Eagles OL Pulling A Little Media Boycott?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Last week there was a little blurb in the Inky that said the Eagles starting OL were not speaking to the media and left the back-up OL to do the talking.

And there was this note in today's Inky:

Eagles Notes Bruised shoulder sidelines Andrews

By Marc Narducci
Inquirer Staff Writer

Eagles right offensive guard Shawn Andrews left in the second half of yesterday's 42-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers with a bruised left shoulder.

Andrews, who was held out of the Eagles' third preseason game against Cincinnati with a shoulder injury, was replaced by Adrien Clark.

In the locker room, Andrews and many of the offensive linemen weren't very talkative.

"I'll be fine," the guard said as he walked out.

Coach Andy Reid said Andrews would undergo an MRI exam today.

When asked whether the shoulder injury was the same as the one Andrews suffered in the preseason, Reid said, "It's not the same injury; it's not the joint."

I have no problem with them doing it, but I wonder what prompted it? It obviously started after the poor performance in ATL. But it isn't totally like Denver's OL where they have one spokesman because Runyan is on DNL every Tuesday and Fraley is on CN8 & WPEN.

[General_Failure]

Maybe they're tired of being asked about TO.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Rich Hofmann | O-linemen seal pocket, then their lips


ON A PERFECT football afternoon in Philadelphia - the crowd happy, the opponent hapless - the Eagles restored order yesterday.

Donovan McNabb threw five touchdown passes against the San Francisco 49ers and was about as good as you can be, and the team had a franchise-record 583 yards of offense, and the defense allowed fewer than 150 yards and only three points.

And on this grand and glorious day, starting left tackle Tra Thomas was moved to say, "."

The Monday night defeat at Atlanta, 6 days earlier, seemed so long ago. That night was frantic - the noise, the emotion, the whole scene - with everything happening so fast. This was different. This was a methodical demolition, every bit of 42-3.

And when it was over, after a few minutes to allow the accomplishment to sink in, left guard Artis Hicks said, "."

Order. That is what this really was about. At the start of a new season, you're never exactly sure how things are going to go. One game - a tough road game at that - really tells you nothing. For that matter, the first week in the NFL really tells you nothing. But the next 2 weeks tell you plenty. That is when team personalities begin to be established, and normal begins to be defined.

With that, then, the Eagles offered a return to bludgeoning normalcy. And, as right guard Shawn Andrews - who hurt a shoulder yesterday, by the way - said, "."

You might have sensed that things are not quite right along the Eagles' offensive line, that Thomas, Hicks and Andrews are not talking right now; center Hank Fraley's status is unknown because he was gone before reporters were let into the locker room after the game.

During the week, someone laid down some tape on the floor outside the offensive linemen's lockers, a clear message to reporters to keep their distance. Only a cynic would suggest, after the way McNabb got clobbered against the Falcons on Monday night - two sacks, a bunch of hits and a seriously bruised chest were the result - that all they needed to add to the tape to make it a genuine crime scene would have been a chalk outline around McNabb's body.

Maybe it was a crack like that which caused those guys to stop talking. Then again, who cares what the reason was? Their closed mouths were for everyone, even the people who sympathized and suggested that no offensive line should be asked to pass-protect 45 times, as this line was asked to do on Monday night. So who needs sympathy, right? What does it get you, other than the silent linemen directing you to one of their designated spokesmen, rookie tackle Todd Herremans?

As he watched all of this play out, Herremans smiled and shrugged, which was the most exercise he had gotten all day, seeing as how he didn't even dress for the game. Only later did the adult in the group reach his locker.

"It was a normal week," said right tackle Jon Runyan, when asked if it had, in fact, been a difficult week for the line following the Atlanta game.

"It's never as bad as it looks and it's never as good as it looks. Some things did happen, but we'll take care of it and move on. It wasn't the end of the world. You really think it looked bad, but it wasn't that bad - that kind of thing. You just learn from what you did and try to improve on it."

It is no shock that the restoring of order for the Eagles began with their offensive-line play. Atlanta blitzed the Eagles like crazy, which most teams cannot afford to do - because adding a pass rusher means that either Terrell Owens or Brian Westbrook will not receive the defensive attention he requires. San Francisco, making its own calculations, did not blitz as often. In addition, the Eagles ran the ball this week - 17 times in the first half, 30 times in the game, a much better balance than against the Falcons.

"You keep them on their heels," Runyan said. "You keep running the ball at them and make them think about it.

"Any time you get to the quarterback early, you're going to get in his head. You have to be conscious of that... The trick is to keep the guys off of him and let him get comfortable."

It is exactly what happened yesterday. The offense was more balanced, the blitz was more manageable, and the quarterback made fast, excellent decisions. In Week 2, starting with their offensive line, the Eagles looked like themselves again.

Right? Tra? Artis? Shawn? Right?

Nothing chaps my ass more than when media members take little childish pot-shots at athletes who do not speak to the media. So what if they refuse to speak to you? Who really cares?!?!

The media morons cried all off-season for TO to shut up and play football...now that he has essentially shut his mouth (except for the 10 minute Friday radio show) they rip him.

Now whiny Rich Hofman takes a shot at the oL becuase they choose not to speak.

[General_Failure]

They should only speak in pig latin. That'll teach those fargin' reporters.

[PhillyPhreak54]

  I think that one of them should learn Russian. That'll teach those reporters who cry when a guy decides not to speak to them. Have 'em trying to translate the comments by their deadline.

I wrote Richy Rich an e-mail...let's see if he responds.

[PhillyGirl]

They were whining about it all week on DNL.

[Susquehanna Birder]

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. The Philly media types tend to turn on players who won't talk, unless they are big producers (Lefty, for example).

[shorebird]

Screw the press, it makes me think better of the line for not talking. Let Hofmann takes his shots at them, he looks stupid for doing it. Players are paid to preform on the field, not to talk to a bunch of friggen' reporters.

[Zanshin]

I don't really care either way.  But if the O line is miffed that they got ripped a little last week, they shouldn't be.  They deserved a good ripping after that game.  But if they want to use the media as an excuse to bond, go for it.  Whatever.

[SunMo]

i'm with Rich, the o-line is are acting like babies.  they played like crap in Atlanta, got called on it, and now their little feelings are hurt.  so they are mad at the media for telling facts and they resort to putting tape on the floor.  rich's pot-shots are childish, but so is the o-line refusing to speak to the media.

[TempleOwl]

I like this approach much better anyway.  Wasn't it Fraley who got the whole "Donovan-couldn't-call-the-play-in-the-huddle" thing going after the Super Bowl?  Keeping quiet is probably better.  Let them tend to their business.

[Geowhizzer]

I say that if it brings some "team chemistry" to the line, more power to them. 

[rjs246]

I wish more athletes would stop talking to the media.

[BigEd76]

The morning show asked Spadaro about it and apparently the issue is between Les Bowen and Tra Thomas.... 

[rjs246]

For the love of christ, who cares? Athletes do themselves no favors by talking to the media. 95% of them are idiots and/or self-absorbed babies. The less they speak in public, the better.