As a Philly sports fan one admires Charlie Manuel for getting his team to 100 wins this season. Charlie and his boys have 2 NL Pennants and 1 World Series ring to offer to faithful baseball fans here in the Quaker City. When Charlie is interviewed fans enjoy a delightful mix of folksy baseball wisdom and self deprecating and humble gratitude for his players. Charlie is staight forward and forthcoming about injuries and a players status and does his best to answer post game questions and be a gentleman in the Press Conference. He is an intense Manager and has engineered the World Championship that wet the throat of the parched Philly fans....and at the same time he lacks a certain patina of arrogance that is distressingly prevalent in today's professional Sports world.....and we love hm for that.
On balance, Eagles faithful have to suffer through the wheezing, throat honking, canned nonsense that Andy Reid offers up after games. He routinely says the same obtuse and evasive" I gotta do a better job positioning my players to succeed" twaddle at every press conference. He goes through his little spiel and then blurts:" "Times yerz" before allowing only a few questions and not proffering anything substantive. The die hard Eagles faithful deserve something more on the line of what Manuel provides.
The Eagles have had some mimpressive success during Reid's tenure....NFC champs several times and an ill-fated trip to the Superbowl in 2004. Much of this winning way can be chalked up to a weak NFC East over the past several years. Now that there is more parity in the Division, the Eagles have looked hapless.....as they did Sunday in the embarrassing loss to the hated N.Y. Football Giants. This Sportsman fears it will be a long season. In the meantime....Let's Go Phils!! Go get 'em Charlie!
There's a reason old Cholly has never come close to being named Manager of the Year. True baseball fans know him for what he is....the luckiest stiff in baseball.
ReplyDeleteAndy Reid, on the other hand, is a light weight as a coach....even at 300+lbs.
I am much less concerned with coachspeak than I am about clock mismanagement as the game winds down. Inexcusable at that level.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your assessment of the Eagles coach. Your town certainly deserves better (and don't get me started on Vick, but, oh, well). Glad the Phillies have a good guy.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, my friend! :)
I was concerned when all these clowns started painting the Iggles as a "Dream Team". We know better after all these years.
ReplyDeleteReid, while a solid coach, does have his pitfalls which you mentioned, which keep us from the promised land year after year.
Not sure if I ever mentioned this or not, but as a Philly baseball fan I recommend a good blog from one of my friends. Check him out here:
http://www.yorkblog.com/southpaw/
Anon.You are right....Charlie is the beneficiary of a damn fine line-up.
ReplyDeleteBro-His clock mismanagement is legendary....I thnik he is good at prepping for a game....but cannot coach the game in front of him on game day.
Bear-Thanks...will check it out!