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Tim McManus, ESPN staff essayist
PHILADELPHIA – The last day Eagles educator Nick Sirianni walked the stands at Lincoln Monetary Garden, chants of “Fire Nick” brought him down.
The offense was floundering against the Cleveland Browns and the Eagles were coming off a lopsided loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs, and after suffering an epic blackout the season before, the fanbase had no patience for it all. The screeching finally fell on Sirianni, who stood against the stands as the total seconds ticked down on the clock of a 20-16 victory and shouted to a group of customers at the back of the bank, amid a firestorm in the city. that drowned out the consequences in the garden.
That wasn’t even three weeks ago. In many ways, it seems like a different day and playground. Since then, the Eagles have gone on a three-game winning streak to strengthen their record to 5-2. Both sides of the ball have been rounded according to the method. TV talk show hosts are currently debating whether this is a respectable Super Bowl contender, with some openly wondering whether they have distanced themselves too much from their criticism of the greatest educator.
“Having coached in four major NFL cities…Philadelphia is as passionate or more passionate than any of the cities and a little more intense,” said legendary educator Dick Vermeil, who transformed the Eagles from a losing franchise to contenders. of the Super Bowl. throughout his entire run from 1976 to 1982. “And I think the Philly fan takes it a little more personally. Once you settle in Philly you become part of their family. They get mad at you just like they get mad at their own kids. “They love you and they are going to beat you.”
Few men know the love that comes with being the Eagles’ head educator. Two of them will be Sunday at the Linc with the arrival of Doug Pederson’s Jacksonville Jaguars in town (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS). It will be Pederson’s second tournament there as Jags boss.
There is an outdoor statue of Pederson at Lincoln Financial Garden commemorating the moment he gave Nick Foles the green light to lead the “Philly Special” in Super Bowl LII against the Untouched England Patriots. (Pederson said he has yet to spot the statue in person, explaining, “It’s on the other side of the stadium…do you want me to keep an eye on it, too?”) That victory gave the Eagles team its only and most useful Lombardi Trophy. in February 2018.
But not everything was rosy throughout his day here. Pederson wasn’t the team’s first option to replace Chip Kelly and the rental got a lukewarm reception at the top. A 7-9 at the end of his first hour in charge put the entire group of workers in an unstable garden. He followed that up with a Super Bowl title and two more playoff appearances at the same time, but was still fired after an indisposed 2020 season, although CEO Jeffrey Lurie said on the day that Pederson “didn’t deserve to be fired.”
Sirianni changed it and has had a wild experience of his own. He has the best winning percentage (.672) of any head coach in franchise history and has made three trips to the postseason in as many seasons, including an appearance in Super Bowl LVII that led to a narrow loss to the Kansas Town Chiefs. But a 1-6 finish to the season put his reputation in doubt, with similar flames coming out of his seat until the big winning streak.
With a fan base that practices Eagles football like a religion combined with an organization that has set excellence as the standard in recent years, it’s no concert for the destruction of the medium. Given the original nature of the activity, it is in all likelihood much less sudden that Pederson went beyond the accountability decision and helped Sirianni with the transition when he took over as lead educator in January 2021, a nugget that Sirianni observed this. time.
“He was a big help to me with the people on the staff and what the building is like, and everything,” Sirianni said. “I always try to put myself in that scenario and think, ‘Would it help you?’ “I don’t know. I just don’t know if I have it in me to do that and I admire people who do that; I hope I can make up for that for other coaches.”
“I mean, look, it’s a tough business and I can appreciate a new head coach getting there and what to expect,” Pederson mentioned. “Just to be a resource, to be someone there. I did it for five years and I was an assistant coach there for a long time and really if he had any questions he would ask me. And it’s just a matter of respect. It’s hard enough being a coach head coach in this league and any advice I could give to a new or first-time head coach, I was going to do.”
Even with the serve in hand, Sirianni had a shaky first hour. He stumbled during his opening news conference, deepening questions about an educator few in the city knew anything more about. The team got off to a 2-5 start and at its lowest point, Sirianni compared the Eagles to a flower that was growing underneath the exterior and would soon sprout. The analogy was not well received. However, Philadelphia won seven of 10 from there and made the postseason.
Vermeil’s first season was no picnic either, as an Eagles team in need of a revamp went 4-10. It turns out that Vermeil had an experience reminiscent of the scene with Sirianni at the Cleveland tournament a few weeks ago.
“My first year here in Philadelphia, we weren’t a good football team, but we played harder than hell and worked harder than hell. Dallas beat us in the final minutes here in a home game in the old “Vet and me.” “I’m walking by the entrance to the stadium and a fan who’s about 10 seats away actually slaps my butt,” Vermeil told ESPN. “And I jumped into the stands to go after the guy and [former Eagles tough guy] Chuck Bednarik grabbed me around the waist and pulled me out of the stands. Thank you Chuck Bednarik.”
The rough edges of Vermeil’s time here softened as the day went by, as did those of Pederson. They made enough during their time in Philadelphia to transform popular figures.
It remains to be determined whether Sirianni will ultimately be fully authorized in the city. Not all spankings in this city are adopted through incarnation anymore. But the paths of the Eagles’ past leaders at least address some point of view as the wave educator turns up the tide.
“I think from the outside looking in, I think he’s handled it well. My advice is you’ve got to keep going every day, man. You’ve just got to keep your head down, move forward, just do your job.” , prepare your team to go to another game,” said Pederson, who is struggling with his activity with the Jaguars with a 2-6 record.
Vermeil added: “Well, I think Nick goes through in this town a little more intensely what most NFL coaches go through: They love you when you win and they don’t like you when you lose. And I think Nick, like all of us , including Dick Vermeil, have made mistakes from time to time in what they said or did and that is evaluated very positively or very negatively. Sometimes this misleads about the true value of the good he is doing “In the NFL. “Believe me, they are doing a good job.”
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco contributed to this story.
