Just Give Me A Minute...

ILLEAGLE · March 15, 2006, 02:38:26 AM

Greetings all. I haven't been on in a while. I'm at a friend's house outside Harrisburg with web access so I figured I'd chime in. Nothing of logistics or facts. But more of the ethereal quality. For some unknown reason, in the last 2 week span I (for my birthday) recieved the 2004 NFC Champions DVD and the Eagles Encyclopedia. While immersing myself in these marvels of media, many emotions surfaced. Some I had pushed into subconscious, just filing them under "childhood memories". And others were still quite evident in my day to day life, like Chad Lewis catching that 3rd & 4 pass against Atlanta on 1-23-05 to make it 26-10. There's so much more going on here than we're eager to talk about. Like the fact that there is no offseason for us. Of course things die down a bit this time of year, but you know damn well that everyday you consider our draft position and the free agent class, how this last season unreasonably sucked, and how we'll continue on.
I guess I'm popping in to give a pat on the back, to re-affirm what we are......A helplessly hopeful, absurdly loyal collective of maniacs that are steeped in disappointment, but our hope just won't die. I stopped in and saw that just about every thread is "foward looking". You know, draft, FA, next year.....It felt good to see this. Because after this past year, a nightmare if there ever was one, our hope is almost spiteful. JR Reed getting chased by a damn dog, McDougle getting shot, the constant bullshtein that is all things TO, and once McNabb seems to finally be above the fray, this mystifying "sports hernia". Yeah, there was always a sense of "farg it, this can still work out", I couldn't help but feel that this past year was doomed. Above all, I feel that what killed us was that coming into this year, we were finally the big shots. No one could make jokes about us anymore, because we had officially arrived. The problem is, we didn't act like it. The spirit that carried us through things like poor clock management, play descisions, personnell descisions, etc., that intangible spirit we always had wasn't there, and it finally bit us in the ass. This last year hurt way more than '98 and "99 combined. I know you didn't need me to tell you that.
Every city, every team always has the "best fans". I get that, every oragnization sonehow has to pander to their supporters. But we're unusual. We're benevolent zealots. You didn't boo McNabb's drafting, neither did I, (I was actually thrilled) yet you'll always be blamed for it. I didn't throw a snowball at Santa, partially because I wouldn't be born for another 15 years, yet, it's still my fault. All this type-casting, after a while you almost believe it. But your gut knows the truth.
I guess what I'm trying to say through this diatribe is take a step back and realize that being an Eagle fan is something that can't be described with words. It's part of who we are. It's a sublime culture. I remember where I was back in '92 when we beat Dallas on MNF to go 4-0 and then lost to the Chiefs the next week. It's that deep. There's no such thing as a passing interest. This draft is huge. The team is coming in normally healthy this year. I think the attitude will return. We're better off as underdogs. A lot of people got off on our "fall from grace" last year. Wasn't it fun going to work and having that one wayward Cowboy fan laugh in your face? But you took it and grinned. Cause you know that's all they'll get. Next year is almost here. It's gonna be fun cause everyone's got some thing to prove. But us as fans really don't. We'll be there, like we always are. And always will be. Despite all the excuses we could've used to jump ship, we're still there.
Take a second and give yourself some credit. You're an Eagle fan. All we've known is suffering. The payoff is coming soon......................

rjs246 · March 15, 2006, 08:10:09 AM

Wow, that's a lot of words.

SunMo · March 15, 2006, 08:24:18 AM

Quote from: ILLEAGLE on March 15, 2006, 02:38:26 AM
Greetings all.

i stopped here...

Diomedes · March 15, 2006, 08:47:30 AM

Someone want to post the abridged version?

Feva · March 15, 2006, 08:47:51 AM

ice grillin you · March 15, 2006, 08:49:14 AM

Take a second and give yourself some credit. You're an Eagle fan

SUPER gay

Rome · March 15, 2006, 09:24:04 AM

I'm forced to agree with my boy IGY here.

That sentence was almost Art-like.

Whada_F · March 15, 2006, 09:36:00 AM

That was a lot of words! What did it say?

reese125 · March 15, 2006, 09:41:18 AM

Illeagle, do yourself a favor...when you type out the Old testament again, can you at least make it entertaining? The only thing that was missing was your first A+ in 2nd grade and the "funny" feeling you had when you got your drivers permit....for the love of.....

Nitz · March 15, 2006, 09:55:13 AM

I'd rather read a story detailing how you headbutted the sidewalk. Seems to me that it'd be more interesting.

BigEd76 · March 15, 2006, 10:03:32 AM

Might be the first time I've seen a drunken rant include the phrases "benevolent zealots" and "sublime culture"...

RezRob · March 15, 2006, 10:05:18 AM

Quote from: ILLEAGLE on March 15, 2006, 02:38:26 AMI guess what I'm trying to say through this diatribe is take a step back and realize that being an Eagle fan is something that can't be described with words.

Settle down Dennis Miller....

"pad"

rjs246 · March 15, 2006, 10:05:46 AM

QuoteI'd rather read a story detailing how you headbutted the sidewalk. Seems to me that it'd be more interesting.

Well put.

QuoteMight be the first time I've seen a drunken rant include the phrases "benevolent zealots" and "sublime culture"...

= funny

MURP · March 15, 2006, 10:25:43 AM

Nice Post Ill. Good to see you around again.

Geowhizzer · March 15, 2006, 10:41:51 AM

I had to stop reading it. I kept having a primal urge to grade it.