward to exploring this year’s campaign and sharing my perspective on our Birds through the lens of psychology, theology, management, conspiracy, and general fan shenanigans.
Today, though, I want to talk about something we all probably want more of and can never give too much of: gratitude.
To start off with the obvious, Eagles fans around the world will be forever thankful to the 2017 squad for their resilience, determination, integrity, and ability to deliver one of the most breathtaking and magical seasons in NFL history. If a Hollywood producer received a script outlining the 2017 season, they would have rejected it for being too cliched or outright hokum:
Young star-quarterback breaks out on the scene and leads his team to victory after victory even as key veterans around him fall to injury until finally he too succumbs to the injury bug. All seems lost, until a familiar journeyman quarterback with flashes of brilliance on his resume rises to the occasion. With doubt thundering down upon him like a freight train, he delivers one of the most spectacular upsets in sports history. Goliath is slayed and fifty-two years of defeat are washed away in a flood of green right down Broad Street.
No that story would have been deemed too unbelievable. Let’s make another Pirates of the Caribbean instead - Johnny Depp still being relevant is much more believable.
But I digress . . .
The outpouring of love and gratitude from the fans for the 2017 team has been rivalled only by the mutual appreciation and respect those players have demonstrated. They understood what a Super Bowl victory would mean to the city. They embraced the Philadelphia’s underdog mantra, put our demons and shortcomings on their backs, and demonstrated what a group of committed individuals can accomplish when they ignore ego and focus on a common goal. So,
Thank you, Nelson Agholor, for turning the jeers of 2016 into cheers in 2017.
Thank you, Brent Celek, for developing the younger TEs at the expense of your own playing time.
Thank you, Brandon Brooks, for being open about your anxiety issues and tackling them in public.
Thank you, Lane Johnson, for laying off the juice :)
Thank you, Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long, and Torrey Smith for standing up for what you believe in and putting your money, time, and efforts on the line.
Thank you to Carson Wentz and Nick Foles for serving as great role models for all generations.
Thank you, Doug Pederson, for being the coach Philadelphia never knew we wanted and for turning doubts into results.
Thank you, Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, for providing the pieces to this magical season.
Thank you for being a team I can wholeheartedly root for again. Admittedly, there were some lukewarm years of fandom towards the end of the Reid era and the Kelly era (no relation) quickly turned bitter. But now, with Doug at the helm, I am confident there will be much more to celebrate for quite some time.
Having said this though, throughout the upcoming season there will be rough patches. We will falter but in those times we must not fall back on our negative ways. The Boo Birds have flown the coop - we are champions now! If last year’s team taught us anything - it is that we must approach life with grit and determination.
Therefore, each week regardless of outcome, write down three things that went well for the Eagles. Do this for your own life as well. Accumulate positive momentum, be thankful for your challenges, and enjoy the journey - that’s where you spend 99% of your time anyway.
Thank you, Uncle Dave, for inviting me to contribute to Eagles Lincs. This has been your passion project for the past nine seasons and I am excited to join the editorial staff for the 10th season of Eagles Lincs. I look forward to exploring this year’s campaign and sharing my perspective on our Birds through the lens of psychology, theology, management, conspiracy, and general fan shenanigans.
Today, though, I want to talk about something we all probably want more of and can never give too much of: gratitude.
To start off with the obvious, Eagles fans around the world will be forever thankful to the 2017 squad for their resilience, determination, integrity, and ability to deliver one of the most breathtaking and magical seasons in NFL history. If a Hollywood producer received a script outlining the 2017 season, they would have rejected it for being too cliched or outright hokum:
Young star-quarterback breaks out on the scene and leads his team to victory after victory even as key veterans around him fall to injury until finally he too succumbs to the injury bug. All seems lost, until a familiar journeyman quarterback with flashes of brilliance on his resume rises to the occasion. With doubt thundering down upon him like a freight train, he delivers one of the most spectacular upsets in sports history. Goliath is slayed and fifty-two years of defeat are washed away in a flood of green right down Broad Street.
No that story would have been deemed too unbelievable. Let’s make another Pirates of the Caribbean instead - Johnny Depp still being relevant is much more believable.
But I digress . . .
The outpouring of love and gratitude from the fans for the 2017 team has been rivalled only by the mutual appreciation and respect those players have demonstrated. They understood what a Super Bowl victory would mean to the city. They embraced the Philadelphia’s underdog mantra, put our demons and shortcomings on their backs, and demonstrated what a group of committed individuals can accomplish when they ignore ego and focus on a common goal. So,
Thank you, Nelson Agholor, for turning the jeers of 2016 into cheers in 2017.
Thank you, Brent Celek, for developing the younger TEs at the expense of your own playing time.
Thank you, Brandon Brooks, for being open about your anxiety issues and tackling them in public.
Thank you, Lane Johnson, for laying off the juice :)
Thank you, Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long, and Torrey Smith for standing up for what you believe in and putting your money, time, and efforts on the line.
Thank you to Carson Wentz and Nick Foles for serving as great role models for all generations.
Thank you, Doug Pederson, for being the coach Philadelphia never knew we wanted and for turning doubts into results.
Thank you, Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, for providing the pieces to this magical season.
Thank you for being a team I can wholeheartedly root for again. Admittedly, there were some lukewarm years of fandom towards the end of the Reid era and the Kelly era (no relation) quickly turned bitter. But now, with Doug at the helm, I am confident there will be much more to celebrate for quite some time.
Having said this though, throughout the upcoming season there will be rough patches. We will falter but in those times we must not fall back on our negative ways. The Boo Birds have flown the coop - we are champions now! If last year’s team taught us anything - it is that we must approach life with grit and determination.
Therefore, each week regardless of outcome, write down three things that went well for the Eagles. Do this for your own life as well. Accumulate positive momentum, be thankful for your challenges, and enjoy the journey - that’s where you spend 99% of your time anyway.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Eagles Lincs Expands its Editorial Staff
I started this blog several years ago as a tribute to my Dad as a long-time suffering Eagles’ fan. He was a season ticket holder from 1961 through the 2002 season when the Birds ripped our hearts out in that stunning loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship.
I was at that game to witness what is still the most devastating loss that I have endured as an Eagles' fan. I will never forget watching Ronde Barber return a Donovan McNabb interception the length of the field for a touchdown to seal the trip to the Super Bowl for Jon Gruden and the Buccaneers. I will also never forget the image of 100-plus Philadelphia policemen on horses circling the field with about 500 fans left in the stands at the end of the final Eagles' game ever played at Veterans Stadium.
My Dad left this earth in 2004 having never savored the sweet taste of victory at the game’s highest level. However, he loved his Eagles and stood tall to cheer them on through some other tough losses and more than a few bleak seasons. His season tickets were sold to a business associate and friend of the family. As the years passed, my brother-in-law Maurice and nephew (and Godson) Kevin still had access to two of the tickets at the Birds' new digs in the Linc. Through some Divine intervention and two costly seat licenses, two of the four tickets were eventually returned to the family to continue my Dad's legacy with this team.
The dream of Super Bowl glory was finally realized this past February and just this past weekend things really hit home when Maurice, Kevin and my sister Judy had the opportunity to get their pictures taken with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Kevin also sent me a picture of him wearing a Super Bowl ring while donning a #20 Brian Dawkins’ jersey. It does not get any better than that.
With Maurice and Kevin gearing up for the 2018 NFL season and the Eagles’ title defense, I decided to reach out to my nephew to see if he would be interested in writing some posts for Eagles Lincs. I know that my Dad was one of the biggest knucklehead Eagles’ fans in the world and Kevin has followed right in his footsteps.
Living in the Philadelphia area and going to all the home games makes him extremely qualified to write about our beloved Birds. I am also excited about the unique twist he will bring to the table. Kevin is not afraid to voice his true opinion and (no pun intended) ruffle some feathers from time to time.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with him on this endeavor as we try and expand the scope and reach of the site. Together, our goal is to provide our loyal readers with some keen insight into the team from a true fan's perspective. The fact that Kevin does have the inside track as a season ticket holder should vastly improve the quality of the site. I will still be around in my designated role as the ultimate homer with my picks and predictions for each week's game.
I was at that game to witness what is still the most devastating loss that I have endured as an Eagles' fan. I will never forget watching Ronde Barber return a Donovan McNabb interception the length of the field for a touchdown to seal the trip to the Super Bowl for Jon Gruden and the Buccaneers. I will also never forget the image of 100-plus Philadelphia policemen on horses circling the field with about 500 fans left in the stands at the end of the final Eagles' game ever played at Veterans Stadium.
My Dad left this earth in 2004 having never savored the sweet taste of victory at the game’s highest level. However, he loved his Eagles and stood tall to cheer them on through some other tough losses and more than a few bleak seasons. His season tickets were sold to a business associate and friend of the family. As the years passed, my brother-in-law Maurice and nephew (and Godson) Kevin still had access to two of the tickets at the Birds' new digs in the Linc. Through some Divine intervention and two costly seat licenses, two of the four tickets were eventually returned to the family to continue my Dad's legacy with this team.
The dream of Super Bowl glory was finally realized this past February and just this past weekend things really hit home when Maurice, Kevin and my sister Judy had the opportunity to get their pictures taken with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Kevin also sent me a picture of him wearing a Super Bowl ring while donning a #20 Brian Dawkins’ jersey. It does not get any better than that.
With Maurice and Kevin gearing up for the 2018 NFL season and the Eagles’ title defense, I decided to reach out to my nephew to see if he would be interested in writing some posts for Eagles Lincs. I know that my Dad was one of the biggest knucklehead Eagles’ fans in the world and Kevin has followed right in his footsteps.
Living in the Philadelphia area and going to all the home games makes him extremely qualified to write about our beloved Birds. I am also excited about the unique twist he will bring to the table. Kevin is not afraid to voice his true opinion and (no pun intended) ruffle some feathers from time to time.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with him on this endeavor as we try and expand the scope and reach of the site. Together, our goal is to provide our loyal readers with some keen insight into the team from a true fan's perspective. The fact that Kevin does have the inside track as a season ticket holder should vastly improve the quality of the site. I will still be around in my designated role as the ultimate homer with my picks and predictions for each week's game.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Eagles Make the Most of Limited Draft Picks
The only downside to winning the Super Bowl is falling all the way to the No. 32 pick in the first round of the draft. However, I would not mind if the Eagles had the last pick of the first round in the draft every year. The one thing that Philly fans have come to expect from the team's recent drafts under the guidance of Howie Roseman, as the mastermind behind player personnel moves, is some wheelin' and dealin' with the picks he has.
Because of past trades, the Eagles did not have any draft picks in the second or third round in last week's draft. Instead of reaching for a player they wanted at the end of the first round, they traded out of the No. 32 pick with Baltimore to gain some more leeway in their overall draft strategy. The end result was five new Birds joining the nest.
Philadelphia Eagles 2018 Draft Class:
Rd 2, Pick 17 (49) Dallas Goedert-Tight End
Rd 4, Pick 25 (125) Avonte Maddox- Cornerback
Rd 4, Pick 30 (130) Josh Sweat- Defensive End
Rd 6, Pick 32 (206) Matt Pryor- Offensive Tackle
Rd 7, Pick 15 (233) Jordan Mailata- Offensive Tackle
To be honest, I have not read one thing about how the Eagles' draft was graded by any so-called NFL expert. I, personally am going to give it an A+ given the picks the Eagles had and the picks they made.
When you establish yourself as the best NFL team in the league, drafts are all about maintaining your depth of talent. Zach Ertz is one of my favorite players on the team, so backing him up with another young tight end that can mirror some of his skills is a great move. Adding depth to the defensive secondary is equally important and Roseman and Co. stayed true to the original game plan of building this team from the inside out on both sides of the ball with a trio of linemen.
The Eagles are the reining Super Bowl Champions and the best team in the league until one of the other 31 teams prove me wrong. Chalk this draft up to the best team making the right moves to make it better.
Because of past trades, the Eagles did not have any draft picks in the second or third round in last week's draft. Instead of reaching for a player they wanted at the end of the first round, they traded out of the No. 32 pick with Baltimore to gain some more leeway in their overall draft strategy. The end result was five new Birds joining the nest.
Philadelphia Eagles 2018 Draft Class:
Rd 2, Pick 17 (49) Dallas Goedert-Tight End
Rd 4, Pick 25 (125) Avonte Maddox- Cornerback
Rd 4, Pick 30 (130) Josh Sweat- Defensive End
Rd 6, Pick 32 (206) Matt Pryor- Offensive Tackle
Rd 7, Pick 15 (233) Jordan Mailata- Offensive Tackle
To be honest, I have not read one thing about how the Eagles' draft was graded by any so-called NFL expert. I, personally am going to give it an A+ given the picks the Eagles had and the picks they made.
When you establish yourself as the best NFL team in the league, drafts are all about maintaining your depth of talent. Zach Ertz is one of my favorite players on the team, so backing him up with another young tight end that can mirror some of his skills is a great move. Adding depth to the defensive secondary is equally important and Roseman and Co. stayed true to the original game plan of building this team from the inside out on both sides of the ball with a trio of linemen.
The Eagles are the reining Super Bowl Champions and the best team in the league until one of the other 31 teams prove me wrong. Chalk this draft up to the best team making the right moves to make it better.
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