The Andy Reid–Philly Media Feud Is Underway

We're one mini-camp into the 2008 season, and Andy Reid and the Philly media already appear to be in a disagreement of sorts.

Reid is less than thrilled with all of the attention the Lito Sheppard situation is inviting, whereas the media believe it's par for the course to cover the ongoing story of an estranged Pro-Bowl player the team is actively trying to trade. Seeing the throng around Lito, who continues to say all the right things, put forth a positive attitude, and even remain on good terms with Asante Samuel, I see where Andy is coming from, but the media's point is valid too: they have a job to do, part of which includes covering the less-than-PR-friendly issues of the team. This isn't a relationship that's likely to improve anytime soon.

Comments

[Castor&Cottman]

What is suppose to happen? Everyone knew we went after Randy Moss to try and nab that "#1 WR" and now we have the most talent cb core the NFL has ever seen. Everyone but Andy knows we are weak at positions and there is no need for three pro-bowl caliber CBs when you have glaring holes at other positions. Package a 1st rounder and lito to get a wr for cryin out loud.

[johndewar]

This was just an opening salvo for Reid. No, this will not get better as with each passing OTA that he makes himself available to the press and Lito Sheppard is still a member of this team, it's the press' obligation to ask the question.

Something tells me it's going to be a LONG summer for Big Red, unless he makes a move.

[bizurk]

Good for Big Red, I like it when he provides evidence of being human.

I still hold out hope that he will come to his senses and decide to give Lito a raise (hopefully with tons of performance incentives). I'd still rather have 3 high level corners than 2 high level corners and an aging-but-skilled primadonna WR.

A small improvement from Reggie Brown, consistency from Curtis, a healthy LJ (and big Five), and the occasional explosion from DeSean gives us a solid to excellent receiving corps. (Don't forget Westy and Booker)

Why doesn't the average WIP listener get this? While I'm intrigued about the Lito situation, I'm excited about the coming season...... Time's yours.

[bizurk]

Castor, where are the glaring holes? Big 5 had greater than 2:1 TD:INT last year with no TE and not enough rehab. With health and a bit of progression, I don't see the disaster at WR. Of course, Randy Moss (or Fitzy or Boldin) would be an upgrade, and the Eagles did everything they could there. But apart from 5 or six guys (who are pretty much untouchable), the Eagles would have paid too much for too little at WR.

[DSD]

Umm, what exactly are the "negative" angles the reporters are going after? I don't know if the Lito situation, at this point at least, is a negative situation. Maybe the negative angle is the Eagles' draft...or maybe the lack of a top-notch receiver... or the teams utter refusal to properly address the need? Think about this one...if the Eagles had gone out and obtained a legitimate receiver after they lost to the Rams in 2002, instead of trying to shove james Thrash down our throats, they probably would've gone to two more Super Bowls instead of just one, and probably would've beaten the Raiders in one. When the window is open in the NFL, you need to go for it...Eagles chose not to, now their window is closed, and 20 years from now, we are going to look back at the McNabb-Reid era as a major dissapointment

[Dan Levy]

Why don't coaches realize (or care) that it's a chicken-egg situation. If you stonewall the media, they're going to write stories that you may not like. If you give them good quotes, and more access, they'll write better stories about you and your team.

But I guess it's easier to give them nothing, then blame them for coming up with something that you didn't like. Is the general public this stupid?

[sean]

I'm fairly certain this has EVERYTHING to do with Sal Pal's report on the Eagles this weekend on ESPN. I thought it was a huge cheap shot at McNabb and the team in general it seemed to me that Sal was setting up a storyline for the whole football season to come, the "angry" McNabb and the inept andy reid. I totally agree with andy on this one

[Tony]

Bizurk, I think you're giving the Birds management a bit too much credit, and possibly overstating the negativity of "the average WIP listener."

This team has legitimate concerns at the WR position. You talk about the existing guys getting better ("with a bit of health and progression") but there's no evidence that will happen. You can't count on guys suddenly doing something they haven't done before in their fourth (Reggie) or sixth (Curtis) year in the league.

You also can't bet your season on them staying healthy, and if one of them goes down, there's no depth. DeSean is going to be a good returner, but he's not going to be an NFL-caliber receiver at his size.

Kevin Curtis makes a really good #2 receiver. Reggie during his best year was about what you'd expect out of a mediocre #2. This team needed a #1, especially with no real oomph at the tight end position with LJ's constant injury concerns.

Joselio Hanson will be a good nickelback in this league, so Lito is an expendable commodity with value. I can't blame fans for wishing the Eagles had found away to turn Lito and a couple of picks into a legitimate #1 wide-out.

[theKrisheim]

mark eckel wrote a column without mentioning troy vincent and he is so funny too!

http://www.nj.com/columns/times/eckel/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/121004674585610.xml&coll=5

[Gaze]

As if the media are the ones who are making the knowledgeable shake his head in disbelief that the Eagles have not yet made something happen with Lito and their inherited draft picks...

Most Eagles fans are smart enough to know that 3 ProBowl Cornerbacks is one too many. I don't need Sal Pal to tell me that the team lost the Randy Moss sweepstakes and that Lito is unhappy with his current deal. The inaction by the front office is what is conjuring up all of these "negative stories." Blame the media, Andy... nice cop out.

[Kulp]

Reid is absolutely right. Perfect example: the headline in that video says, "REID SNAPS." Really? Ozzie Guillen snapped! All Andy did was answer the question and somehow it's a feud.

The reason the media covers the Eagles this way is to get the fans to pump their fists and say, "YEAH!" The proof is right here in the comments. The Eagles have holes, they refuse to address the receiver position, their window has closed, and the McNabb-Reid era is a disappointment. These stories exist because the fans enjoy them.

The Lito story has been a media bonanza, odd because the one person who has the least to say is Lito. What Eagles fans don't seem to understand is players are unhappy with their contract on every team in the NFL. Sometimes they renegotiate, sometimes they get traded, but most just play. The idea that the Eagles should give Lito more money to appease him is insulting. If he's so valuable, why is he still here?

It's the same stories every year, and everyone suddenly becomes an expert without any answers. The Eagles went after Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald in the same off-season and people are STILL bitching they don't have a #1. Then the Eagles trade out of the first round again and everyone draws the conclusion it's arrogance or policy and had nothing to do with the players on the board.

It's a joke. The real problem is the average fan doesn't have a clue about how a football team is built, but you know tons about spectacular catches thanks to SportsCenter. The Eagles were 8-8 and finished in "last place" as everyone calls it, so the perception around town is they are stuck in neutral, maybe even reverse, and the media just covers what we want to hear: another negative story to get us riled up and talking about who to run out of town next.

Sorry, I just don't see it that way. I liked the Eagles off-season. I'm proud they didn't give Lito away. I'm excited they tried to get a wide receiver. I agree with adding extra first round picks. In my eyes, you simply cannot put a negative spin on those moves.

[Titus Pullo]

Gaze, if Lito is unhappy with his current deal, how the front office's "inaction" to blame for that? Do you really think the Eagles should pay more money to a player who has missed 14 games over the last 3 seasons?

[Gaze]

The "inaction" is the fact that they haven't done much of anything to cure their two biggest clubhouse issues over the winter: 1) #5 wants a big time playmaker. 2) Lito is unhappy with his role as a 3rd corner and the money they are giving him. These two issues grew their legs over the entire offseason... notin some sort of muckraking ESPN report.

[Blues]

Nice post Kulp. I agree completely.

Yesterday I chewed out Sal Pal for his segment on SportsCenter about the Eagles. He talks about how McNabb is "feigning approval" of the front office for its moves this offseason and takes Five's comments from the press conference out of context to make his point. I told him to stop trying to create turmoil where there was none.

He's all about the drama, and I can't get him to stop. He e-mailed me back with a sarcastic "Thanks for the advice."

You can watch his segment here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=phi

See if you don't agree with me.

[Titus Pullo]

Gaze, Lito wasn't unhappy with his role as a third corner until AFTER the Eagles signed Samuel, a signing made necessary when Lito started making waves about his contract. A contract that he willingly signed and that he hasn't come close to outperforming because he's been injured. A lot. Therefore, Lito's unhappiness has nothing to do with the front office's "inaction" and more to do with his own greediness and inability to stay on the field.

You're basically asking the Eagles to "cure" a clubhouse issue that was caused entirely by an unrealistic player.

[ron]

I am not the Philadelphia media, and my opinion is underrepresented by them, but I believe Andy must go.

Ordinarily, I think the Philly media is too negative and doesn't cover the games well enough anymore. Their opinions are tainted by their day to day dealings with these sports organizations, and they lose sight of what happens between the white lines... Just look at how they have treated Charile Manuel.

These guys and girls have been beholden to Reid and this arrogant Eagles regime for too long now. The team has been in decline for 4 years and worse than that they play boring, soft football. Andy has had his shot here, and I'm sure he'll make someone else a decent head coach but we've seen every trick in his book and I don't think we're gonna see any thing different in the years to come. His reluctance to run the ball and inability to manage a game clock are just two examples of his coaching ineptitude. His inability to cop a top flight wide receiver or snuff locker room dischord is proof of his impotence as a manager.

I've seen enough. It's time to move on and I'm glad the media is finally taking him and his nonsense to task.

[Kulp]

Ron, it's difficult to make the argument the Eagles have been in decline for the last four years. They won the division in '06 and last year they finished one game out of the playoffs. Six of their losses were by 8 points or less. They've added a playmaker at corner, a pass rush specialist, and a return specialist/deep threat while strengthening their depth chart at several key positions (RB, DT) and reinforcing the special teams. I see a team on the rise, but that's only an opinion.

Here's the facts. Not one person has been able to explain so far how it's Andy Reid's fault they couldn't land a great receiver. What do Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin, and Chad Johnson all have in common? All five are with the same team they played for last season. It's easy to complain about the lack of a #1 receiver, but I don't see any realistic answers on how to acquire one.

What locker room discord are you referring to? Lito Sheppard wants a new contract, just like half the NFL. At what point has he publicly aired his grievances? Unlike some players, he hasn't. Neither has Brian Westbrook who obviously would like more money after last season. Everyone has been saying the right things, and there is absolutely no reason to believe there are any problems in the locker room.

I've spoken out against Andy Reid in the past, and I am far from his biggest fan, but I'm also tired of the armchair quarterbacks who think they know so much more than an NFL coach and GM. It's simple to sit back and criticize the team, but where are the plausible solutions to the issues? The Eagles tried to get a receiver, but none were available. They tried to move Lito, but nobody wants to pay him. How exactly is Reid to blame for that?

[rhymenocerous]

two great posts by kulp. bottom line: andy and the front office have been trying to put the best possible product on the football field. and for once they've been forthcoming about how they plan on doing it. either lito gets moved for a receiver of value, or he stays and bolsters a very nice secondary, and brings his a game no matter how satisfied he is with the contract situation. because he is, first and foremost, a professional.

we've all noticed the mistakes this franchise has made in the recent past, but this offseason has been refreshing in that we can see the birds are at least trying to address their needs. it's a competitive league and you can't always get the job done, on or off the field. i'm generally optimistic for the season, no matter how the whole lito/wide receiver situation plays out. if 5 and westbrook are healthy, this offense can produce. we'll see how it all goes down in september.

[Ian]

I side with Reid on this. All of these Eagles beat writers could make a story about new starting MLB Stewart Bradley or interview one of the rookies, but instead they all focus on Lito and pound that story to death.

I know people in the media are doing their job, but it's a shame that positive stories are never really pumped up, and negative ones make the front page.

[John]

Don't really see how this is any different than what has been going on for the past few years. I just think some fans, myself included, are bitter that the Eagles were so close four years in a row and never got it done. I think the NFC East might be the toughest division in football, we need every gun we can get to win the shootout.

[Mike]

It's not Andy's fault nor the media's fault....it's our fault

The Flyers go from last place to the conference finals, the Phils are in first and the biggest/most commented story is this??

Philly media knows that we eat this stuff up and they are just satsifying our hunger.

[DLo34]

I'll be that guy in Section 131 all year starting "Let's go Flyers" chants at the Eagles games.

[bizurk]

Thanks Kulp. I'm beginning to feel about your comments the way I feel about Bill Lyons' columns. There are plenty of things to complain about if we go looking, but I have been pretty happy with the Andy Reid years.

They have been much better than the Kotite and Rhodes years (and yes, even better than the Ryan years). All you can do in football is give your team a chance to be competitive every year, and that's what this front office does. Never have they sacrificed the future for quick (and fan-friendly fixes).

Tony, I never said that the Eagles WR corps were world beaters, only that they were solid. It's not outlandish to expect better things from year 3-4 for Brown, and Curtis has performed fairly well. Of the receivers that switched teams this off-season, none of them would have been a clear upgrade (Bryant Johnson? Bernard Berrian?). The Eagles looked at the big guns and made an honest effort to bring just about all of them here. Plenty of teams make (and win) the Super Bowl without a beast at WR#1. I'd much rather have solid and deep trench warriors than two All-Pros at receiver (just ask Arizona).

I like the Eagles off-season, and am sick of all the negativity. Each year, fans can plausibly dream of the Super Bowl, you think they're doing that in Detroit, Oakland, San Fran?

[bizurk]

And Tony, I don't blame the fans for their desires at all. _I_ wanted a big time WR for this team too. All indications were that the Eagles themselves wanted a big time WR..... I guess I blame the 'fans' who walk the plank over the perceived injustice they've been subjected too.

And while it certainly is not a strength of the Birds, I should adjust my original statement of 'solid to excellent' to 'solid to above average.'

If LJ ends up being healthy this year he is prolly the 6-8th best TE. Westy is a great receiver and their WRs are average. If 5 is healthy, the passing game is certainly good enough to put some points up. The D will be great, the special teams have improved and we've once again have a strong shot in the toughest (or 2nd toughest) division in football.

[ron]

Kulp, I was actually talking about the way he hung Donovan out to dry during the TO situation, and didn't take control of it earlier. I was talking about how his players don't respect a man that runs a home like his. Ask them. Sheldon was right when he said he'd be suspended if he had a drug dealer living with him.

I can say we've been in decline, because 2006 was an anomaly. It was Marty Morningwig's offensive game planning, Jeff Garcia's energy, and some fine defensive play, that led us to the playoffs that year.

My beef is really with his style of offense, I don't like it. I don't think you can argue that this offense will never win a Super Bowl. It has in the past, but only twice. Well, technically three West Coast Offenses have won a Super Bowl... The 49ers, the Packers and the Broncos, but the Broncos won it on Terrell Davis' back.
Add to that the fact that no team that has led the league in Passing yardage has ever won a Super Bowl, I'd say Andy's style is now outdated. Not to mention the toll it takes on an undersized defense which has to stay on the field for a large majority of the game.

Ball control, i.e. clock management wins championships.

[PJ]

ron--- i dont know who you are but i agree with you 100%

[John Digweed]

Solution: Play Lito at WR?