Nick Piccone
After Brandon Boykin was traded to the Steelers Saturday night, I’d say the majority of Eagles fans weren’t happy. I was one of them. But, as Chip has shown since he’s gained full control of the team, he wants his guys that he picks. Boykin was drafted by Andy Reid in 2012 and, thus, wasn’t a Chip Kelly guy.
But he showed on the field that he belonged. The fans loved him. He played well. But, was he limited? That seems to be the only necessary excuse Chip could have had to get rid of him.
Or, you know, be racist.
According to Geoff Mosher by way of Derrick Gunn’s iPhone, or Android, or whatever, Boykin sent Gunn a text that insinuated once again that the Chipper was playing the race game.
In a text message to Comcast SportsNet’s Derrick Gunn, Boykin said Kelly is “uncomfortable around grown men of our culture.”
“He can’t relate and that makes him uncomfortable,” Boykin added in the text message. “He likes total control of everything, and he don’t like to be uncomfortable. Players excel when you let them naturally be who they are, and in my experience that hasn’t been important to him, but you guys have heard this before me.”
Chip responded to Boykin’s comments yesterday during his press conference, saying he was disappointed by them.
“I haven’t really had time to digest that. I don’t believe that. I mean, talk to DeMeco, talk to the other guys here. I think those are the guys you should talk to. I mean, when he left last night, he shook my hand and gave me a hug.”
There’s no way in hell Boykin, who had a clear front row seat when Tra Thomas and LeSean McCoy both accused Chip of being racist, couldn’t have known his comments wouldn’t have raised any [more] eyebrows. He then had to clarify his comments, apparently because he thought they were taken out of context because he was misquoted. Via a text message. Though, the lead in question was the reporter saying Boykin said that Chip was uncomfortable with black players, which he didn’t say.
“That’s not what I said, I was misquoted. I said that he was uncomfortable with men of our culture. I’m not saying he’s a racist at all. That’s not what I said. I know it was kind of taken out of context. When you’re a player, you want to be able to relate to your coach no matter what, outside of football. So, when not talking football scheme, I want to be able to sit there and talk to you about whatever. And, you know, there were times where, you know, he just wouldn’t talk to people. He would walk down the hallway and he wouldn’t say anything to you. And I don’t know what that is. I’m not saying he’s a racist in any way, I’m just saying that as a player, I wanna be able to relate to my coach a little bit better and I felt like a lot of guys in that locker room feel the same way. Of course, when you’re in the organization you’re not gonna voice your opinion [Editor’s note: unless you’re Cary Williams.] But for me, I’ve always been a guy of honesty and not trying to put anybody out in any way, but, you know, you honest with me, I’m gonna be honest with you but I felt like that honesty wasn’t there all the time.”
I understand Boykin’s point here. If your head coach isn’t trying to formulate certain relationships outside the field, that may rub some players the wrong way. Then again, Boykin’s a guy who said Chip was uncomfortable with adult men of his culture, and who is basically saying he wants his head football coach to hold his hand throughout the season and check up on him to make sure the nighlight didn’t burn out in his bedroom.
I’ve worked in a lot more crappy places than a football field. Is it a great thing to have your boss tell you you’re doing a great job? Absolutely. But these are grown men, as football players, apparently begging Chip for attention. As long as you have his attention on Sundays, I’m not sure why it’s such a big deal to have your coach wonder where you went to dinner last night with your girlfriend.
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As an aside, Chip noted that Mychal Kendricks won’t be traded, and seemed pretty set on it. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TODAY!?