(Photo: Bob Gretz)
Where do you draw the line? What is "enough" when it comes to football?
Is it a winning season? Is it a playoff appearance? Division title? Conference championship? What is enough?
In some cities, "enough" is a winning season while others will settle for a conference championship. After a while though, cities want more. They want improvement. Don't be stagnant.
Philadelphia? It's clear, concise, and to the point. "Enough" is winning a Super Bowl. You win a Super Bowl and you will be loved in Philadelphia forever. Criticism won't disappear but the love will always be there no matter what.
Unfortunately, former head coach Andy Reid did not accomplish that feat coming oh-so-close in February 2005. However, Big Red had an unmatched run of success in Philadelphia. He was the Eagles coach for 14 seasons leading them to one Super Bowl, five NFC Championship appearances, six NFC East division titles, nine playoff appearances, and 130 regular season wins. Not too bad but, as I'm sure you notice, one glaring omission - zero Lombardi Trophies.
Now what we have is former Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder, who followed Reid to Kansas City, sarcastically running his mouth about how "it wasn't enough" in Philadelphia. Burkholder told ESPN about the "great pressure" in Philadelphia and that people were calling for Andy Reid to be fired because he did not win the Super Bowl.
I'm not saying it isn't based on fact because most of his claims hold merit. What I am saying is it's whiny. It's bitter. He sounds like the jilted ex.
Burkholder had a bit of a rant but one part caught my attention that really showed me he had lost focus of the ultimate goal.
Is it a winning season? Is it a playoff appearance? Division title? Conference championship? What is enough?
In some cities, "enough" is a winning season while others will settle for a conference championship. After a while though, cities want more. They want improvement. Don't be stagnant.
Philadelphia? It's clear, concise, and to the point. "Enough" is winning a Super Bowl. You win a Super Bowl and you will be loved in Philadelphia forever. Criticism won't disappear but the love will always be there no matter what.
Unfortunately, former head coach Andy Reid did not accomplish that feat coming oh-so-close in February 2005. However, Big Red had an unmatched run of success in Philadelphia. He was the Eagles coach for 14 seasons leading them to one Super Bowl, five NFC Championship appearances, six NFC East division titles, nine playoff appearances, and 130 regular season wins. Not too bad but, as I'm sure you notice, one glaring omission - zero Lombardi Trophies.
Now what we have is former Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder, who followed Reid to Kansas City, sarcastically running his mouth about how "it wasn't enough" in Philadelphia. Burkholder told ESPN about the "great pressure" in Philadelphia and that people were calling for Andy Reid to be fired because he did not win the Super Bowl.
I'm not saying it isn't based on fact because most of his claims hold merit. What I am saying is it's whiny. It's bitter. He sounds like the jilted ex.
Burkholder had a bit of a rant but one part caught my attention that really showed me he had lost focus of the ultimate goal.
The pressure's so great in that city. It just wears you down. Ten [wins] is not good enough. If he wins 10 games for 10 years in this city they'll put a statue of him outside of Arrowhead. He won 10 games for 10 years in Philly basically and still in the end it wasn't enough."
Since when is winning 10 games the goal? Is that what the great players strive for each and every season? No. Of course not. They want to win a championship. Once you reach the playoffs, throw the regular season out the window - it is water under the bridge. Everyone is 0-0 and the first team to win four (or three, depending on the Bye Week situation) games is going to take home the Lombardi Trophy.
The pressure is so great here because the expectations are so high. Bring home a Super Bowl and watch the city build you a statue. Winning 10 games for a decade is great and makes for some excellent football but it doesn't make you feel any better when you realize your football team hasn't won a championship since 1960.
You're right, Rick. It wasn't enough. Nothing anyone does for the Eagles will ever be "enough" until they bring home a Super Bowl. Unfair? Probably. Short-sighted? Definitely. Reality? You better believe it.
You're in Kansas City now - get over it.
-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports
The pressure is so great here because the expectations are so high. Bring home a Super Bowl and watch the city build you a statue. Winning 10 games for a decade is great and makes for some excellent football but it doesn't make you feel any better when you realize your football team hasn't won a championship since 1960.
You're right, Rick. It wasn't enough. Nothing anyone does for the Eagles will ever be "enough" until they bring home a Super Bowl. Unfair? Probably. Short-sighted? Definitely. Reality? You better believe it.
You're in Kansas City now - get over it.
-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports
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