Bill Walsh the latest to jump on Truck's Playoff Bandwagon

[TRUCK RATHMAN]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16377627.htm

Walsh: Garcia can deliver for Eagles

By Bob Brookover

The Philadelphia Inquirer

(MCT)

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles picked up a high-profile fan in late November, which was long before their bandwagon started to overflow.

Bill Walsh decided when Donovan McNabb was injured and Jeff Garcia became the Eagles' quarterback that he'd take a special interest in the East Coast team that runs the West Coast offense he made so famous when he coached the San Francisco 49ers.

"Oh, yes," Walsh said from his Stanford University office earlier this week. "That's my team."

And Garcia is Walsh's quarterback.

"He's sort of a blue-collar Joe Montana or Steve Young," Walsh said. "He plays that offense just as well as they did. He hasn't won a Super Bowl and, of course, those other guys won a number of them."

The Hall of Fame coach honestly believes that this Eagles team with Garcia at quarterback has a chance to win the Super Bowl.

"I believe Philadelphia has as good a chance of anybody as going to the Super Bowl," Walsh said. "Jeff is definitely a part of that. He's playing lights out."

Walsh, 76, should know a Super Bowl contender when he sees one. He coached three Super Bowl champions with the 49ers. He has loved a lot of things about Garcia for a long time, but there are other things he likes about the Eagles, too.

"It's really been exciting watching that team," Walsh said. "All of my colleagues around here have been watching Jeff because they knew him from playing with the 49ers and in college. He was such an exciting player here, and I knew if he ever surfaced again with a good football team, he'd do a good job. And, boy, Philadelphia has a great offensive line and a great cast of football players."

Walsh, who is battling leukemia, said during a recent television interview that he has to spend three or four days a week in the hospital to avoid infection. But Walsh said he hasn't missed any of the Eagles' last four games when Garcia led them to victory, and he plans to be watching again Sunday afternoon when his new favorite team takes on the New York Giants in an NFC wild-card playoff game.

The fact that Walsh is still showing interest in him touches Garcia.

"I know he's been there every Sunday and Monday watching me play," Garcia said. "I know it has been uplifting to him being able to watch us, and it has been motivating for me knowing that it's an important thing in his life and it's keeping his battle alive. I just have so much thanks to him for where I am today."

The Walsh-Garcia relationship started in 1993 during the quarterback's senior year at San Jose State University when Walsh was in his second stint as a head coach at Stanford.

"San Jose had no talent at all," Walsh said. "That year, they were just awful except for one guy - Jeff Garcia. I figured we'd be too much for him, but he proceeded to pick us apart. He had that team driving for the winning touchdown, and we were fortunate to get an interception. He reminded me so much of Joe Montana that day."

Told of the references to Montana, Garcia smiled Wednesday.

"Any time my name is used in the same sentence as Joe Montana, who I idolized, that's definitely an awesome thing," Garcia said.

Reminded of his first encounter with Walsh, Garcia smiled again.

"It was an offensive shoot-out," Garcia said. "We played well, almost well enough to win, but we weren't able to pull it out. Bill had some really nice things to say about me after the game in the papers, and I remember those things, and I thanked him for having those words of praise. It was very flattering at the time."

Walsh did more than praise Garcia. He lobbied for him to have a spot in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game after the season.

"He didn't get in that game until the fourth quarter," Walsh said. "And then he went in and threw three touchdowns and was the MVP. I tried to get professional teams to sign him and nobody would. I thought because I knew so many head coaches that somebody would sign him, and nobody would.

"Somebody with every organization would always ding him because they'd get caught up in the measurables. What Jeff has is the instincts that are outstanding in all great athletes. He has natural instincts, and I was always looking for those. Some people in coaching don't realize they have to be there for a quarterback to be great. They look at size and strength, and instincts should be No. 1.

Garcia spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, backed up Doug Flutie his first year, then started for three years, winning a Grey Cup in his final season of 1998.

Finally, an NFL general manager was willing to give him a shot. The GM was Bill Walsh, who had returned to the 49ers.

"I had the access to do it, and I just signed him," Walsh said. "It happened when Steve Young had concussion problems, and Jeff stepped in. Before you know it, he was right at the top of the league."

Now, Garcia is the Eagles' quarterback about to start a playoff run that a Hall of Fame coach with three Super Bowl rings believes could go on for a while.

"I think they have the best team, along with San Diego," Walsh said. "I'm telling you, I just love that offensive line, and I think Andy Reid is a great coach, and Marty Mornhinweg is a tremendous offensive mind."

And, of course, Walsh really likes the quarterback, too.

[Diomedes]

Bill Walsh.  He's the one in those horrible beer commercials, right?

[TRUCK RATHMAN]

Bill Walsh.  He's the one in those horrible beer commercials, right?

that was Joe Piscapo as a pro-wrestler for Lite beer.

[Diomedes]

No, I mean the press conference one with the dicks in the crowd.

[TRUCK RATHMAN]

No, I mean the press conference one with the dicks in the crowd.

[SD_Eagle5]

Stupid Bill Walsh/Coors Light commercial

Walsh found Garcia so it's no surprise he believes in him

[ice grillin you]

^^^^
yep

he also despises TO

[PhillyPhreak54]

Someone should post that comment about the OL on ES. Bubba says the Eagles have the 3rd best OL in the divison and has a nickname for Andrews. He calls him Shame Andrews.

[ice grillin you]

the fat racist currently says that?...or is this something he said months ago

[Rome]

Nothing says "shame" like being voted into the Pro Bowl as a starter.

[SD_Eagle5]

the fat racist currently says that?...or is this something he said months ago

Bubba on rankings of NFC East offensive lines:

I think in the NFC East you could make a case for any one of them to be the best

not even close


1. Skins
2. Giants
3. Eagles
4. Pokes

[SunMo]

anybody who ever says that the Giants Oline is better than the Eagles is automatically ejected from any football talk. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

Currently.

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186850&page=1&pp=15

bubba, why is it that every one overrates Shawn Andrews in your mind? I'm not asking how you think he's overrated, just why in your mind he is overrated by everyone.




everyone?

the same way everyone overrates Roy Williams

one mediots says he's good, then the rest just parrots their comments



very few people understand OL play, Shame isn't a bum, but he isn't the best guard in the NFC, not even the NFC East

Subjective? not at all if you know what to look for, and actually watch their play

there are some stats out there that help rate OL, but aren't the normal fantasy variety

but most people only see where the ball goes, without disecting how the play works.

Andrews was a #1 pick on a winning team so he has the rep, but it's the old perspective vs reality

[Rome]

Bubba = assclown.  Why even discuss him on this board anymore?  He's just a sad little douchebag that no one cares about who's probably a shot of Jack Daniel's away from eating a bullet.  Here's to that last shot.

[Seabiscuit36]

im with you romey, this guy has no concept of reality or a healty diet.  Does he acutally get paid for doing ES?