Chip Kelly Eulogy

Chip Kelly is gone and the Eagles 2015 season is over. The Eagles owner seemed to have never trusted the three-year Philadelphia coach. Kelly is being held completely accountable for the terrible season. The maddening and frustrating season is finally over. It is finally time to move-on.

No matter what your thoughts are of Chip Kelly, do not just talk trash on him because he is gone. I enjoyed his time with the Eagles, but he is dead to me. People forget that Kelly’s ideas are simple, and think he is smarter than he actually is. His whole coaching philosophy is built around maximizing the number of plays. I enjoyed the Eagles being the fastest operating team in the NFL, but there comes a time when the brakes need to be pushed.

Kelly’s criteria for players were too strict. He did not appreciate NFL talent. I am all for having bigger players that beat-up on smaller players, but I would prefer having the smaller player if he is more talented. Hiring personnel with character and teaching skills only works in corporate, not in the NFL. It was great having a larger player like Jordan Matthews as a slot receiver, but I think I prefer Riley Cooper’s personality.  

The main reason why the team suffered this past season was because of Chip Kelly. The team that he created did not have the right personnel, and did not play together. The team was talented, but they did not play like a team. There were wide-open receivers being overthrown and great throws being dropped. Chip fostered a poorly coached team that impaled themselves with penalties.

But, when it is all said and done Chip Kelly is no longer the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were not the team every thought they were, and once again the experts were wrong. Chip Kelly will get another coaching job in the NFL, and the Eagles will be successful in the future. However, right now I think it is time to take a step back, and really look at what is going on in the Eagles locker room. It is time for new personnel and players, it is time for a change!

-Pants (Glen)

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Wake Me Up When the Season is Over

Celebrity Death Match --- Murray vs Chip

Chip Kelly must feel silly. I have no clue what DeMarco Murray did. Murray may not be worth the 40 million for 5 years that the Eagles are paying him, but he is good for something. And that is converting on third down. He is successful on all 12 of his 3rd down conversion attempts. Someone who is getting paid the big money that he is should touch the ball consistently no matter how bad he is. The past three games he is averaging a minuscule 7 rushing attempts. It seems like Kelly is trying to prove something by not playing Murray. Both Murray and the Eagles are terrible, so what is the loss in letting him play? If the Eagles cut him at the end of the season, it would be a gigantic 13 million dollar hit on their salary cap.

Defense is Struggling Mightily Again

Eagles need to improve in the red zone. If the opposing team gets within 20 yards of the Eagle’s end zone, they are almost guaranteed to score a touchdown. There is absolutely no depth in the secondary. Yeah they are not healthy, but who cares.

Not only does Philadelphia have a terrible red zone defense, but they also cannot defend against the run. They are ranked 5th worst in the league in stopping the run. Mychal Kendricks cannot make a tackle and Kiko Alonso is a bust. The Eagles are trying tackle high and are getting embarrassed. Almost every tackle they look like they are trying to strip the ball; when all they need to do is make the tackle. Bottom line is if the Eagles cannot stop the run, they will never be a good team.

Sit-Down Jordan Matthews

When Jordan Matthews was drafted he seemed like a timid and shy receiver. Now, for some reason that he is almost done with his second season, he is acting as if he is God’s gift to the world. Number 81 did not do anything worthwhile to warrant his cockiness. I hope the Linc breaks out in a, “Dude you’re not that good” chant. Every Eagles fan can only hope for Matthews to be as good as he thinks is. I get that his job is run down a field and catch a ball made out of pigskin; but how can anyone be celebrating like he is when the team is as terrible as they are.

Do you hear the fat lady?

Most Philadelphia fans wish that their beloved Eagles can be finally eliminated from the playoffs like most teams that have a record of 6 – 8. No matter how many times they lose, Eagles fans cannot be put out of their misery because they still have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. If the Eagles win their next two games against Washington and the Giants, then they would be in the playoffs. So hooray for the division being terrible?

- Pants                                                  

Somebody Caption this with a speech bubble.             Eagles are a walking zombie!

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A Giant, Royal Disappointment?

If you are a baseball fan like I am then you know for a fact that this has been some of the best playoff baseball in a long time. Like I said true baseball fans understand that there hasn't been as exciting games like this in a very long time. The games so far have been battles, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. However, with all the great baseball so far there is one thing that now stands out to fans watching the World Series, they are both not large market teams. Though these two teams are the best in the league and have played extremely well they don’t garner the attention that many MLB executives would hope for especially in a season where baseball has lost several fans.

After, watching the Giants dominate the Royals in Game 1 of the World Series, it came apparent to me that there was probably less fans viewing that game than in years past.  This year’s Game 1 of the World Series tv rating was an 8, which has been one of the worst ratings for a Game 1 in the last 20 years. Though this has been the best play so far, sports fans have to be disappointed due to the fact that this is a World Series that if you are not a Giants or Royals fan specifically then you really don’t care. Sports fans like to watch playoff matchups that show people they know and teams they like to see, in the case of the World Series fans would like to see the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, and Dodgers etc… Fans like to know what they are watching and who they are watching, to be honest though I love this World Series match up, the average fan does not appreciate the technical baseball play that has occurred so far. This World Series hopefully will provide excitement that the whole playoffs have had so far to garner it more attention.

With this World Series having some of the worst ratings of all time it will come down to how well the games are played to try to save the series as a whole. It is sad to say, but it seems like baseball is dying in the United States, with less attention on the teams playing in the World Series every year. Baseball is going to have to make great strides towards the future if they want to continue and to become a success in this country once more. But, for right now everyone needs to just sit down and appreciate some great baseball between the Royals and Giants. 

-Brett

Are you drinking too much Chip Kelly Kool-Aid?

Philadelphia Eagles fans are too proud of head coach, Chip Kelly. They believe that he will make their dream of winning a Super Bowl come true. There is too much hype surrounding Chip Kelly. Eagles fans are not sipping, but chugging the new Chip Kelly flavored Kool-Aid. The Kelly mania has some believing that the Kool-Aid may be spiked. In that case, fans are getting drunk on their own craze. Somewhere in Philadelphia there are kegs of the Chip Kelly Kool-Aid.

It was a special day when the Eagles hired Chip Kelly to be their new head coach on January 16, 2013. Since that day fans have been fixated on Kelly because they knew he would bring new and exciting football to the Eagles. Kelly took over a dreadful squad that went 4-12 in 2012. With basically the same roster he turned the team into a 10-6 NFC East Division Champions. Chip Kelly accomplished this because he is able to adapt. Former Oregon players that are now Eagles can attest to that as the playbook is different than what they knew at Oregon. The Eagles head coach will add a new wrinkle to his offense whenever he believes it will fit and work. He meshed together players that he did not draft with his high octane offense to make one of the best offenses in NFL history and the best in Eagles history. Players were able to have career years because Chip adjusted his scheme to fit the players that were given to him. As Kelly acquires players that are picked by him, we can expect the offense to look entirely different each year.

The greatest NFL minds are searching for a blue print to stop Chip. Defenses have spent the entire offseason scheming to stop Chip’s offense. There is not a soul that can anticipate what play he will concoct next. Chip Kelly is innovating today’s NFL. The only thing that NFL experts and analysts can figure out is that the Eagles are trying to score more points than the other team.

Chip Kelly uses a fast paced no-huddle offense to give the defense less time to think and score quickly. The speed of the no-huddle offense is Chip’s greatest strength and biggest weakness. There is roughly five seconds from the end of one play to the ball being snapped of the next. This creates momentum, which the offense needs to be successful. Without momentum the no-huddle is pointless. The offense is unable to gain momentum without utilizes high completion percentages throws. High percentage throws help keep possession of the ball as the offense moves rapidly downfield. When the ball is under control, the clock is not. If the offense rushes downfield for a touchdown, the defense will be on the field for a large portion of the game. The opposing team has control ball and the clock at that point. Philadelphia’s defense ends up getting winded. They are more vulnerable to a late touchdown in the fourth quarter. That would be a crushing defeat for this young team. If the Eagles are beating up a team, they need to keep on crushing them. Chip should never let his foot off the pedal. The pressure should always be on the opposing team. It is when the pressure is let go that an opponent has a chance to get back in the game.

Last offseason Chip Kelly was the best man for the Eagles’ head coaching job, and he still is. Kelly is a guy that Philadelphia should get behind and support. But, do not put him above the team. He is not the answer to all of Philadelphia’s prayers. Since Chip Kelly has complete control of the Eagles, he is the face of the team. Not any of his players. The sports world is raving about him. Fans come to games to see Chip. If Kelly does win a Super Bowl, he will be the most popular and recognizable figure in Philadelphia.

-Glen