Bengals 31 Eagles 13 AKA - Who I want to win the Superbowl

It wasn't meant to be like this.  This is the "business end" (as opposed to the pleasure end...ohhh pardon) of the NFL regular season, I was meant to be watching the Eagles secure their Play Off berth and planning their route to the SuperBowl.  Instead, they sit at a pathetic 4-10, are in disarray and the only thing left to play for is Draft position.  A situation that essentially means defeat is preferable to victory!  It all means that the final 2 games of the season aren't exactly going to be nerve janglers!
Don't get me wrong, I'm still delighted that I picked the Eagles as my team, it's just that I'll have to wait until the 2013 season at least, before I can experience some glory.  Luckily, there is still plenty going on in the NFL and the last 2 weeks of the regular season are full of key games that will decide the Play Off places.

Many moons ago, the first franchise I eliminated from my search for a team were the Pittsburgh Steelers.  My reason?  I don't like them.

I worked on the principle that we always want a certain outcome when we watch a sporting event.  It may not be a strong urge and it may not have us jumping out of our seats, but to some degree we will want a certain team to win.  So if I pick 2 random NFL teams....in this case, Carolina and Cleveland - I'd say that I'd rather the Browns won a match up between the two.  Why? No strong reasons, just that I quite like the way Cleveland are building a young team and I find Cam Newton a bit too arrogant.  Naturally, this inclination can change pretty quickly - a couple of years ago I wanted to see the Chargers do well, now I'm completely nonplussed by them

I could apply the same "logic" to any NFL match-up, and to take that principle to it's extreme, it dictates who I want to win the Superbowl this season.

Looking at the remaining contenders, there aren't many that I'd place near the top of my personal "want to win" table.  Indeed, teams like the Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens and Giants are at the bottom of my table.  Nothing personal, just a subconscious and fairly inexplicable dislike of these teams.  I find Cowboys and Pats fans can often be arrogant, the Giants won last year so automatically lose a bit of appeal in my weird head, whilst the Ravens just don't float my boat.  Maybe it's the bang average QB, or maybe it's just the stupid purple uniforms!

Of course, there are inevitably teams who I am pretty apathetic towards - I like to see them beat the teams I don't like, but equally I want them to lost to the ones I do like.  Franchises such as the Colts, Broncos, Bears, Packers and Vikings leave me nonplussed.  Although it would be hilarious if Christian Ponder was a SuperBowl winner Quarterback, so I could be persuaded to route for the Vikings.

That leaves me with the franchises I like to see do well - the Texans, 49ers, Redskins, Seahawks, Falcons and Bengals.  I can't see myself cheering for the Falcons or Texans as they will probably be favourites for at least their first play off game.  The same can probably be said of the the Niners, I like watching them play, think their Defence are very exciting and I'm a fan of what Kaepernick is doing at QB.  However, I can see play off heartbreak for San Francisco in the form of a David Akers miss.  He's having a terrible season and it could see them come unstuck in a tight Post Season game.  I enjoy watching RGIII, Alfred Morris and co, but you can't escape the fact that Washington are Divisional rivals of the Eagles, so they have to be eliminated

Which means I'm left with a choice between the Bengals and Seahawks.  Realistically I just can't see the Bengals going all the way, they may not even reach the play offs for a start!  They can be fun to watch, the Dalton-Green link up is just about the best in the whole NFL. They just don't seem to beat the big teams, something they are clearly going to have to do pretty soon if they want to progress.

What about the Seahawks?  Again, I think it's a stretch to see them as SuperBowl winners, despite putting up over 100 pints in their last 2 games, there are questions makers over their offence up against elite teams.  The Defence is strong, but again are they elite?  Possibly, but I'm not convinced they're are SuperBowl winners.  However, I'm loving what Russell Wilson is doing, Marshawn Lynch is great to watch and they've got some great young players on both sides of the ball.

Hmm, it's a tough call, but I'm officially declaring that (following the Eagles elimination) the team I want to win the Superbowl are the.......Seattle Seahawks.


Beat that for logic!

Eagles 23 Bucs 21 Foles Gold

In one of my first blog articles I wrote about our desire to have heroes in sport, the need to have individuals to cheer for and inspire us.  I identified the Quarterback as being the most likely source of a hero in an NFL side, and whilst there are a few exceptions (Ray Lewis, Adrian Peterson) I stand by that assertion.  Based on that principle  I eliminated the Jaguars from my search for a team as based on his stats Blaine Gabbert was the QB least likely to fill the "hero" role.  Nothing that has occurred this season has made me think I made the wrong decision on that front!

However, I've been waiting all season for the Eagles to do something heroic.  Quarterback Michael Vick has been erratic at best, and eventually succumbed to an inevitable injury.  Sure there have been some good performers - DeMeco Ryans, Alex Henery, Fletcher Cox have all performed well, but there hadn't being any truly stand out moments or inspiring plays.  Step forward rookie QB Nick Foles...

Truth be told, I hadn't been entirely convinced by Foles during his first few starts.  He looked like a leader, but his throwing wasn't great and last week it appeared that Andy Reid had put a harness on him.  What's more, and call me judgemental here, he reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite.  He looks more like a Chess Club member then an NFL starter.  Luckily, looks can be deceptive (After all, I'm not actually a male model!).  My perception of Mr Foles changed dramatically on Sunday evening, and it may prove to be a defining moment in my Eagles supporting life.

Overall, Foles had a decent game, but it was his play in the 4th quarter that would be truly memorable.  With the Eagles trailing by 2 scores, Foles engineered 2 drive in the final 4 minutes that turned the game on it's head.  The most impressive aspect was the leadership qualities that Foles displayed. He improvised a terrific pass to Jason Avant, and then had the bravery to tell Andy Reid that he wanted the final play on his shoulders.  Reid let him loose, and Foles delivered a lovely touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin as time expired. Ultimately  the victory won't mean a great deal in the context of the season, but it could a moment Eagles fans look back at for years to come.  It was a period of play that I'd been waiting for all season,  an Eagles player stepping up and delivering a memorable, game winning moment.  Foles has been named as starter for the rest of the season, it's a great chance for him to show the franchise that he can be the starting Quarterback.  Maybe he won't grasp the opportunity and the Eagles will have to look at acquiring a new QB in the off season.  But maybe, just maybe, Foles can nail down the starting spot and be the Eagles QB for the next few years.  If he does, then perhaps I've found my next sporting hero!

Eagles 33 Cowboys 38: How Did it Come to This?

Another Eagles defeat, but this time I've got something to celebrate!
Forgive the shameless self indulgence, but this week marks the first birthday of this blog.  More importantly, it's marks the first anniversary of my journey to becoming an Eagles fan.  It actually seems as like I've been supporting Philadelphia for an entirety - I guess that's what 8 defeats in a row does to you!

If you're late to this, then I've been following the NFL for around 6 years, but for the first 5 of those I was a complete neutral.  Last year I decided to change that and have some fun whilst doing so.  I became an Eagles fan by starting with all 32 NFL teams as my potential franchise, then eliminating 31 teams 1 at a time for a wide variety of football and non-football related reasons.  It lead to some very strange evenings at home - including a pretty dull couple of hours spent working out which NFL ground would take the longest to get to from my house and a soul destroying episode of coin tossing in order to eliminate a team through blind luck.  My initial plan was to eliminate one team every week, but as I started getting into the project I upped my work rate, and ended up finding my team in about 3 months.  It all ended with a scintillating game of Madden 07 between the Eagles and Lions.  If, you've not read about that game (Reuters didn't seem interested for some reason) then just watch a compilation of bad punts and you'd get the general idea.

It all left me as an Eagles fan, but it also gave me a thirst for discovering more about the NFL and writing more about it.  As such, I've been regularly contributing to the excellent 1amsports.com and have also written articles for the equally excellent Second City Fanatics and the British Eagles website.

Supporting a team with a fan base in the UK has been beneficial in building up my support, and the British Eagles has been great in this regard. Whilst I don't have the same depth of Eagles knowledge or experience as some of the members, I like to think I can support the team just as much.  I've certainly built up my knowledge of the team and the league as a whole over the last few months.

Having dabbled with a couple of over writing projects, I've now decided to write a History of the NFL in the UK and look at the various connections this country has had with the League and American Football in general.  I'm aiming for this to be a somewhat more substantial piece of work, so there's plenty of research going on at present.

As for my Eagles supporting life?  Hmm, well it all started well enough, I was pretty optimistic heading into the season, on paper we had one of the strongest squads in the NFL, with playmakers all over the pitch. A 3-1 start justified my optimism and the Eagles were set to crown my opening season in glorious fashion.

2 months on, the victory column still sits at 3 and the Eagles are one of the worst sides in the League.  They are definitely the most disappointing side in football.  This latest defeat in Dallas came as a surprise to absolutely nobody.  Injuries, poor form, worse coaching and numerous botches have led to a highly frustrating period for fans.  In truth, this display was an improvement and young players like Bryce Brown and Nick Foles are showing signs of maturity and being NFL calibre players.  This campaign is clearly over so I agree with giving the rookies a go for the last 4 games.  I also agree wit releasing Jason Babin, and hopefully a few more will be joining him in the departure lounge soon (Kurt Coleman!).

In a way, this season has been good for my development as an Eagles fan.  Let's face it, I'm not likely to encounter many worse years during my supporting life!  The only way is up, and a massive rebuild is surely going to take place in the off season.  The odds are that it won't bring positive results overnight - the NFL is cyclical and the Eagles are pretty much at the bottom of that cycle currently.  But I just want a team full of young, hungry players who are playing with passion and not just dialing it in so they can take home their paychecks.  There were signs of that on Sunday night, and after a miserable few months, there may be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.  It just might take a long time to get out of said tunnel!

Overall, I've loved my first year of writing about the NFL.  My appreciation of the sport has grown immensely, I regularly bore friends by crowbarring it into conversations and I watch far too much of the sport on TV.  Supporting a team has been a big part of this, and if you don't already support an NFL team then I'd highly recommend you start doing so...just maybe not the Eagles!

Eagles 22 Panthers 30 Your Covers Blown

So much for trying to be optimistic!

The Eagles once again slumped to a well deserved defeat, this time against the less than formidable Carolina Panthers.  Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and most of the offensive line are all out injured, Jason Babin has been released and the secondary appear to have broken up early for Christmas.

It was a difficult watch, and I found it tough to be too harsh on the young players on offensive.  Rookie QB Nick Foles was ineffective and not asked to do a great deal.  There was nothing to suggest he is the answer for the Eagles, there were a few nice, short throws early on, but the play calling was very conservative.  The jury remains out on the young passer.  However, working behind the Eagles dire O line is a thankless task and one that even the best QBs would find difficult.  This is an area that the Eagles need to address in the off season and get some significant upgrades in place.

If Folks failed to impress, the same couldn't be said for fellow rookie Bryce Brown.  Stepping into the considerable void left by McCoy, Brown showcased his speed, instinct and agility in running for a whopping 178 yards.  This included a storming 65 yard TD run that got the crowd on it's feet and a short TD run to the outside that showed his impressive acceleration.  Of course, this is the Eagles 2012, so Brown also had to cough up a couple of fumbles that stalled promising drives. But there was enough to suggest that next season a Brown-McCoy double act could give the Eagles a potent running game.

On the other side of the ball, Demeco Ryans once again showed what a great signing he has been.  Fletcher Cox is proving to be a shrewd Draft signing, and Vinny Curry played with a passion that has been lacking from the Eagles D for much of the season.  However, they still found it hard to contain Cam Newton and the Carolina QB had his best outing of a difficult rookie season.  He continually escaped the pressure and found running room or time to fire downfield and it was downfield that the Panthers won the game.

The Eagles secondary were once again an embarrassment.  The time and space that Brandon LeFells had for his TD was scandalous and signing/Drafting a couple of safeties must also be high up on the Eagles priority list for 2013.  Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen look lost at times, and it's the second week in a row that our coverage has spectacularly failed.  In fact, since Juan Castillo was harshly fired, the secondary has been a shambles.  It's certainly not helping Todd Bowles prospects of getting a head coaching job anytime soon!

Despite the Eagles being competitive for much of the game, I never truly felt that we'd emerge victorious.  Alex Henery kept us close with some efficient kicking (one of the few successes of the season), but we couldn't make big plays of defence or stop Newton having his way.  The final straw was a Boykin kick off fumble, ironically after he'd reached midfield and looked to be setting us up for a final drive.  There was a crushing inevitability about the fumble, it was the Eagles season in microcosm...hope, destroyed by ineptitude.

There are 5 games left of this soul crushing season, and given the recent displays it's hard to see the Eagles winning any of them.  The important thing for the franchise is to take a look at some of the younger players (Curry, Brown etc) and decide which of the old guard need to be shipped out.  Jason Babin has already been shown the door after a poor season, but if Babin is deemed surplus to requirements then surely the likes of Coleman and Allen need to be following him pretty sharpish.  Andy "Need to do better" Reid is surely on his way out too, and the choice of the next Head Coach will be crucial.  I'd like to see a college coach like Chip Kelly get a chance.  It's clearly going to be a long term rebuild so why not give somebody a a chance to find their feet in the NFL and build the team up.


Quarterback Michael Vick looks to be a spent force and the 2013 Draft class isn't exactly stellar   A solid Free Agency signing may be in order to provide some stability to the offence.  Alex Smith could be an astute acquisition should the Niners let him leave in the New Year, it certainly seems as if Colin Kaeperick is the future in San Francisco, so Smith could well become available.  Failing that, then there are a few decent QBs struggling to get gametime at present.  The likes of Matt Flynn, Matt Hasselbeck or Kyle Orton may not get the pulses racing, but they are solid, safe options.  After a couple of years of erratic QB, a steady hand may be just what the Eagles need.  As for the O line and secondary, these areas need to be addressed in the Draft.  Hopefully, players like Ryans, Mathis, and Peters can help these young players establish themselves in the team.
Whatever the Eagles decide to do, a big operation is needed in Philadelphia to get the franchise back to the top of the NFC East.  I've certainly not picked the easy option when it comes to supporting an NFL team!

Eagles 6 Redskins 31 A History Project

My mother taught me that if I didn't have anything good to say then to not say anything at all.  This means I've got absolutely nothing to say regarding the Eagles latest  - and worst - defeat of the season.  Suffice to say that, the season is now over, wholesale changes are needed, Andy Reid must go, various players must go and new Co-ordinators are needed.  Aside from that, everything is looking good.

So instead of banging on about the Eagles and their deficiencies, I'm going to talk about something I'm currently working on and will forming the basis for this blog after the NFL season has concluded. I'm talking about the History of the NFL in the UK.  It started as a little bit of Internet research on a slow night in (aka girlfriend watching the soaps!) after reading an article about John Smith.  Smith was the kicker for the New England Patriots for 10 years from 1974 and is most famous for being the kicker during the infamous Snow Plough game against the Dolphins.  I found it interesting that Smith had been brought up in England and was offered a contract as a soccer* player.  He turned it down, moved to the US shortly after and the rest is history.

Me being me, I decided to look up other players from the UK who have appeared in the NFL.  It's not exactly a long list, but it does provide some great stories.  It certainly provided enough to intrigue me and set me off on a long train of thought. So long was the train, that it ended with me deciding to look into the entire history of the NFL in terms of it's connections to the UK.  Cue lots of research and more fascinating stories.

Broadly speaking, I categorised my findings into 5 categories:

* The Origins of the Sport - Like most US sports, American Football derives from an English sport  - in this case rugby.  How did the sport evolve from the time that William Webb Ellis supposedly pick up a ball during a game of football?  How did it get across the Atlantic and evolve into the sport we now watch and enjoy?

* The Early Days - Before Channel 4 got involved in the early 80's, the NFL was a mystery to the vast majority of the UK.  However, there were a few connections, aside from the previously mentioned Smith.  I am also trying to track down a story that I'm sure I read in the guardian a while ago, it concerns a kicker from the UK who ended up in the NFL after a franchise decided to run kicking trials over here.  If anybody has a link to that story or more information on what happened then please can you let me know, as I seem to recall it was a great story.

Possibly the greatest
TV logo ever!

* The 80's Boom - Everyone of a certain age (older than me I hasten to add) remember Channel 4's coverage of the NFL, it led to a massive growth of the NFL in the UK and exhibition games being played at Wembley stadium.  Ultimately, Channel 4's coverage was the catalyst for the League becoming what it has in this country.  They are plenty of interesting facts and anecdotes surrounding the sport and it's presence in the UK during this period.

* The London Monarchs and the World League - With all due respect the likes of the London Blitz and co, it seems ludicrous to think that an American Football team from the UK played and Wembley stadium and regularly attracted crowds of other 40,000.  It was a weird time for the sport in the UK, highlighted by the fact that my geography teacher used to put on Monarchs videos when he had time to kill at the end of a lesson!


*  Finally, after a late nineties dip, we have the "Second Boom" that exists to this day and is underlined by the playing of regular season NFL games at Wembley.  I still get amazed when people complain about aspects of the International Series - Team x are crap, the queues at the Tailgate are too long, tickets are too expensive etc - we shouldn't ever get complacent about the NFL playing in this country.  It is an incredible privilege that the overwhelming majority of sports fans never experience.  It is also growing year upon year -the Tailgates, the Fan Rallies etc and next year we have 2 games to look forward to.  What's more, they are also events such as the Super Bash and the Thanksgiving Party that help to raise the profile of the sport here, as well as more and more games being televised.  It's a fantastic time to be a UK based fan of the NFL, but what does the future hold and how can the sport continue to grow?

I'm still hunting around for stories and information about the NFL/UK connections, but after the end of the NFL season I'm going to start putting the stories together.  I've yet yet decided whether to use this blog to publish my work or to look at other avenues (websites, etc) or even to put it all together in one place.  Either way, I'm excited about working on a more substantial writing project and to find out more about the NFLs connections with the UK.

It's certainly better then writing about the Eagles every week!




(* Like most people in the UK I hate the word Soccer, but it's the simplest way to differentiate between football and American Football...so tough!)

Cowboys 38 Eagles 23: 5 Reasons to be Cheerful

Another week, another dismal defeat for the Eagles.  This time at home, against one of our Divisional rivals.  Yup, the hits keep coming for the 2012 Eagles.  To add to the woes, this latest debacle saw Michael Vick knocked out of the game, the concession of 2 Defensive TDs and some classic Andy Reid clock management to end the first half.

But I've had enough of whinging about the Eagles and there many many flaws, instead I'm going to focus on the positives.  I've got plenty of experience of watching a struggling sports team after much thought (and some creative thinking) here are 5 reasons to be cheerful for Eagles fans:

1. 2013 Will Be a Clean Slate

Andy Reid's tenure is surely coming to an end.  His overall body (and it's a large body) of work has been impressive, but the last two years have been a bit of a sham.  In recent weeks, Reid has had the look of a man going through the motions it's clear that he needs a change of scenery.
In addition to Reid, it seems likely that a lot of the "Dream Team" signings will be moving on before next season, or at least playing in reduced roles.  Once again, Nmandi Asomugha was at fault for a TD on Sunday, and there has been more bad than good from the ex Raider this season.  The same could be said for DRC after an excellent Week 1 performance.  Whilst Babin and Jenkins look shadows of their former selves.  The odds of Michael Vick being the Eagles QB next season also appear to be lengthening by the day.
New coach, new QB and some young and hungry new players may be just what the franchise needs.

2.  The Defence (Well, some of it)

Demeco Ryans has been an inspired signing, once again on Sunday he was all over the field making tackles, disrupting passes and generally making it hard for Dallas to make gains.  It typified his season and Ryans looks like a shoe in for Eagles Player of the Year.
Alongside Ryans, Fletcher Cox and Michael Kendricks have had impressive starts to their NFL career.  Both look strong in the tackle and mobile.  We even saw them record a pair of sacks on Sunday, which bodes well for the future.
In fact, throughout the 2012 season the Defence hasn't been much of a problem and with a few tweaks it can be elite in 2013.

3.  Nick Foles Will Now Get a Chance

Vote Pedro!

I'm not going to anoint Foles as the next Tom Brady, but he did enough in his first outing to deserve an extended look.  He looked comfortable marshaling the troops in the huddle, he displayed a strong arm on a 50 yard TD pass and he wasn't afraid to try and make plays.  Yes, there was a pick 6 and an End Zone fumble, but that's par for the course for rookies, especially coming into the game midway through.
Foles deserves the rest of the season to see if he can nail down the starter's spot.  If he can then great.  If not, then it seems likely the Eagles will have a very high Draft pick with which to address the situation.  There's certainly more to be gained by playing Foles, then there is by going back to Michael Vick.


4.  You Can Enjoy the Rest of the Season

With the Eagles out of the Play Off picture, fans can kick back and enjoy the rest of the season.  Sure, we still want the Eagles to win and will watch the games, but it doesn't matter too much.  Instead we can relax and enjoy seeing some good teams compete for Divisional honours and a place at the SuperBowl.
There are some fascinating stories developing this season - Peyton Manning's return, Andrew Luck's progress, The Bears defence, Adrian Peterson's miraculous recovery etc,  I've been too hung up on the Eagles to fully enjoy the action.  Now all Eagles fans can soak up the rest of the NFL year without worrying about another Philadelphia disaster.

5.  It's Character Building

Honestly, going through seasons like this (and 2011) just makes the good times even better.  Look at the Colts, there were a train wreck last season, won only 2 games and had to endure Curtis Painter's QB play for much of the year.  Now they are sitting in a great spot in the Play Off race, have their QB of the future and have become the darlings of the league thanks to the amazing story of Chuck Pagano.
Last season's misery, will only have made this season's success sweeter.  Colts fans will look back at the dark days and it will make them appreciate what they have now.  Think how much Niners fans have enjoyed the last 2 seasons, after some horrendous years of bad management. Or how much Texan fans are wallowing in their success after a very slow start to NFL life.

When the Eagles have a successful 2013 (No laughing at the back!) we can all look back at this campaign and realise how lucky we are.  Now there's optimism for you!

Eagles 13 Saints 28 A New Low

According to the NFL schedule, there are 8 games left of the 2012 Regular Season, but try telling that to Philadelphia Eagles fans.  Even the most widely optimistic supporter would have to conceded that this team is finished for the year.  This latest defeat on Monday night, was arguably the worst so far.  Which is a pretty bold statement given some of the other losses this term.

I've got plenty of experience of supporting a losing team and defeat doesn't hit me hard anymore, but it's the hope that kills you, and heading into this season I had plenty of hope. I even wrote an article about it for the British Eagles website, I was optimistic that our big name players would step up and win us the big games.  Maybe it was my lack of battle scars, but I genuinely thought my first season as an Eagles fan was going to be a triumphant one.  Well, I certainly won't be making that mistake next year.  Pessimism will be the order of the day before the 2013 season.

This game was like the season in microcosm.  A promising start, followed by a ridiculously poor turnover, a period of awfulness, a hint at improvement, but ultimately a dreadful performance.  If you want a specific example of how the season has gone then look no further than the first quarter drive to the Saints Red Zone that ended with a 98 yard interception return for a touchdown.  That doesn't happen to the best teams, and if it does they respond to it.  The Eagles looked resigned to their fate from a very early stage.

I'd spent a lot of the off season reading about the great play makers the Eagles had on Defence - Cole, Babin, DRC, Asomugha, Ryans, plus 2 high end Draft picks.  Well, after a reasonable start to the season the Defence have turned in a couple of dreadful displays. New Co-ordinator Todd Bowles is proving to be about as much use as Todd Carty and teams are marching down the field on us pretty easily.

It's not all bad.......(paragraph scrapped due to lack of content)

I'm well used to losing and bad runs.  A couple of season's ago, Gillingham went a whopping 18 months without winning away.  A run that included a relegation and some truly abysmal defeats.  A 5-4 at Bury, a 4-0 walloping to local rivals Millwall and a scarcely believable 7-4 loss at Accrington bloody Stanley!
This difference between Gillingham being rubbish and the Eagles being rubbish is that I've not grown to expect it from the Eagles. The NFL is built to give everyone a chance, parity is the order of the day, it's all about coaches and players performing.  And quite simply, this hasn't happened enough this year in Philadelphia.  What's more, the organization has made some strange decisions concerning staff - firing Castillo, continuing to hire Reid etc.

Is it denting my faith in the Eagles?  Not at all, I wouldn't be a sports fan if I couldn't cope with defeat.  It makes the victories all the sweeter.  In many ways, this season has been a perfect introduction to the Eagles and the failings that I'd previously read about have.  Maybe I'd have felt a fraud if I'd experienced the glory at my first attempt.

Apologies for the negative nature of this week's post, but if you'd have got up at 6am to watch that debacle before work, you'd be struggling to come up with another positive.  At least, we're playing Dallas this week - one of the few franchises that having an equally shambolic season.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other news, I've got a rough idea for a series of longer articles on the history of the NFL, in terms of it's connections with the UK - starting from the way American Football evolved, going through the early Brits to play in the NFL, Channel 4 and the 80's boom, the London Monarchs etc, right up to the International Series and the ongoing second boom.  Doing some research at present, so the current plan is to use the next off season to write it all out.
Watch this Space!

International Series 2012 - Better than Watching the Eagles!

Not many great days out start at 830am on a Sunday morning at Birmingham Moor Street, but the 28th October 2012 was an exception.  Not that I was feeling particularly joyous as I boarded the Chiltern (aka cheap but slow) train to Marylebone.  2 hours, 3 coffees, a few chapters of Scott Mariani's new book and a Frank Turner playlist later, I was in London and meeting up with my friend.

About half of Marylebone station appeared to be NFL fans and I clocked over 20 different team's jerseys whilst getting our tube tickets.  It seem strange to see so many different team colours at a one off sporting event, by the time we'd reached Wembley on the tube I'd completed a full set of 32 team jerseys and it was clear that the Patriots were going to have more fans then the "home team".  I've previously written about how it'd be great to really make the IS seem like a home game for the Rams (or whoever), but this year was always going to be difficult given the popularity of the Patriots in this country and the recent history of the sides.

The Pats popularity was in further evidence as we made our way to the Green Man, which was home to plenty of fans, a large marquee and a heavily populated UK Patriots tent.  I think it's fair to say that the "UK Jags" tent next year will be a bit more sparse!  As usual, the Green Man was an excellent host for the Great British Tailgate Party and full of friendly faces.  It also had beer at only £2.50 a bottle which seemed rather cheap for a Wembley game day.  After a couple of drinks and the first half of the Merseyside Derby, it was time to make our way to the official Tailgate to meet up with some British Eagles.

For a change, there wasn't a massive queue to get into the Tailgate, there were plenty of lanes and the security checks were brief and efficient.  Inside the Tailgate was another matter, the queues were so long it was making it difficult to walk around the site. It was a shame, because the range of food on offer was excellent.  The same couldn't be said for the beer, and one pint of overpriced, flat, Budweiser was enough for me.  By some miracle we managed to find a bench in the beer tent and met up with some of the British Eagles.  It was great to put some faces to names, although I was left feeling rather jealous as Matty had a sideline and changing room pass, whilst Ali had Club Wembley tickets.  Meanwhile, we had seats up in the rafters...grr.

Soon to was time to make our way to the seats in the aforementioned rafters.  Thankfully Wembley has plenty of escalators, otherwise we may have missed the first half!  One of the great aspects of Wembley is that you've got a great view from pretty much any seat.  We were about 10 rows from the back, but the view was still excellent.  Pre match band Train aren't exactly my cup of tea (Nor was the Wembley tea at £2.50!) but I have to admit they sounded good live.  Not having the onfield visual extravaganza of flags and cheerleaders (presumably due to the wet field) actually helped the band connect with the audience.

Welcome to the Cheap Seats

Sitting behind the EndZone means you can't be 100% certain if a short run has gained 2 or 3 yards, but the sideline markings make it pretty easy to guess.  Plus the PA was always quick to announce the result of the play.  The opening Rams drive ended with a spectacular 50 yard touchdown pass from Bradford to Givens and it genuinely felt like a Rams home game at that point.  We were out of our seats and the atmosphere was superb.  Sadly, that was as good as it got, and for the rest of the first half we were treated to a Tom Brady masterclass.  The scoreboard was keeping everyone informed of the Eagles latest disaster, although it sounded as if the Dolphins hammering of the Jets was the most popular score of the evening - not sure if that's a sign of the Fins popularity or evidence of how much people dislike the Jets at present!

NFL thrashings are never much fun, but at least we got to see an NFL all time great performing somewhere near his peak.  Brady was greatly aided by a strong offensive line, a lively running display from Steven Ridley and some unplayable receivers.  Rob Gronkowski in particular was looking unstoppable and even from the cheap seats, he looked like a cross between a lineman and a basketball player.  Despite the one sided nature of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half.  It was my 4th IS game and comfortably the best standard of play I'd seen.

Unfortunately, the Rams weren't matching their rivals and their defence was getting a mauling.  It all meant that the second half was a bit of a non event. Sure, we got a couple more Pats TDs, but they were merely icing on the cake.  The Pats defence also stepped up in the second half and made a number of big plays.  Poor Sam Bradford was getting swamped on a regular basis and his O line was disintegrating in front of him.

By the start of the 4th quarter, the crowd was thinning out.  This is a common occurrence at NFL games and is in no way a poor reflection of UK fans.  The truth is that one sided NFL games fizzle out at an early stage - we get back up QBs, conservative plays and a plethora of punts. The plus side was that it meant that 84,000 people weren't leaving at the same time so getting away from the stadium was pretty easy.  We had time to catch some of the Cowboys-Giants game back at the Green Man before heading off into the night.

I'd rank the 6th IS game as my second favourite.  The Chargers-Saints epic will take some serious beating and the fact it was my first ever NFL game means it was a special occasion for me.  But this was up there, we met some great people, saw some brilliant play and generally had a really fun time. If you've never been to the Is then make sure you get to Wembley next year.  I'm hoping to get tickets for both games - I just hope that they end up being close contests!

Next year will certainly be a big test of how far the NFL has come in the UK.  2 games is going to be a challenge, particularly with the perennially poor Jaguars being one of the teams coming over. The Vikings Steelers clash will be the easier to sell, it looks like being a tough game to call, it will be played in September, so should be decent weather, plus both teams are well supported in the UK.  Ideally, all NFL games in the UK would feature match ups like this, but obviously getting 2 big sides to come over is a difficult task.  After all, if you sell out in the US why move a game to the UK?

It'd be great if the game could have more of a "home" feel for Jacksonville and it's important that NFLUK and Sky hype the Jags over the next 12 months.  It's great that they have committed to playing here for the next 4 years and they deserve our support in return.  Unfortunately, they are up against one of the best supported teams in the 49ers and will probably be big underdogs. A lot can change in the NFL so maybe it'll end up being a close contest, but as it stands it's not the most appealing of fixtures.  Of course, the die hard fans will go whoever is playing, but for the sake of converting more new fans it's vital that the game is well marketed and that the Jags put on a good show.

Personally, I'd be surprised if there was ever a franchise in the UK, but for the sake of teams wanting to come over here for fixtures we need to promote Wembley (or whenever) as being a strong home venue.  Somewhere where they will have an advantage and get strong support. I'd like to see the Jags name written in both the EndZones, only Jacksonville banners on the side of the stadium and for the franchise themselves to make every effort to connect with the UK audience.  Gestures to get the crowd going, spending some time in the UK, lots of PR activity etc.  The Rams did a reasonable job on this front, but more can be done.

We are really lucky to have NFL games in the UK, and to have 2 here next year is fantastic.  Now it's time to make the most of it and make sure it continues and gets even bigger!

Ten Tips For a Great NFL International Series

This week is the highlight of the sporting year for thousands of sports fans in the UK.  Given that we've had the Olympics, Paralympics, European Championships and Ryder Cup this year, that's a pretty bold claim.  But for the hoards of NFL fans in this country the International Series at Wembley is what they look forward to all year.
The International Series is so much more than a game of football, it's a fantastic day out, a chance to meet fellow fans and is supplemented by plenty of other great events like the Tailgate party and the Fan Rally.  I've been to 3 previous IS games and have gradually learnt how to make the most of my time at the NFL, so here's my Top Ten Tips to ensure you have a great day out at the 2012 International Series:

1.  Get There Early!
The game doesn't start until 5pm, but try to get to Wembley late morning. This ensures you've got as much time as possible to enjoy the Tailgates, the bars , the food outlets and to just generally soak up the superb pre match atmosphere.  It also gives you the best chance of beating the crowds at the official Tailgate and getting a decent chance to grab some merchandise without having to queue for ages.

2.  Try to Arrive at Wembley Park
Wembley has it's fair share of critics.  Yes, it was absurdly expensive, massively delayed and is situated in one of the less salubrious areas of London.  But, as you emerge from the bowels of Wembley Park tube station, you cannot fail to be impressed by the grandeur of the stadium. The arch in particular is a magnificent site.  What's more, you are looking at it with Wembley Way in the foreground. Well worth spending a few minutes for a photo sessions.

3. Have a Stroll Down Wembley Way
Please note - This is to be done pre match!  The 500 yards or so from Wembley Park to the Stadium is one of the most famous pedestrianised roads in the country (Phrases you never read in an NFL blog No1!) and is great to get the metaphorical juices flowing.  You'll encounter plenty of other fans, as well as an assortment of colourful characters (i.e. crooks) pedalling some knock off merchandise.  So, if you fancy wearing a "New Egnland Patroits" scarf or a "St Louis Rams" hat, this is the place to be.

4. Visit the Great British Tailgate Party
In truth, I'm not a massive fan of the official Tailgate organised by the NFL.  2008 was fun with the Mardi Gras, but the other occasions have been pretty dull.  Lots of overpriced merchandise and food, plus massive queues and some variable entertainment.  Last season, we discovered the GBTP at the Green Man pub near the stadium and had a great time on the Sunday afternoon.  Wembley isn't blessed with great pubs, it's not even blessed with average ones, but the Green Man turns into an NFL stronghold once a year.  The pub has a large beer garden that is home to a fair sized marquee with plenty of merchandise and food stalls (including a lovely spit roast (Phrases you never read in an NFL blog No2).  Plus, you'll be surrounded by hoards of friendly NFL fans, and if round ball football is your thing you can watch the afternoons Premier League action.  This was particularly good fun last year thanks to Man Utd 1 Man City 6!
The pub is only a 5-10 minute walk from the stadium and is open post match until 1am.

5.  Try to catch the Pre Match Entertainment
Even if the Prematch band aren't your thing  - and Train certainly aren't my thing! - it's well worth getting into the ground at least 30 minutes before kick off.  The NFL knows how to put on a show and the fireworks, dancing and general visual extravaganza are another great photo opportunity.  It's not exactly Danny Boyle and won't have you marvelling at the subtlety, but it certainly looks impressive!

6. Support the Rams
Probably best for Patriots fans to bypass this section!
If you support one of the other 31 franchises then I'd urge you to help make the occasion feel like a Rams home game.  There are usually flags provided on every seat, plus the obligatory PA propaganda.  They will be the underdogs, and it'll create a fantastic atmosphere if we all get behind them.  Plus, nobody likes the Patriots do they?  Also, a fervent "home" atmosphere will send a great message to other franchises and encourage them to want to play over here.

7. Don't start/join in with a Mexican Wave
In the unlikely event I get invited onto Room 101, I'll be sending the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, the Stereophonics and Swindon to the Orwellian nightmare.  I'd also be condemning the Mexican Wave and anyone who starts one.  For a start, it gives the impression that the game is dull and people are bored.  That may well be the case, but try and encourage the players rather than demonstrate how bored you are.  Even booing at least indicates you're watching!
It's also really irritating when everyone in front of you stands up every 30 seconds. Usually accompanied by feet stomping and a "whoooh" that sounds like you're at a boy band gig (So I'm told!).  Boycott the Wave!

8.  Don't Bother with the Food and Drink in the Stadium
Unless of course, you're a fan of microwave pizza slices and flat Carlsberg.  All at 2035 prices!  Luckily, there are more than enough food and drink options outside of the stadium for this not to be a problem.

9.  Stay til the End!
The Patriots will be favourites but in the last 2 weeks you've thrown away 10 point leads in the 4th Quarter.  Against the Seahawks, it lead to an inglorious defeat, but against the Jets it ended in an Overtime victory.  This isn't the Patriots we've come to know over the years and they are showing plenty of signs of vulnerability this season.
The Rams are a work in progress, but there are clear sign of progress. Finnegan and Jenkins are an excellent CB tandem, Jackson and Richardson give them a solid ground game and Sam Bradford is showing flashes of developing into a bonafide NFL QB.  St Louis needs a signature win to rubber stamp their improvement, and Wembley would be a great place to do it.

10.  Stick Around After the Game
If nothing else, it means you avoid the misery of Wembley Way!  If you're on a high post match, then standing around for an hour in the cold, whilst moving at a snails pace is a sure fire way of getting you back down to Earth.  In previous years, I've been part of this misery, and followed it up with a midnight train ride back to Birmingham.  This year we're opting for a few post match drinks before getting a taxi to our hotel. It means we can watch the Cowboys-Giants game, discuss the Wembley game and chat to even more NFL fans.  All of which sounds far more preferable to being herded around like cattle and will make an excellent end to a fantastic day.



There you have it, it's just what I'd recommend for a great day out, it's a once a year event (Although twice next year!) so make the most of it and if you see a man in an Eagles t-shirt in Block 509 or at the Green Man, come and say hello.  Just don't ask me to join in with the Mexican Wave!

Just like Watching the Gills! Lions 26 Eagles 23

For years, supporting Gillingham Football Club has been a stressful, frustrating and largely disappointing experience.  I've sat through plenty of heavy defeats at the hands of mediocre opponents, as well as watching us throw away leads on a regular basis.  Even the most casual of football fans is familiar with our stunning Play Off Final defeat to Man City in 1999 - 2-0 up with just seconds to play, we managed to concede 2 goals and wound up losing on penalties.  A string of poor players and even poorer managers, plus the occasional moments of glory (A promotion in 2009) have been the story of my Gills supporting life.  The team have a very clever knack of conceding late goals and turning simple victories into agonizing draws and defeats.  Worst of all, the majority of games have been exceedingly dull, and it's only threw a perverse sense of obligation that I've carried on going.

Tactical Genius

Then, this summer, something changed.  Along came Martin Allen with a few new players, hilarious press conferences and some "interesting" ideas.  Suddenly Saturday afternoons are a pleasurable experience, full of exciting play, excellent goals and, most importantly, victories.  The season is only a quarter of the way done, but the Gills are sitting proudly on top of the league and it feels great to be a fan.  Everything is looking rosy ....and then we get to the Philadelphia Eagles.

This is my first season supporting the Eagles (For any new readers this is why) and so far they are doing a pretty good job in replacing the "misery gap" in my supporting life.  Close, stressful games, terrible management and heartbreaking defeats have been the story of the season.  In fact, the errors besetting the Eagles are almost identical to those suffered by the Gills over the years.  It's as if they've filled in the void created by the Gills excellent form.

As sport's fans, we love to wallow in our misery and misfortune. Even supporters of Manchester Utd or Barcelona will find things to moan about. The away draw becomes a source of disappointment, the red card the start of a crisis and the penalty conceded is a reason to ring up 606 and whinge about referees.  It's the same in the NFL, my Twitter feed is full of negative comments.  Last Sunday I had loads of tweets from Falcons fans complaining about Matt Ryan and the fact they weren't stuffing the Raiders.  The team have a 100% record for Christ's sake, why can't fans just be happy?

Supporting a team is a chance to let off some steam and the best way to do that is via negative emotions.  Bad week at work? Don't shout at the boss, let your team's Quarterback have it instead!  Fell out with the girlfriend?  Nothing a few screams at a ref won't fix.

I'm no different. It's not a conscious effort to be negative about supporting the Eagles and Gills, but it's just that I (like most people) use my supporting life to vent my spleen.  A successful period for the Gills is nicely offset by the misfiring Eagles.  Instead of moaning at Andy Hessanthaler and various sub standard footballers, I get annoyed at Michael Vick and Andy Reid.

This week's game against the Lions was a prime example of how frustrating the Eagles can be.  After an error laden first half went largely unpunished by a distinctly average Detroit team, the Eagles improved considerably in the second half.  So much so, that when Jeremy Maclin scored a 70 yard touchdown we were 10 points up, with only a few minutes remaining.  That's when the "spirit of Wembley 1999" kicked in and a seemingly unassailable lead was turned into a soul destroying defeat.  This time the ingredients were an inexplicable change in the defensive scheme, some absurd offensive play calling and an offensive line that were completely unable to stop the rush.

Still we managed to reach Overtime and by virtue of winning the coin toss we had the first chance to score.  What happened next was a truly catastrophic period of possession which saw us make a grand total of -21 yards in 3 plays before punting the ball away and giving the Lions excellent field position.  From which they duly went on to win the game.

After Maclin's touchdown, I made the fatal error of thinking the game was done.  No way could we lose from here!  Having done my research on the history of the Eagles I should have known better.  Perhaps I should be thankful that they've allowed me to let some steam off now the Gills are winning regularly, but at present it doesn't feel great being an Eagles fan.


Luckily enough, this week is the Eagles bye week, so no Sunday misery for me in Week 7. Instead Ill be able to watch the fixtures and enjoy them.  Which given the last 2 Eagle's debacles will make a nice change.
Next week, I'll be looking ahead to the International Series and how the sport is developing in the UK

Sky's Limits! Eagles 14 Steelers 16

Week 5 represented the Eagles first appearance on Sky Sports this season.  Coming off the back of an excellent victory over the Giants, it seemed to be a great chance for the Eagles to put on a show in front of a UK TV audience...hmmm we'll get to that in a bit!

Love it or hate it, Sky Sports NFL coverage is a prime reason for the growth of the NFL in the UK. Their Sunday night coverage has been a staple of UK fans viewing for years and they've supplemented it with programmes such as Total Access and America's Game.  Of course, the likes of ESPN, Channel 4 and the Beeb have dipped their toes, but it's Sky that have led the way in broadcasting the NFL in this country.

The Sunday night set up has been largely the same since I started watching the NFL 6 years ago.  The only major change has been Neil Reynolds replacing Nick Halling as lead analyst.  The Halling-Reynolds switch didn't go down too well with a lot of fans who missed Halling's infectious enthusiasm and found Reynolds a bit too drab for their liking.  I do miss Halling and can't really take to him as a boxing commentator, but I've no real problem with Reynolds.  My Sunday night twitter feed is full of people disagreeing with his opinions, but that doesn't make him a bad pundit.  Reynolds isn't an ex-player so is limited in his "insight", but he does stick his neck out and if I don't agree with a lot of what he says then that's fine.  It's preferable to the non committal analysis that blights coverage of soccer in this country.

The Reynolds-Halling switch aside, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching coverage from 2006 most of the time. Even the rota of studio guests is largely the same, some of them are very good (Cecil Martin) and some don't really offer much (David Tuckman)., the format of the show is unflinching and at the head of it all is Kevin Cadle.

I like Cadle, in the same way that I liked Richard Whiteley on Countdown.  He's clearly not going to win any awards for his presenting style, but despite the frequent factual errors, missing of cues and stumbles, I do find him entertaining.  Or maybe it's because of those errors!

Sky have a difficult task in pitching their coverage at the right level for a sport that is growing in the UK.  Make it too analytical and people new to the game switch off.  Make it too simple and long term fans get bored.  In this regard, Sky get it about right.  We get some technical analysis, but in the main it's easy enough to understand for even the newest of NFL followers.

However, I do feel that Sky could do with revamping the coverage a bit.  A new studio, a couple of fresh faces, maybe even a change of style.  As the sport grows in the UK, then surely the coverage should develop.  Use the 30 minutes prior to kick off for some in depth analysis of the upcoming game, the midweek show that currently features highlights from 2 matches could be extended into a "Match of the Day" type programme with all the touchdowns and some analysis of the key moments.  Also, it'd be good to have more features  - probably at half time - on the development of the sport in the UK.  They sometimes cover the BritBowl, but what about the various fan clubs for franchises and the links they have developed, or the work that goes into making the International Series such a big event.  And for new fans, a short feature focusing on an aspect of the game - eg blitzes or draw plays.  It's not a radical upheaval, but just a few things to keep the programming fresh and relevant for all fans.

Anyway, back to Week 5 and Michael Vick was  - deservedly! - getting a pummelling from the studio for a couple of fumbles early on.  I do think that the Eagles are a steady QB away from being a SuperBowl contender.  They don't even need an elite talent there, just a Schaub, Smith or Flacco type to run the offence and not turn the ball over.  Luckily, Vick's fumbles weren't being capitalized on and the Eagles defence were holding firm.  This meant a pretty drab first half and most of the studio chat revolved around other games.  Usually this is a bit annoying as I feel that they should be focusing on the game in hand (after all, it's easy enough for fans of other teams to keep track of their sides score), however, Vick aside, there really was nothing much to discuss.

Things picked up in the second half and the Eagles finally got some drives together, but the slow starts are blighting the season.  There was a crushing inevitability about the Steelers game winning drive, and in truth we didn't deserve to win.  At the final whistle, it was back to the studio for the expert views.  Except that it was time for Brady v Manning so the Eagles and Steelers were quickly put on the shelf.

This is a bit of a tricky one for Sky, as the NFL scheduling means that there is hardly ever any time between the early and late games.  The late game finishes at around the same time as the Channel 4 game game starts, so the window for detailed post game analysis is very small.  Another reason why a more detailed midweek show what be a good idea.  The game is growing in the UK, and the fans deserve coverage that mirrors that growth.

And if anybody from Sky TV is reading this, I am available at a very reasonable rate!

It's Short! Giants 17 Eagles 19

Building up a love for the Eagles is one thing, but building up a hatred for other teams is somewhat more difficult.  After all, I've got no real reason to dislike, in this case, the New York Giants, aside from the fact that they play in the same Division as Philadelphia...and that's hardly a crime! It makes beating them doubly important, but it's still no reason to particularly dislike them.

It so happens, that the Giants are one of the teams that I illogically don't like much.  Maybe it's Eli Manning's dullard persona and Tom Coughlin's remonstrating with officials - which reminds me of an elderly man explaining to his local councilor that there are too many foreigners on the estate.  Whatever it is, the Giants are a team I don't care much for, but I don't feel the hatred and rivalry that other Eagles fans feel.  Hopefully, a few Divisional matches will soon rectify that.

"They come over here"

Having said that, this encounter wasn't especially fiery.  The returning officials helped and there were none of the mass brawls that were liberally scattered throughout the first 3 weeks of the season.  Also, it wasn't a particularly noisy crowd, in fact I thought the atmosphere at the Week 2 Ravens game was better.  Nonetheless, it was an enthralling game that ebbed and flowed like all good NFL match-ups.

The key for the Eagles was that we didn't turn the ball over, Vick was solid throughout and his decision making was massively better than in previous games.  We also used LeSean McCoy more in the second half and he did what he does best.  It felt like a more controlled game all round from the offence.  More of the same will see us win plenty more games this season.

The Defence played as they have done all year, gave very little away. There are a few concerns over the coverage on kick returns, but Alex Henery was immaculate on field goals and it was the most satisfied I've felt after an Eagles game this season.

We also had the 3rd close finish of the season and the 3rd time the Eagles have prevailed.  this time it was due to a short field goal following a Pass Interference call. Supporting the Eagles certainly isn't doing much for my stress levels.

However, I couldn't really summon much hatred for the Giants. There wasn't a big  "incident" in the game to stoke the fire, there wasn't even much red mist from Coughlin.  In truth, the game didn't really have the feel of a rivalry match up. But you know what?  I don't really care! There are a few teams that Gillingham have a rivalry with and I've never been able to summon up much hatred for them.  I'm more interested in my team keeping their own house in order and I don't particularly care who it is they beat.  It may be different when we play the Cowboys, but for now I just want the Eagles to win whenever they play.

The next 2 weeks see the Eagles appearing on Sky's NFL coverage, so as well as looking at the Eagles  game, I'll also be reviewing Sky's big game coverage.

I'm now off to find out some reasons why I should despise the Giants!

Bad Day: Eagles 6 Cardinals 27

This was an eye opener!  After 2 hard fought, exciting and slightly fortunate victories, the Eagles came crashing down to Earth, thus handing me my first defeat as a fan.  In the context of the season, a defeat to a team from another Division isn't a fatal blow, but the manner of the Eagles displays so far hasn't given fans much confidence for the next 14 weeks.

In truth, the signs had been there in the first 2 games: Too many turnovers, too many hits on Vick and some strange play calling.  But even so, not many fans were expecting such a resounding beating against a talented but unfancied Arizona side.

Give the ball to this man please!

As a lower league football fan, I've experienced my fair share of humiliating defeats.  In most cases, there are some running themes and this Eagles game was no different.  For a start, the "fumbleitis" resurfaced early on, coupled with some strange play calling (Note to Andy Reid:  LeSean McCoy is one of the best runner sin the League) it mean that the Cardinals had a lot of possession.  The difference this week was that the Defence, whilst playing reasonably well, weren't getting the ball back quickly.  The result was a series of long, efficient Cardinals drives, usually resulting in points.

It's hard to explain, but from a very early stage you could just tell that it was going to be a long and completely fruitless evening of Eagles watching.  It's a familiar feeling for sports fans: when you just know it's not your day.  You know that nothing is going to go your way, the players won't turn things around and the team are destined for defeat.

It's not just fans who experience this "bad day at the office" feeling.  Players also suffer from it occasionally too, I can remember a few occasions playing cricket when I've just not been able to bowl the bowl where I want to and couldn't do anything about it.  The Eagles offence seemed to be having a similar experience here.   Time after time, Michael Vick would hold on to the ball for what seemed like an eternity, before either throwing the ball incomplete or being swallowed up by the Cardinals defence.  Receivers weren't getting getting free and the O line were struggling to keep control.  Andy Reid had no answers and the we couldn't even blame the officials!

Every "bad day" has signature moments, in this case both Eagles units contributed a gem.  First of all the Defence cleverly decided to not mark Larry Fitzgerald near the goal line, leading to a very simple TD pass for Kevin Kolb.  Not to be outdone, Michael Vick then proceeded to fumble the ball near the Cards goal line, leading to Arizona recovering the ball and running it back the length of the pitch for a TD of their own!

All of which meant it was 24-0 at Half Time and I had my first loyalty test.  Generally I can't abide fans who leave games early and I've never committed that sin, but on the other hand, NFL thrashings are seriously boring, especially if your team is on the receiving end.  The team in the lead are content to run down the clock and the team chasing the game usually fail to move the chains against containing defensive formations.  I eventually decided to stick with my team for the Second Half, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't flick over to RedZone a fair few times.

As expected, the Second Half was a complete non event.  Which was actually more demoralizing then the First Half.  At least the First Half had incidents, this was just lots of short gains from both teams, the odd Field Goal and plenty of punts.  In short, we were soundly beaten and made to look like a very poor team.

So where does this leave the Eagles?

In my humble opinion, the main issue is with the use of Michael Vick.  He is being asked to throw far too much and his style of play is always going to lead to turnovers. The best plays are made before the snap, but Vick seems to make it up on the fly far too often.  There is room for that type of QB in the NFL and Vick has succeeded in spells, but he needs to be used correctly.  We've got one of the elite runners in the League in LeSean McCoy and he needs to be getting more carries.  In all 3 games this season he has made big gains, but hasn't had enough carries.  Teams are expecting the pass, so send blitzes against our patched up Offensive line.  Vary the play a bit more and it's harder for teams to defend.
Then again I'm no Andy Reid!

And where does this leave me?

In many ways, this was probably a good thing.  Experiencing a low, can only make the highs seem better.  It also stops me feeling like a "Johnny Come Lately" fan who's only experienced victory and hasn't .....oh who am I kidding?! This was horrible and I hated every minute of it.

Luckily, we've got the minnows from New York up next, so that should be a doddle.  The Week 4 Divisional encounter also represents my first Eagles "through the night" game, so if anybody from Relentless is reading this, I'm happy to plug your drinks in return for a few freebies!

Memorable! Ravens 23 Eagles 24

Now this felt like a big game of football! In the future, I may look back at this game as a key moment in my supporting career.  So, aside from the Eagles winning, what made this a memorable game? And what do we want from our sport's matches in order to make them memorable?  Here is my take on those questions, using last Sunday night as the template...

For a start, I spent large chunks of the weekend thinking about the match-up; Could we beat a SuperBowl contender? Could we improve on Week 1's mediocre display? This was a step up from my nonchalant approach to the previous match and was far more akin to my "pre Gillingham" mood.  Whilst I wasn't attending the game so couldn't experience the pre-match atmosphere, I did feel as though my build-up to the game was a notch up from the previous week.

Come 6pm, I was really looking forward to the game, but feeling a tad apprehensive. It soon became clear why..after a few nice plays, Michael Vick throw a familiar looking pick and the Eagles momentum disappeared quicker than you can say "Just throw it away!".  Hmm, it was looking like a long evening.  The overcoming of adversity is another vital ingredient in a memorable game.  We all enjoy an easy win, but unless it is a record breaking one or against a close rival, it is soon forgotten.  Winning against the odds in so much sweeter, it's why fans love "giant killing".  Just 2 days ago, Gillingham beat Southend 1-0 and it was the most memorable game of the season so far. Why?  Because we played the entire second half with 10 men and overcame the odds to cling on to the victory.

The Eagles once again defended outstandingly and at were level at 7-7 after the first quarter.  As with Week 1, I wasn't getting overly excited by the Eagles scoring.  I guess that's where the NFL differs from (eg) football - an early goal could be a vital goal winning effort, but an early touchdown, whilst useful, rarely is enough.  For a start, it hands possession to the opposition so there's always a twinge of apprehension.  It's late in the game that the NFL turns the excitement level up high..but we'll get to that in a bit..

More turnovers from the Eagles, and a lovely pass from Joe Flacco meant we were 17-7 down at half time and I was fearing the worst.  Encouragingly, I was caring a lot more than the previous week. I was genuinely disappointed during the interval and whilst defeat wouldn't have meant the end of the season, it would have been a firm sign that the Eagles weren't good enough.  One common thread throughout the half had been errors from the replacement referees.  Numerous flags were thrown, random brawls broke out and the refs completely lost control of the game.  In this instance the errors became annoying, but generally speaking I do enjoy controversy in my sporting encounters.  If the controversy is against our team, all the better.  

If the Eagles do reach the Play Offs, then the second half of this game will be seen as a key turning point.  It wasn't flawless, but the performance was markedly improved.  The defence shut down Baltimore's passing game and slowly got on top of the game. The crowd got more into the game and consequently so did I.  Atmosphere goes a long in defining the mood of a game.  My most memorable Gillingham matches have all involved a fantastic crowd atmosphere, and even if the on field action hasn't been the best, you still fondly remember the game. Gillingham's 1996 promotion season was full of 1-0 wins and long ball football, but it was played out in front of full houses.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't remember a 1-0 victory over Plymouth (Thanks to a penalty!) if it wasn't for the amazing atmosphere in the ground!  Similarly in Philadelphia, the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field really helped make this game more memorable for me.

The Eagles improvement was typified by DeMeco Ryans and rookies Mychael Kendricks and Fletcher Cox.  They were everywhere making tackles, deflecting balls and just stopping the Ravens from generate much offence.  This performance was typified by a superb sack from Ryans that left Flacco on the turf almost 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
On the other side of the ball, Vick was finally getting his game together and finding his targets.  This was highlighted by a 47 yard bomb that DeSean Jackson somehow managed to catch by the sideline despite being pounded by a flat out Ed Reed.  It is individual moments like those from Ryans and Jackson that fans remember in years to come.  Moments that change the momentum of a game and get everyone off their seats.

Despite the improved performance, the Eagles were still trailing heading into the final few minutes.  If last season saw the birth of Tebow Time, then maybe 2012 will be known for Vick Time! For the second week in a row, he led the Eagles down-field for the game winning score.  In fact, this time he even ran the ball in himself.  We all love a late winner and the Eagles have now got 2 in a row.  By now, I was feeling like a proper Eagles fan and jumping around my living room like a lunatic.  However, the Ravens still had 90 seconds to get the ball within field goal range and attempt to win it.  But, once again the Eagles defence held strong and amid a cacophony of noise they held up the Ravens in midfield and completed a thrilling 1 point victory.

That is certainly a game I'll remember for a very long time.  In short it had a big build up, adversity, controversy, atmosphere, individual moments and a late winner.  Exactly what I want from my sports matches and a massive moment for me in my Eagle supporting life.  Oh, and remember at the start I mentioned that this had "almost" all of the ingredients of a memorable game.  All that was missing from this game was that there wasn't a title riding on the outcome, let's hope that box gets ticked later on this season!


Two games in and the Eagles are 2-0, coupled with Gillingham's top of the table position this represents a brilliant time for me as a supporter. Let's hope it can continue for a long time.
This week the Eagles take on the unbeaten Cardinals in a tough looking match-up in Arizona.  I'll be back next week to look at that and also my Sunday evening NFL watching experience as a whole.

Oh God, What Have I done! Browns 16 Eagles 17

 "It's all been leading up to this moment"

I'm pretty sure the Beastie Boys weren't rapping about my NFL watching life, but Sunday 9th September did feel like a seminal moment for me.  After all, the reason I started this blog last December was to find a team to support.  Eventually, I landed upon the Eagles as my team of destiny, and now nine months on I finally get to watch them play a game...at least I was if Gamepass let me!

It's been a long journey, but considering the lack of actual football, it's been a lot of fun.  I've learnt a lot about the Eagles, I've been in touch with some great people and I've received plenty of encouraging comments about this blog.  But, now it's time for the next stage of my journey..actually watching some Eagles football!

I had no idea how I'd feel on game day - would I be nervous pre kick off?  Would I get excited when the Eagles scored? And how would I feel after the game - elated, despondent or non plussed?  To put it into context, I spent the previous day in London watching the all conquering (well, so far this season) Gillingham FC sweep to an easy victory at Barnet.  The clash was a top v bottom encounter, but despite this I still had the usual does of pre match nerves. And even though the Gills completely controlled the game and strolled to a 3-1 win, I was anxious throughout the afternoon.

Why?  Call it experience.  I've seen plenty of Gills matches turn on their head and the team lose form seemingly unassailable positions.  I've got the scars and I can remember the pain.  Now, clearly the 2012 version of the Gills appears to be stronger and classier, and bears no relation to the rabbles that have worn the blue shirts over the years.  But like many sports fans, experience has turned me into an eternal pessimist.

Shirt number and QB rating!

Fast forward to the next day and my NFL pre game mindset was far more positive.  I've read about the various Eagles mishaps over the years, but I hadn't personally been scared by them.  I knew that the current team were prone to "bad days at the office", but I hadn't been an Eagles fan when they happened so I didn't fear them happening again.  In fact, my pre game build up involved a very relaxing afternoon at the local park and a couple of glasses of rjoca.  When 6pm came round and I was safely logged onto Gamepass, I was confident of an Eagles win.  Partly because we were playing the Browns, but also because I was a new fan and new fans don't have bad memories.  In fact, my main concern was how I'd react when a big play occurred   Luckily, I didn't have to wait long to find out.

To say, the Eagles display was error prone would be an understatement.  I'd argue that about 28 of the 32 NFL would have defeated Philly on Sunday.  Fortunately, the Browns had Brandon Weedon at QB and the worst set of Receivers this side of Miami.  Turnover followed turnover, as both Defences had plenty of chances to show off their skills.  They were a couple of superb picks from Rodgers-Cromartie, but neither had me jumping out of my seat.  Truth be told, it was pretty insipid stuff.  The teams exchanged field goals (and more turnovers), before Michael Vick finally got things together and located Jermey Maclin in the End Zone.  Sadly, this still didn't prompt much of a reaction from me.  I was pleased, but I couldn't bring myself to get too excited.  The poor quality of the game had left me feeling pretty pessimistic about the Eagles prospects for the season, and not even 7 points could lift the mood.

It was around this time that I began to notice a few issues with Gamepass.  During breaks in play, I was flicking other to other games using the multiscreen options.  The picture quality in Clevelend was fine, but the same couldn't be said for other games.  Buffalo v New York was blurrier than a britpop album, and the Redskins-Saints game was freezing on a regular basis.  In fact, Red Zone was so slow, that after half time I decided to use my red button on Sky and watch the Red Zone on there.  Imagine my confusion a few minutes later when Red Zone showed Michael Vick throw a pick 6 to give the Browns the lead.  Why confusion? Well, on my Gamepass "live" feed of the match, the Browns were on offence and the Eagles were in front!  After a quick double take and a visit to NFL.com I realized that Gamepass was a few minutes behind the live action.  Brilliant, I pay £130 for the service so I could watch all the Ealges games live and I end up finding out the live scores via a service I had in the first place!

Of course, this all distracted from the deep hole the Eagles had now dug themselves.  Instead of being disgruntled with the team, I was disgruntled with Gamepass. I really hope that this was just a few Week 1 teething problems, but judging from the NFLUK forums, the problem wasn't just confined to my laptop.  Meanwhile, the Eagles continued to turn the ball over (Vick through his 4th pick) but were getting it back pretty quickly thanks to some strong tackling and poor Browns offence.  nonetheless, the team were still a score down late into the 4th quarter.  However, I was still confident of victory.  The lack of scars were clearly helping me, so much so that when Vick did eventually find another TD pass I was again muted in my celebration.  Bizarrely, I was expecting it to happen.  I was also unsurprised when, moments later, Weedon threw his 4th pick to end the game and give the Eagles a 1 point victory.

As you can see, it was a strange evening and full of mixed emotions.  It was a win for the Eagles, but it was a highly unconvincing one against a below average opponent.  They need to improve their offensive play massively if they are to challenge for a Play Off place.  This was, on paper at least, the easiest game in the first half of the season, but Philadelphia came so close to messing it up.

"Loser buys dinner!"
Shurmur remortgages house

As for me, it was a weird experience.  I really wanted the Eagles to win and was fully behind them, but it didn't get me jumping out of my chair or punching the air when they did win. In some ways, that was due to the poor quality of football on offer, but I realise that becoming passionate about the Eagles won't just happen over night and it'll take some time for me to build up my support.  I was pleased that I mostly knew who was making the plays and there were only a couple of names that were unfamiliar to me.  Like must fans, I found Andy Reid's pass first tactics baffling and wanted LeSean McCoy to see more of the ball.  I'm clearly getting their but just need a few more (better) games to build up my excitement levels!  Of course, a more efficient Gamepass service would help, as would some better football and maybe even a couple of defeats to make the victories feel sweeter.  After all I do have a 100% record as an Eagles fan!

In other news, I made a successful start to my British Eagles Fantasy season. Largely thanks to my pre season sleeper pick Alfred Morris and my mid round QB Joe Flacco.  Maybe I do know a bit about this game after all.

Next week sees the Eagles take on the Ravens in Philadelphia.  Having watched the Ravens demolish the Bengals last night, the Eagles need to improve beyond all recognition.  A high quality, close game (and an Eagles victory of course) may be just what I need to take my Eagles fandom onto the next level!