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To Boo Or Not To Boo (McNabb), That is The Question

B-Dub Written by B-Dub, Tuesday September 28 2010
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Sorry to quote B-Shakes in a sports article, but I have a dilemma.  As you all know, Donovan McNabb will be returning to Philadelphia on Sunday to play against the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time.  The Washington QB was the face of the Eagles' franchise for 11 years and is most likely the greatest QB in the history of the franchise.  So the question becomes; should I Boo McNabb at the game?

I have written before that it is my right as a fan of any team to Boo.  I can Boo my own team for poor play or Boo the other team simply for just showing up and not being my team.  I can Boo fans of another team and I can Boo fans of my team for doing something stupid.  This great country of ours was founded on freedoms, like the freedom to Boo the crap out of whoever I want for any reason.  It's as simple as that.

Now that we have that settled we can move on.

As an Eagles season ticket holder I will be in the stands on Sunday as always.  Before each game they introduce either the offense or the defense of each team.  Normally, when the opposing team is introduced the fans all scream "SUCKS" after each name.  It's a quaint tradition at many sporting events.  Certain players get a much ruder greeting in the form of loud and sustained Boos.  This is especially true for anyone associated with the Dallas Cowboys.  As such, Donovan McNabb will be introduced at the stadium as a member of the Redskins and should be Booed.  At least that's my thinking.

A local website ran a poll asking fans whether they would Boo or cheer McNabb and it was about 80% in favor of cheering.  Personally I don't think any of those 80% have ever attended an Eagles game.  The only opposing player who has ever been cheered during the 20+ years that I have been a season ticket holder is Brian Dawkins.  

Dawkins was a special case though.  He is without question one of the most universally loved and respected Eagles players of all time.  The fans loved him.  His teammates loved him.  Even the owner and coaching staff loved him.  Only one bean-counter in the Eagles organization didn't realize that some things are more important than money, but that's a whole other story.  B-Dawk is my all-time favorite and I cheered as loud as I could last season when he was introduced as a member of the Denver Broncos.  Those of you who think I'm being hypocritical by Booing McNabb after I cheered Dawkins obviously don't follow the Philadelphia Eagles closely.

While Dawkins genuinely loved the city and the fans, McNabb had a clear disdain for the fanbase.  While Dawkins was the ultimate team player, McNabb constantly threw his teammates under the bus.  It didn't start out that way though.  I rooted for McNabb for the first half of his Eagles career and I still have a #5 jersey.  It's just that his comments started to bother me.  And then there was that whole couldn't win when it really counted thing.  As part of my anger management therapy I would now like to detail some of McNabb's more egregious offenses.

The highlights:  

McNabb held a grudge against every single Eagles fan because some idiot radio host gathered a bunch of morons together to Boo McNabb at the draft.  It was only 30 guys, not an entire fanbase you overly sensitive Wuss.  The NY fans Boo almost every pick their teams make during the draft.  And after the trade to Washington, McNabb said he wasn't upset about the Boos.  Bullshit.  If he didn't care he wouldn't have brought it up constantly.  Unfortunately, he and the national media never let it go.

He referred to his little high school girls-like fight with T.O. as "Black-on-Black Crime".  That is insulting to any victims of actual crime and it also perfectly illustrates what a clueless me-first person McNabb is.

To this day McNabb denies throwing up during a 4th quarter drive in his one and only Super Bowl even though two offensive linemen who were in that huddle stated that he did lose his lunch.

He now claims that an unnamed ref told him that there would be another overtime period during the 13-13 tie in Baltimore in November 2008.  If you recall McNabb famously stated after the game that he had no idea NFL games could end in a tie.  Funny, but Donny never mentioned this ref right after the game or in the two years in between that game and his trade to the Redskins.  He is a true master of revisionist history.

After the Eagles humiliating 24-0 loss to the Cowboys at the end of last season, McNabb threw his teammates under the bus by saying, "We showed our youth today."  That was a direct shot at his young WRs, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.  They didn't have a good game, but a leader would never, ever say something like that publicly about his teammates.  McNabb did and that's why he isn't a leader, no matter how many times he says he is.

And he has a history of throwing his teammates under the bus.  Remember the NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals in 2008?  McNabb pointed out that the Eagles lost to the Cardinals because the defense couldn't hold a 4th quarter lead.  That completely ignores the fact that McNabb and the offense got the ball back after the Cardinals took the lead with four minutes remaining in the 4th quarter and he couldn't produce a game-winning drive.  As usual.  Remember the Super Bowl two-minute drill that took about seven minutes?  You know the one that included the puking that he says didn't happen?  

Now McNabb has already begun to turn on his new Redskins teammates.  After the loss to the Rams last week McNabb said that they had some breakdowns in protection.  While that may be true, what QB would criticize his own offensive linemen?  The very guys charged with keeping him safe.  Donovan McNabb would, that's who.  He even took a shot at his new coach and offensive coordinator after losing to a Rams team that won for only the second time in their last 29 games.  "It seemed that every time we got to the huddle, the clock went to 18, 15 seconds.  We have to eliminate that from being a factor."  And by that he means his coaches since they're the ones who send in the plays.  Because nothing is ever his fault.

I wrote an article in April when he was traded with the simple message of "you'll see", referring to the true McNabb.  But not even I thought it would happen by the third game.  I'm laughing at all you McNabb fans out there, not with you.

So instead of cheering for a player who gave his all for the Philadelphia Eagles and played some amazing football, I will Boo Donovan McNabb when his name is announced during the pregame introductions on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.  

McNabb put up some great stats and won a lot of games for the Eagles.  That can't be denied.  I appreciate the player that McNabb is, in spite of his 1-4 record in NFC Championship Games and 0-1 record in the Super Bowl.  He had hideous stats in each of those losses, yet shifted the blame to everyone but himself.  I now hope that my fellow Eagles fans will shift their Boos toward McNabb on Sunday.  Then maybe he'll say his teammates didn't make him look good running onto the field.

McNabb should be Booed, just like any other visiting player in any other stadium in the NFL.  I will just Boo with a little more vigor because of all the examples I gave above.  The only time I will cheer for him is when he inevitably throws a ball at the feet of a wide open receiver.  

On Sunday, I will Boo a man I once cheered. That doesn't make me a bad person.  It just makes me a good Eagles fan.

Hey Donovan: "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


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3 comments


0 up down 0
ChrisoChriso, about 1 year ago said:

I don't think you ever live down booing St Nick... From my view as a Patriots fan, I think about Drew Bledsoe, good QB, was the face of the franchise and did give the team one trip to the Super Bowl even though there were no championships...

0 up down 0
B-DubB-Dub, about 1 year ago said:

It was just time for McNabb to move on. His act was wearing thin on both the fans and his own teammates. DeSean Jackson couldn't wait to get rid of him. I'm just going to Boo him like crazy and root for the Eagles. By the way, the Santa Clause thing was FORTY YEARS AGO.

1 up down 0
ChrisoChriso, about 1 year ago said:

Hey B-Dub, you tell me I'm bitter all the time.... WOW.... But it's not like he left the Eagles for Washington, that was your team's decision. Also, being in Redskins territory I don't get the sense that the Eagles are the big rivalry like the Cowboys are...I'm sure you'll do what you do, but why not show some creativity and bring a picture of McNabb on a popsicle stick and then put a Santa hat on him and then boo....