New York Giants Become Victims of Miracle at New Meadowlands

As Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson crossed the goal line with the game-winning touchdown against the New York Giants, visions of Herman Edwards must have been dancing through the heads of those in attendance at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

A little over 32 years ago, the former Eagles cornerback recovered a fumbled handoff between Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik and fullback Larry Csonka and ran it back 26 yards for a game-winning touchdown in the old Meadowlands Stadium.

The play came to be known as the 'Miracle at the Meadowlands' because it occurred at a juncture when the Giants were in complete command of the game.

With Philadelphia trailing 17-12 and out of timeouts, New York faced a third-and-2 with 31 seconds left. Inexplicably though, Giants offensive coordinator Bob Gibson called for Pisarcik to hand it off to Csonka for a standard run up the middle.

However, vehement dissension in the huddle over the play call resulted in a rushed snap, a bobbled handoff and the eventual fumble that Edwards was only too happy to run back for a touchdown, giving the Eagles an improbable 19-17 victory.

Since that fateful afternoon of November 19, 1978, it certainly appeared that the Giants buried the skeletons of that inexcusable collapse with three Super Bowl trophies and the grand opening of a $1.6 billion new stadium.

But in Sunday’s afternoon tilt with the Eagles for NFC East supremacy, the Giants conjured up the spirits of collapses past by losing a game that will surely come to be known as the Miracle at the new Meadowlands.

After outgaining Philadelphia 222-74 to take a 24-3 lead into halftime, the G-Men were well on their way to debunking the widespread notion that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is unstoppable.

And with a 24-10 lead after the third quarter and a 31-10 advantage with 7:58 remaining in the game, the Giants had the most satisfying victory of the season within their clutches.

This is when the catalyst of the NFL’s top-ranked offense started to dissect the league’s second-ranked defensive unit with his left arm and his nimble feet.

In the final eight minutes of the contest alone, Vick threw two touchdown passes (65, 18), ran one in for a score (4) and rushed for nearly 100 yards, while turning a 21-point deficit into a tie game with 14 seconds left. The Giants’ offensive inefficiency and a successful Eagles’ onside kick didn’t hurt either.

So, after a one-minute three-and-out that netted -7 yards, all the Giants had to do was kick away from the dangerous DeSean Jackson and regroup for overtime.

Punter Matt Dodge did the exact opposite though, and channeled his inner Joe Pisarcik in the process.

Dodge drove a line drive right down the middle of the field, which Jackson initially bobbled before returning 65 yards for the game-winning score in the penultimate play of the game.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin wasted no time in berating his rookie punter for the gaffe, but let there be no doubt that the monumental collapse was a collective effort.

And, as a result, a new legend was born in this heated rivalry that the Eagles will always remember and the Giants would like to forget as soon as humanly possible.

Joe Pisarcik, you’re not alone.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a recap of the 'Miracle at the new Meadowlands'.

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The Case for Michael Vick to Spend More Time in Prison

This holiday season should be especially humbling for Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick, as well as a time for conscientious reflection.

A little over three years ago, Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, resulting in an indefinite suspension from the National Football League, without pay, for conduct Commissioner Roger Goodell described as “cruel and reprehensible”.

During his 19-month incarceration, Vick’s financial condition deteriorated rapidly due to having virtually no income and substantial ongoing expenses for attorneys, the maintenance of several luxury homes in multiple states and living expenses for friends and relatives.

So with debts in excess of assets by millions of dollars, and collection efforts and judgments from creditors staring him in the face, Vick empowered his attorneys to file for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection in July 2008.

By the three-time Pro Bowler's own admission, these were the darkest hours in his life. The inability to simply go home and, excluding being the financier of an illegal dog fighting ring, lead the life he had been accustomed to living over the course of nearly a decade.

But when former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy paid him a visit at Leavenworth Penitentiary, he offered Vick a ray of hope within an emotional, mental and spiritual pit of despair.

His words of advice and encouragement would be the impetus to Dungy becoming Vick’s mentor after his release from prison in an effort to help Vick get reacclimated to life as a civilian, a father and a football player.

Prior to Vick’s conditional reinstatement to the NFL, Dungy inspired him to carefully examine how he could get involved in the community to honor his personal commitments, including youth outreach and partnering with the Humane Society to educate people about the ills of dog fighting.

Dungy would also counsel Vick on selecting the franchise that would provide the best support in helping him get back into the routine of being a football player.

And it wouldn’t be long before Vick made the decision to sign a one-year contract with the Eagles last August, with an option that was picked up by the team for this season.

Since then, the trade of Donovan McNabb this past offseason and a concussion suffered by Kevin Kolb in the first game of this season opened the door for Vick to display his evolution as a quarterback and most importantly, as a man.

Now Vick is widely considered a leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award and drawing praise for his humility, patience and work ethic in addition to his commitment to community service.

Thus, while Vick thrives, another former NFL star continues to languish in a prison cell on Rikers Island. His name: Plaxico Burress, the former standout wide receiver for the New York Giants.

In August 2009, Burress accepted a plea deal that would imprison him for two years with an additional two years of supervised release, for attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stemmed from Burress suffering an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh at a New York City nightclub less than a year earlier.

As a result, Burress not only derailed the Giants’ hopes of repeating as Super Bowl Champions, he lost his primary source of income and the privilege of witnessing the birth of his daughter, Giovanna--the latter of which brought a stream of tears to his eyes during a televised interview.

Arguably, nothing humbles a man more than when his freedom is taken away from him. Michael Vick knows this feeling all too well.

And who better to give Burress the same ray of hope that was given to him than the NFL’s current poster boy for redemption.

In Burress, Vick has a unique opportunity to demonstrate what he should have truly learned from his own experience. An appreciation for the simple things in life and the empathy to lift someone up in the midst of his own personal pit of despair.

If Vick can relay these poignant messages to Burress, who is scheduled for release in the latter half of 2011, it will transcend anything he does on the football field; especially if it’s done with as little fanfare and publicity as possible.

Vick doesn’t owe this to Burress, he owes it to himself. Burress needs to intently look into the eyes of a man who is, for all intents and purposes, his mirror image and realize that redemption is merely a change of heart away.

Not toward being a better and improved football player, but a better man, a better husband and a better father.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special ESPN E:60 interview with Plaxico Burress.

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New York Giants Seek Redemption in The City Of Brotherly Love

As the National Football League community continues to gush over Michael Vick’s riveting comeback from a self-inflicted two-year exile, the New York Giants will attempt to write the first chapter of their own redemption story at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday evening.

After a 41-7 rout of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, the Giants appeared to be among the viable candidates for the mythical title of best team in the league. Clearly, a distinction that no squad has a legitimate claim to this season.

However, New York’s candidacy and five-game winning streak became a distant memory in the wake of an inexcusable 13-point home loss to the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys. And, to add insult to injury, the G-Men fell to the same team whose interim head coach was making his debut and featured Jon Kitna as its starting quarterback.

So instead of maintaining a one-game lead in the NFC East, the Giants, along with the rest of the country, watched the NFL’s poster boy for redemption turn FedEx Field into his own personal playground. And with the record-breaking triumph, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled into a dead heat with Big Blue for division supremacy.

Interestingly enough, the last time New York strung together five consecutive victories was a little over one year ago, when they jumped out to a 5-0 start to kick off the 2009-10 season. But this was followed by losses in eight of their last eleven games to finish 8-8 and as a playoff non-participant.

In light of this disappointment, this season has been about redemption for the Giants. Redemption for the unfulfilled promise of last year.

Similarly, New York will be seeking redemption this weekend, in particular, after a deafening hiccup in what has otherwise been a solid season.

It won’t be easy though.

In Michael Vick, who’s rapidly filling the pages of his own redemption story, the Giants’ defensive unit will be attempting to neutralize the most dynamic player in the league who, by the way, deserves serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award.

This season, Vick has eleven touchdown passes, no interceptions and a league-leading quarterback rating of 115.1, as well as 341 rushing yards and a robust rushing average of 7.8 yards per attempt.

But in striking contrast to last season, the Giants are tops in the NFL in total defense, second in the NFC in pass defense (fourth in the NFL) and second in the conference (third in the NFL) in rush defense.

When all these factors are taken into consideration, one could argue that this is a classic case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.

Ironically, another way to view the Eagles/Giants match-up is as the intersection of the redemption road for Michael Vick with that of the New York Giants in a town commonly known as the “City of Brotherly Love”.

The winner takes a stranglehold of the NFC East while the loser falls into a four-team battle royal (Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) for the two conference wild-card spots.

The stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Philadelphia Eagles and, especially, the New York Giants, who can ill afford to stir up the ghosts of collapses past with a second consecutive loss.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special highlight reel of Michael Vick's record-breaking performance against the Washington Redskins.

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The Eagle Has Landed: Michael Vick Has Returned Vic-“Torious”

Standby folks, this Eagles’ flight has finally steadied after going through some rough turbulence.

After taking off with the Atlanta Falcons as the number one pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, the Michael Vick flight was on a smooth ride for six great seasons.

Three Pro Bowl Seasons.


A big playoff win over Brett Favre’s Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field.


The richest contract for an NFL player at the end of 2004.

Despite the great take off and cruising at a nice altitude, the seat belt sign flashes on as a heavy amount of turbulence was ahead for him.

Then came the onslaught:

Shocking revelations of irreprehensible treatment to dogs.

Illegal activity with the money earned from that “richest player in the NFL” contract.

Federal investigations and trials.

To say that the former Virginia Tech quarterback was in a swirling mass of controversy is an understatement. The superstar completely fell off the face of the earth as he went from being one of the most loved athletes to being one of the most loathed criminals.

Everyone believed that the former Falcons quarterback would be done from football with no ability to stay in gridiron shape with a 23-month prison sentence slapped upon him. With such negative press, mental anguish and bankruptcy issues weighing heavily upon him, there was no way Vick would make it back to the NFL, let alone become a starting quarterback again.

Three years later, Vick has come full circle and emerged as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles in his second year with the team.

First off, the down-on-his-luck quarterback should be praised and commended for working hard to get back to where he has gotten to. No matter what the future may hold for this guy, he has successfully gotten his flight pattern back on track.

To go through what Vick has since everything came out and end up back on top is unprecedented. Most human beings would have crashed and burned immediately once the storm started brewing, including most athletes.

Flight number seven has kept his wings up high and continued to push through all the turbulence since rejoining the NFL.

He humbly accepted being the third string quarterback on a team with one of the greatest quarterbacks even in Donovan McNabb and a young apprentice in Kevin Kolb anxiously awaiting his turn at the Eagles helm.

His play early on was some of the worst quarterbacking the public has ever seen from Vick. He appeared no longer to be the nearly invincible running machine he once was loaded with one of the strongest arms at his disposal.

Despite the dreadful performances, Vick vehemently worked hard to improve as a quarterback. He patiently studied his playbook as much as possible and honed his ability to become a better quarterback, especially in his passing accuracy.

He also worked to reduce the off-the-field problems that were a part of his life before his jail time. Although there was a nightclub shooting incident he was supposedly involved in (but later relieved from the investigation), his life outside of football appears to have matured.

In one crazy flight that has spanned three years, Vick has gone through a variety of conditions to now the possibility of becoming better than ever. Only time will tell if he can remain the starter in Philadelphia or if his career will continue to ascend higher than its current position.

No matter what though, Michael Vick can say he has landed victoriously after a turbulent trip.

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3 Things That Baffled Me Last Week (5/11)

DeSean Jackson’s comments on Donovan McNabb – People just refuse to leave Donovan McNabb alone. The other day, Eagles WR DeSean Jackson said that he was happy with Philadelphia’s decision to trade McNabb, as well as “I don’t think we lost anything, even with McNabb being gone.” Jackson’s not the first former teammate to take shots at McNabb. Remember T.O.? I just don’t understand the logic behind it. Both Jackson and T.O. made the Pro Bowl with Donovan McNabb throwing them the ball!

Of course, McNabb took the high road after these comments, like he always does. I respect the guy for that, but just once I would love to see him hit back and tell all the haters to shut the fuck up.

Bengals sign Pacman Jones – A match made in heaven. Eh, heaven doesn’t work actually. A match made in hell? Maybe jail?

What a bunch of idiots over there in the Cincinnati front office. How can anybody possibly think that Pacman Jones would be a good fit for the Cincinnati Bengals, who are trying to clean up an image problem after having about 376 players arrested over the past few years? I mean, the NFL personal conduct policy was pretty much invented for Pacman Jones.

Atlanta Hawks – Biggest fraud of a “contender” that I can remember in a long time. This is a team that only gets up to play the Boston Celtics, and managed to skate by with a losing record on the road, solely because they dominated at home. No real contender for an NBA championship has a losing record on the road. This is a team that got swept out of the second round of the playoffs (after barely squeaking by the injury-ridden Milwaukee Bucks in the first round), in one of the most lopsided series’ in NBA playoff history. And it was a 2 seed versus a 3 seed! It’s not like it was a 1 vs. 8 matchup. This is a team whose “superstar” player, Joe Johnson, pulled a Magic act of his own by disappearing in the second round against Orlando, and turned the Atlanta fans against him by calling them out for booing when their team was down 30 points at home. This is a team that far too many people got excited about. This is a team… that sucks.

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McNabb To Skins, Wale Psyched

"The Philadelphia Eagles traded Pro Bowl QB Donovan McNabb to their NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins, on Sunday. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan confirmed the deal to USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell.

The Redskins will surrender a second-round pick this year (No. 37) and either a third- or fourth-round pick next year, Fox Sports and NFL.com reported.

McNabb has been the Eagles starter since 1999, when the club drafted him with the second overall pick. He brought the team to five NFC championship games and to Super Bowl XXXIX.
But Eagles coach Andy Reid said late last month that he was entertaining offers for all of his QBs -- including Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. McNabb then said he wanted to remain with the Eagles, but whatever happened he wanted to move quickly.

Kolb, who filled in for McNabb in two starts last September, will become the Eagles' presumptive starter.

McNabb, 33, is entering the final year of his contract. -- Sean Leahy"

Well to say the least, Wale, along with the majority of the D.C. area appears to be pretty psyched right about now.  

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Donovan McNabb to Oakland?

The Oakland Raiders have emerged as the leading candidate to land quarterback Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The sources say all the ingredients for a trade are in place. Of all the teams the Eagles have spoken with, the Raiders have been the most willing to meet the Eagles' asking price. Last week, The Associated Press reported that the Eagles want a pick in the top 42 of the 2010 draft for McNabb. Oakland has a second-round pick that is the 39th overall selection.

One source familiar with trade discussions said no deal was done with Oakland. But other league sources predicted it soon would be done in a trade that would be the NFL's biggest offseason move.

And although McNabb has informed coach Andy Reid that he wants to stay with the Eagles and, if he has to be traded, would prefer to go to a winning team such as the Minnesota Vikings, the sources say the Eagles will do what they believe is best for team even if it means trading McNabb to the Raiders, a team with a recent history of losing.

The sad story of Donovan McNabb’s career continues. The man has been underappreciated virtually his whole career in Philadelphia. McNabb has gotten shit from everyone and everywhere, including T.O., his own fan base, and even Rush Limbaugh. I’m not a Philly fan, or even a McNabb fan for that matter, but he seems like a genuinely good guy; always says the right things, never been in trouble, plays hard, does things for the community, etc. He’s been an above-average quarterback – and I think it’s safe to say, a top-10 quarterback – throughout his entire 11 year career. He’s kept the Eagles as a contender in the NFC year after year, leading them to multiple NFC title games and 1 Super Bowl appearance. And yes, he has had injury problems and durability issues, but by and large he’s been a solid NFL quarterback, not to mention the face of the Eagles, for a very long time.

That is why it’s so baffling to me that a city could treat its star player so poorly, especially one with no apparent character flaws or image issues. McNabb has essentially been shunned out of Philadelphia in favor of an unproven backup in Kevin Kolb, and an aging, fresh-out-of-jail felon in Michael Vick. He’s taken more crap for seemingly less reason than any athlete that I can remember, and now to top it all off, it looks like he’s headed to the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders. In Oakland, he’ll be in charge of leading a hopeless team, and mentoring JaMarcus Russell, an overpaid, overweight loser with no work ethic. Not exactly the best way for the Eagles to thank McNabb for 11 years of admirable service. If I were McNabb I would leave town with 2 middle fingers raised in the general direction of the entire city of Philadelphia.

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Don't Spit on the Dallas Cowboys Star!

Many of the Dallas Cowboys fans that I know take pride in that mantra of being "America's Team" and the power of that star on the helmets.

Well, one Eagles fan by the name of Dave Spadarano (he works for the Phildelphia Eagles team website and their video podcast) decided to spit on the star and post the video on the team's site until it was taken down and eventually put on YouTube.

He will now be fired in 5....4...3....2....1

(Courtesy of Dallas Cowboys Nation)

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Reason #2,564 not to wear opposing team jerseys at Lincoln Financial Field: Snowballs

Over the weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff spot against the San Francisco 49ers.

Philly fans were rather excited and decided to take out their happiness on a couple 49er fans sitting in a lower row. They pelted them with snowballs for a good minute.

Sure, I'm not condoning this sort of thing but seriously, shouldn't most opposing fans know by now, NEVER WEAR AN OPPOSING JERSEY TO A PHILLY SPORTS EVENT. This should be common knowledge already.

(Courtesy of Curse of Billy Penn)

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Philadelphia Eagles Mascot "Swoop" bites the dust

During the San Francisco 49ers-Philadelphia Eagle affair, the Fox cameras panned to bench to monitor Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown being worked on by the trainers.

Then the Philadelphia Eagles mascot, "Swoop" comes into the picture and then disappears.

I think that's what he gets for wearing the ski-mask.

(Courtesy of The 700 Level)

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Birds Flyin' High: Vick signs with Philadelphia

It was only a matter of time that Mike Vick would be back in the NFL and Tony Dungy commented this week that a team was close to signing Mike Vick.

That team was the Philadelphia Eagles, it has been reported by ESPN that Vick has signed a two-year deal.

Fox Sports Jay Glazer is reporting that the deal is one-year deal with an option for two years. Vick will make $1.6 million dollars in the first year and if the Eagles pick up his second-year option that part of the deal is worth up to $5.2 million.

It is interesting to see that the Philadelphia Eagles would be the team to sign him since they already have a solid starting quarterback in Donovan McNabb. But with an injury to back-up Kevin Kolb, it does not surprise me.

On some level, you have to feel sorry for McNabb since this is another distraction for him to deal with. First he had to deal with Terrell Owens and now the Michael Vick fiasco. Everytime it seems that McNabb is in the clear, something pops up to distract him again.

However, for Eagles fans, I expect to see the "Wildcat" with Vick in Philly.

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Eagles usher fired over Facebook status

Ah Facebook, the social networking site that has created all hell for people who use it. Usually, if you get fired from a job, there can be a myriad of reasons but this one might take the cake.

Meet Dan Leone, he is an usher with the Philadelphia Eagles gameday staff. After the recent signing of Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos he posted this message on his facebook status.

"Dan is f**king devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

Well, that drew the ire of his employers at the Eagles and Dan was fired. He has now been making the rounds on TV and radio to tell his story. The interview above is from ESPN 950 in Philadelphia.

I will be honest, I do feel bad that he got fired over a Facebook status. Also the way the Eagles conducted the firing was not tasteful. However, when you work for a company and then decide to rip them on a public networking site, it is your own damn fault. IT IS A PUBLIC NETWORKING SITE. Anyone can read what you decide to post.

Also you have to take into account that other people have been fired over Facebook status and groups as well. So this is not really anything new.

We wish Dan well but maybe you should think twice before posting something on Facebook next time.

(Audio courtesy of Awful Announcing)

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Donovan McNabb playing College Hoops at Syracuse

In honor of the shocking, shocking (SHOCKING) news of T.O. signing with the Bills (I mean...really?), I thought I'd put up a funny video of one of T.O.'s former QBs that he threw under a bus. It's a few clips of McNabb playing basketball with his commentary over the top.

On a side note, McNabb was/is a pretty great QB and T.O. had issues with his play. Good luck to Buffalo since Trent Edwards can't even really throw a good deep ball and now the Bills have two deep threats as their best WRs. Could we see T.O. starting some nonsense with Edwards in the preseason? Training camp? Tomorrow night?

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Donovan McNabb’s Wild Ride

In a wild year in the NFL, Donovan McNabb appeared to be out of Philadelphia and into a Minnesota Vikings jersey in the off-season. However coming back from a 5-6-1 record where he forget there was something called a tie in the NFL, McNabb has rescued a team from life support and has them one win away from their second Super Bowl in this Millennium.

McNabb who appears to be on the fast-track to the Hall of Fame seems to be an enigma rather than the elite-caliber quarterback that he should be recognized for. McNabb has taken the Eagles to five conference championship games and a Super Bowl and it feels that most fans crucify him as an average quarterback.

From the draft day when he was booed by Philadelphia fans, McNabb never really seemed to fit in the city of brotherly love. He was the low-key quarterback who had a pension of doing Chunky soup commercials. Philadelphia fans love to a see guy who epitomizes the working man in Philadelphia like former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Ron Jaworski.

Although, most Philadelphians have forgiven McNabb there still seems to be the undertone of disrespect. This wouldn’t surprise me that McNabb takes this personally and has used this as advantage on this spectacular run through the playoffs.

What if McNabb wins the Super Bowl, I would assume that the entire city of Philadelphia would crown him a winner and enter the lore of Philadelphia sports. Sometimes irony is sweet, isn’t it?

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