The Eagles: Yes, It Gets Worse

[You may want to read the previous entry first.] Shortly after the last entry was put on the blog, I encountered this article titled "Day after tie, Reid defends McNabb, others for not knowing rules." You mean, there were more?? Here are a few relevant quotes:

"I'm sure there are plenty of rules that guys don't understand, but I don't think that has any factor whatsoever to do with the outcome of this game and how they played in the overtime," Eagles coach Andy Reid said Monday. "I think that's absurd. You play to win in that time, whether you think you have another overtime period or you don't. And you play your heart out to win it in that time, and that's how we approached it and that's how the players approached it."

Reid ignored the point. Whether the players' ignorance about the overtime rule affected the outcome is debatable. It's inconceivable and embarrassing that some of them didn't know a game can end in a tie. [Commentary from the author]

"I'll take the responsibility for that," Reid said.

...

"I've never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book," McNabb said after the game. "It's part of the rules, and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately, with the rules, we settled with a tie.

"I guess we're aware of it now," McNabb said. "In college, there are multiple overtimes, and in high school and Pop Warner. I never knew in the professional ranks it would end that way. I hate to see what would happen in the Super Bowl and in the playoffs."

Uh, they keep playing if it's tied in the playoffs or Super Bowl. But McNabb apparently didn't know that, either.

...

Several of his teammates were just as clueless.

"Me and Greg Lewis were discussing it on the sideline, so we asked one of our trainers and he told us it ends in a tie," running back Correll Buckhalter said.

"I found out while we were in OT," rookie wideout DeSean Jackson said.

"I thought we kept playing," linebacker Omar Gaither said.

I would like to think my Steelers are smarter than this group. One final quote from the article:

McNabb was unavailable to reporters on Monday. A spokesman for the QB said McNabb told him he wished he knew the rule and wasn't going to make any excuses for not knowing it.

Way to man up, McNabb.

Eagles Inept? Yes. Ignorant of the Rules? Apparently So.

Consider the following two quotes from members of the Philadelphia Eagles following their 13-13 tie game with the woeful Cincinnati Bengals yesterday:

This first one comes from quarterback Donovan McNabb, who went 28-of-58 with three interceptions and a fumble:

No one was more surprised than McNabb that it ended so soon -- 3 hours, 46 minutes after the opening kickoff. The 10th-year quarterback thought it would keep going until someone scored, just like a playoff game.

Wrong.

"I didn't know that," said McNabb, who played a leading role in keeping it tied. "I've never been part of a tie. I never even knew it was in the rule book. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately with the rules, we settled with a tie."

The second one comes from the head coach, Andy Reid:

"I've never been in a tie, so I don't know how this works in the standings," coach Andy Reid said. "I know it's not good enough. We need wins, and this is not a win."

He doesn't know how this works?? The quarterback doesn't know that tie games exist in the NFL?? I could have explained these to them when I was in tenth grade! Read about the entire five quarters of Eagles ineptness here.