Promote your business or product on 700level.com. For
more information about advertising with us CLICK HERE!

The latest from Captain Mouthpiece is that we should care more about what kind of guys are on the team than whether we're winning championships.

This seems like an utter cop-out to me. You don't hear Dallas fans talk any less sh*t about how many Bowls they've won just because the guys they won 'em with bought/sold/snorted/smoked hookers/coke/weed by the truckload. I hated the whole T.O. debacle with a passion, but there's no denying that the offense operated on another plane of existence when he was on the field.

The fact of the matter is if you've got a strong-willed institution at head coach and/or enough respected, responsible leaders in the locker room, you can keep the lid on any head cases long enough to win championships. You think Pacman "Make it Rain" Jones would make the same mistake twice with Ray Lewis hovering over him? Doubtful. And even if he did, would the public hear about it? Doubtful.

I want a championship, not more f*cking excuses. If the players on this team want one bad enough too, they'll welcome in the talent (and handle whatever baggage) that's necessary to get it. Yeah, the seasons are long. But the ring and the championship game film last forever.

The fact that the NFC East is so competitive now drives this point home even further. EVERY OTHER TEAM IN THE DAMN DIVISION has won MULTIPLE Super Bowls. How can you look any one of their ridiculous fans in the eye and claim that your franchise is on at-worst equal terms with theirs when all it takes them is one sentence to prove you wrong?

"How many Super Bowls have the Eagles won?"

For all the Eagles fans out there who've been waiting longer'n I have, my sympathies. We all deserve better.

OK, nice topic.

Saw this piece today and couldnt decide what thread fit what i wanted to note in the article, but now that its got its own thread:

Notice how Spuds makes up, COMPLETELY(IMO) a FAKE scenario where someone questions the signing of Pacman Jones (( A DALLAS FAN PAL OF SPUDS' KID ASKS THE HEAVY QUESTION COMIN UP)

The big thing here is how he deftly tosses in Andys kids crimes in there in a juxtaposition with Jones' as if to minimalize and take attention away from what Reids kids are locked up for.


Not to mention WHAT EFFIN THIRTEEN YR OLD KID CALLS HIS OL'MAN "DADDY"??

Heres the quote:

"He told me a story about his son, 13 years old, and about how they were talking about the possible acquisition of Jones and what it would mean. And the question his son asked, which my friend could not answer, was this: "Daddy, should a person go to jail longer for abusing dogs or doing what Pacman Jones did?"


Hsve at him.


Spuds must honestly think we're stupid.

Ok. Lets talk character guys. Just more horseshit from the front office. Spuds shaved his head so Lurie and co. would have a more comfortable place to rest their nuts. Unbelievable. The gold standard. What a joke. Ray Lewis is hangin' with his crew and somebody gets killed. Hmm. If he had played for the Eagles he'd have been thrown out of town.

Character guys. Reno Mahe="but he's got great hands" Kevin Curtis="white lightning" Jason Avant="the next #1 possesion receiver".........insert more related shit here....

As long as Lurie and Banner believe what they preach there isnt any hope for a championship.

Nuff said!

It really is a disturbing mindset considering what little the Eagles have accomplished compared to the rest of the division.

They're so happy with their number of regular season wins and Playoff appearances over the last 9 years. Not to mention their salary cap management. Now they want the fans to be pleased that they field a team of "nice guys!?!"

They had their shot in 2004/2005 and they blew it. I'm not just talking about T.O. but the rest of the division was weak, the conference was definitely winnable and they're defense was consistently good.

Penny pinching and questionable talent evaluation have put this team in their current place...

a lopsided offensive philosophy, an undersized defense, a lack of offensive playmakers (save Westbrook) and roster loaded with guys who can't crack the starting line-up or are projects.

They can spin their decisions however they want, they can underestimate the intelligence of their fan base too... but they can't hide from the fact that they are historically falling way behind in this division.

It's a shame too, a history rich franchise in a huge market with a devoted fan base and all they have to show for it is 2 ass kickings in the Super Bowl and an awesome bottom line.

Hey, to be fair, I don't see the need to hold the current regime responsible for the mistakes of the past. Lurie and co. do a much better job than Braman. Furthermore, I can see stating that you don't want a guy like Pacman Jones on your team because you want character guys representing your organization. However, when you already have skeletons in the closet, public assertions of your moral superiority ring a bit hollow, don't they? Especially when you have nothing to show for it.
Personally, I would grab at any chance to nab Pacman Jones for a 3rd rounder or less. His talent remains undeniable, so the only gamble is whether or not you can:
a) Get him reinstated, and
b) Do the job his parents obviously couldn't handle.
While that seems like a tall task, when you remember what a crapshoot the draft is (for every Westbrook in the 3rd, there's at least 2 of the Matt Ware or Ryan Moats type).
Besides, nothing lowers a coddled kid's ego like coming into a situation where he's #4 on the depth chart.

Of course, I'm the same guy who said that the Phillies should sign Barry Bonds, so go figure.

Makes Ocho-Cinco a realistic option.

I think that the definition of success to this franchise differs drastically from ours. Lurie wants to keep seats filled, doesn't want to spend money and wants the squeaky clean appearance of a franchise.

Fans want someone that has a personality and a heart to match it. They want players who want to win as badly or moreso than they want this team to win - read Iverson.

Just a disconnect that isn't resolvable. Spuds is either engaging in public cognitive dissonance or DOES know what he's doing and is just in line for his paycheck. The fact that he's a bullshit mouthpiece for moneybags Lurie is irrelevant. Just remember how much Lurie pestered his way to get tax money for his stadium. He fucking owes the fans. He's made so much money that he actually signs checks for millions. Fucking bitch.

Its the owner of the Bengals with more finesse.

Even not caring that much about the character/morals of the guy (which can be subjective at times), why would I want to sign a player who is likely not to be able to play or bring other players on the team down. I say no to Pacman Jones just for that reason alone.

Backing up to Terrel Owens, remember that his wrong was making bad comments and asking for more money. Even so, seeing him act the cry baby when the Cowboys lost would be enough for me to be embarrassed if he were on the team.

As far as the Eagles winning a championship or not, I feel it has more to do with the Eagles being cheap than it has to do with whether they are signing character guys. There are plenty of talent guys that wind up being busts. You need some combination of talent and hard work.

You need some combination of talent and hard work.

And you also need a coaching staff that can play part-time psychiatrist. The guys with talent are usually the head cases these days, and while it's admirable that they want to run a franchise of "character guys", the sordid nature of the NFL prevents that.

I'd like to see what they consider a character guy if Dawk was found out to be on some illegal substances. not saying that's the case, but it's all mindless junk.

You can't go back to the days of yore where players weren't personalities. This team is a party line that doesn't even have the best party.

You can't go back to the days of yore where players weren't personalities.

When was this?

Ox, Pacman was a debacle who broke the law and completely disregarded it. TO was someone who is emotionally underdeveloped. He didn't break the law. He didn't not give 110% on the field. He didn't not play well. He was everything the team wanted and more on the field. He was a "distraction" because he thought McNabb sucked in an oblique fashion? Jizus Kriest. The FO wasn't intending to pay him serious cash for his next year. Made the whole process much easier.

But it IS night and day between Jackass Jones and Primadonna/Crybaby.

Back in the 60s-70s, before the ESPN era encouraged individualist methods than team accomplishments.

Meant it as a way of knocking their philosophy of some players.

No, I know, but there were plenty of personalities back then.

People that would've been hired by the Eagles?

Yep

I wasn't around and didn't get to comment on this, but that was quite possibly the most absurd article Spuds ever threw together.
I mean, seriously...he had to be joking.

Character is important for a team, but what in the fuck does off the field character have to do with anything?

Pacman is a scumbag. Granted. He's also a risk because you don't know what he's going to do in the future. You can never really, truly count on him because of his history and you can't give him much in the way of salary or guarantees in his contract without clauses for behavior off the field.

However, if you protect yourself with a contract, if he's NOT a bad locker room guy/teammate, and if you are willing ti risk losing him should he act up again, why the fuck should I care what he's like off the field?

It's great if you can find a guy with exceptional talent, aggressiveness, leadership, character, etc. That's always the goal. However, it's extraordinarily rare to get that complete package so you're almost always going to compromise something.

Should we be happy that the Eagles choose to compromise talent when they can't get the full package? That's why they end up having Mahe returning punts and Dallas will have Pacman doing it next season for the same money.

You can't build an entire team of thugs and bad citizens, but in all honestly every team needs a couple. This isn't Sunday School...it's football. Every once in a while you are going to need a guy who walks that edge.

Further, didn't the Eagles just offer Randy Moss $10 million per year? Is he really that much better of a guy or role model than Pacman?

Randy Moss does drugs, has had problems sine high school, "plays when he wants to play", has been a bad teammate for all but 2 seasons of his career, hit a female police officer with his car because she wouldn't get out of the way, walked off the field during the game, recently had a restraining order filed against him, etc. etc., etc.

He may be a changed man (I have no idea) and I don't think he's quite as bad as Pacman, but the Eagles moral indignation is a little sad...comes off as jealousy, righteous, and transparent.

Maybe that 13 year old should ask his "daddy dearest" why Mike Patterson smokes weed. Maybe he should ask the old man why Correl Buckholder doesn't pay for the children he fathers.

In all honesty, character IS important in building a championship team, but so are loose cannons. You need a mix of the right kind of character, the right kind of leadership, and enough aggressive/warrior mentality to dominate. More often than not, it's difficult to find that deadly, stalking powder keg like Ray Lewis or LT in a church pew.

Finally, I don't have any kids, but do 13 year old buys really expect Michale Vick and Pacman Jones to lay out a road map for them? I learned these lessons in sports at a very early age...maybe 8 or 9 years old?

You have teammates who are shitty people. They laugh at old ladies, they get into fights, they get detention and miss practice, they smoke, they steal...whatever it is, there are kids on your very first teams who mimic these behaviors you see in grown ups.

My personal reaction was different for every incident, but I remember calling people out for certain behavior, laughing stuff off, being disappointed if their actions cost the team (ie- suspended games), etc. Can this ability to rationalize and understand be that foreign to a 13 year old??

How about this... Maybe Reid can't coach non-'character' guys so that's who they target to be as successful as possible?

Pacman may have issues with the law, but at least he doesn't park illegally in handicapped spots. That's just morally bankrupt.