There’s Nothing To See In This Preseason, Thanks, Nick Sirianni
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 9: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on during Training Camp at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I’m mad at you Nick Sirianni. I don’t know you personally and there’s little doubt in my mind that you don’t have any idea of who I am. But you have elicited a feeling in me during this time of the year that I haven’t had in a long, long time and it makes me legitimately angry. And I blame no one but you.
I have stated numerous times my love for the summertime. The heat is something that makes me smile while drenching my t-shirt as I do endless chores outside of the house. The length of daylight that greets us at 5:30 am and doesn’t leave us until 9 at night is something I wish we could enjoy all year round. Not to mention the easiness of getting ready to conquer the day in a pair of shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of slides.
When I was a kid, the end of summer was the worst part of the year for me. It meant having to wear long pants to school (catholic school rules). It meant the time of daylight was getting shorter. The ugly cold weather was coming and streetlights were back in play (You know, be home when the streetlights come on.)
My only solace at the end of summer was the beginning of professional football. I couldn’t wait until the first preseason game to whet my appetite in preparation for the main course of what is the regular season of the NFL. Seeing a glimpse of what may be, re-introducing myself to the team I love after a long separation, and getting that football fix that is so sorely needed was such a great distraction from what I call the dog days of winter.
…
Now Coach Nick Sirianni has taken that away. One of the best quarterbacks in the league plays for him, but we won’t get to see him play until the regular season starts. Of all my years watching the Eagles, they currently have the best offensive line I’ve ever seen assembled, but I won’t see them until Sept. 10 in New England. The wide receivers, the running game as a whole, all things I used to crave seeing at this time of the year, Sirianni has taken away. I found myself on Saturday the least interested I’ve ever been for an opening preseason game, and I only have one person to blame.
So thanks for nothing, Nick Sirianni. And let me say this in closing. I completely understand why you are doing this and if I were the head coach of the Eagles I would be doing the same thing. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
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9 Nick Foles Memories That Defined a Philadelphia Eagles Legend
Nick Foles earned his status as a folk hero with an MVP effort for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. However, his unlikely journey wasn’t as smooth as other legendary athletes in Philadelphia sports history.
The bizarre seesaw of Nick Foles swung to the top for the first time during the 2013 season. The Chip Kelly hysteria included the emergence of a lesser-known third-round draft pick under center.
Typically, the idea of a second-year quarterback throwing 27 touchdowns and 2 interceptions would make national analysts gush. Eagles fans surprisingly had to defend Foles against the label as a “system quarterback” who was a product of Chip Kelly’s expertise.
His underwhelming performance in 2014 dropped the seesaw right back to the ground. Most Eagles fans even preferred Sam Bradford over Foles at one point in time.
The deteriorating reputation led to criticism when Howie Roseman brought Foles back to Philadelphia to back up Carson Wentz in 2017. The two-year, $11 million contract looked pricey at first, but it ended up becoming one of the best bargain contracts in franchise history.
The Nick Foles Seesaw
Foles ignited hope with his outstanding performance in 2013. He plummeted and left Philadelphia. He later took ridicule for a bad relief performance for Wentz in Week 9 of the 2017 season. Less than two months before the incredible victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, most Eagles fans didn’t even believe in him.
The remarkable hot streak Foles had in the NFL Playoffs after the 2017 season seemed too unlikely to happen again. Lightning struck for the best relief appearance by a quarterback in league history.
Somehow, it did happen again. The 2018 season sunk unexpectedly because of a Super Bowl hangover. The relegated backup to Wentz swung the seesaw once again with a late-season rally and a road playoff victory. It became clear that Super Bowl LII was no fluke.
The seesaw had its highs and lows, but fans of the Philadelphia Eagles will always think of the best performances from their favorite backup quarterback when they remember Nick Foles.
Bob Cooney has been a part of the Philadelphia sports scene for more years than he wants to admit after 25 years in print media, and now in his seventh year at The Fanatic. Throughout the years, he has covered all sports from the World Series, multiple Final Fours and Regional Finals in men’s college basketball, to the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club and the 76ers. He takes his sports media knowledge and background to a new level by joining a conversation with the passionate fans of this great city. He writes about the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies for the Fanatic.
