Dave Uram
Dave Uram is an update anchor and fill in host at SportsRadio 94 WIP. You can follow him on Twitter (@MrUram).
If Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is going to look at the Birds from a big picture viewpoint, so am I.
Barring they win out and get some help, the Philadelphia Eagles will miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. From 2000 to 2010, they failed to make it only two years, in addition to advancing to seven divisional rounds, five NFC Championships and one Super Bowl. The last time the Birds won a playoff game was the Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins, Andy Reid and Jim Johnson era. Doesn’t that seem like it was eons ago?
The Eagles have never been close to contenders since 2011 and it’s about time someone is held “accountable.”
I use the word “accountable” because that is the rhetoric that seldom-heard Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spun when bringing Howie Roseman back from the abyss.
Don’t be mistaken, I understand Roseman finally brought this team a franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz. I also understand he’s tasked with fixing the screw-ups of arguably the most overrated “football guy” in the history of the sport, Chip Kelly.
But, your football team can’t start 3-0 and finish without making the playoffs again, despite the low expectations going in.
I’ve been harping since Day 1 that the Eagles lack the necessary talent on offense to compete for anything. On top of that, the rest of the division is stacked with playmakers such as Ezekiel Elliot, Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham, Jr., Sterling Shepard, Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garçon and Jamison Crowder.
Even though Kelly was responsible for dropping Jackson, trading LeSean McCoy, not re-signing Jeremy Maclin and drafting Nelson Agholor, Roseman tried to band aid the situation with Rueben Randle and Chris Givens, both of whom were cut.
Roseman also dished out an extraordinary amount of guaranteed money to under performing players such as Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry, Zach Ertz and Lane Johnson.
I can’t blame Roseman for Cox and Johnson. The All Pro defensive tackle’s struggles are his own fault and Johnson is the only one responsible for his PED violations.
But, Roseman is still on the other end of those deals. Roseman is still the one calling a lot of the shots and let’s not forget about the Danny Watkins, Marcus Smith and other questionable decisions made in his first stint.
Should Roseman be fired if the Birds don’t make the postseason? No. But, Lurie better live up to his “accountability” statement from this past off-season if Roseman can’t right the ship next year.
The Dallas Cowboys are going to be very good for a long time with Prescott and Elliott. The Giants aren’t going anywhere as long as Eli Manning, Beckham Jr, Jason Pierre-Paul and Landon Collins are on that team. And the Redskins don’t appear to be getting worse.
The division is ahead of the Eagles right and Roseman needs the sense of urgency to realize that, otherwise the playoff drought will continue for a long time.
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Sixers continue to slip in the fan relations department
I’d be remiss without taking a jab at one of the worst organizations in sports. I’m not blaming the 76ers for the condensation that found its way on the Wells Fargo Center court Wednesday. That isn’t their building. They’re merely tenants so the condition of the court isn’t their responsibility. Communicating properly with their fan base is most definitely part of the job and they continue to fail.
DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings said they noticed the slipperiness of the court at morning shoot around. CSN Bay Area reported the Kings knew the game was postponed at 7:23 P.M. The NBA called the game shortly after 8 P.M.
The Sixers needed to give fans a heads up that there’s a problem with the court and delays are likely with the possibility of postponing the game when it officially became a problem in the afternoon. They also need to keep the people in the building apprised of all the up-to-date information as soon as possible so their nights are inconvenienced as little as possible.
I can’t say I’m surprised by this latest debacle in recent 76ers history. They are owned by a man who ruined a youth soccer game so he could land his helicopter.