“No, I will not give you false hope on this strange and mournful day…”- Paul Simon
Saturday February 28, 2009 will long be a sad day in history of the Philadelphia Eagles as it marks the ending of one of the greatest tenures in team history; Brian Dawkins is no longer a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was announced Saturday afternoon that he signed a five-year deal with the Denver Broncos. I have been an Eagles fan since birth, and I can say that 28 years later no player has performed at such a high level for so long during my lifetime. (Tra Thomas is close, and doesn’t get the respect deserved, but that’s another day.) I am very sad to see Dawkins go, but instead of watching youtube clips of #20 with a gin and tonic in hand and a tear in my eye, I have to write a column justifying my own heartache.
I don’t know what the future holds for the Eagles at the free safety position. I assume either the Eagles sign a free agent or they are going to promote Quintin Demps to starter. Week 1 will be a bizarre day, when fans scan the field on first down, and there’s no #20 to be seen. The Broncos are scheduled to come to Philly in 2009, so we at least we all will have a day to tell our former warrior how much we love him. Today isn’t that day, today is when we plan for the future, and when we admit to ourselves we’re better off without him.
During the season, I took the unpopular stance that Dawkins was finished. Dawkins is too slow to cover today’s faster tight ends, too slow to make the hit when the ball arrives instead of a second-and-a-half too late, and too slow to help in run support. The Dawk who made the initial contact behind the line of scrimmage on running plays is long gone. Quentin Mikell is that guy now, and maybe Demps will be some day, but the fact is simply that Dawkins is done being that kind of player. Quintin Demps is going to be a better player than Brian Dawkins from this point until the end of his career. Demps has Dawkins outclassed physically, although he currently has next to nothing in the very important experience and leadership qualities that Dawkins has in abundance. Despite his leadership and experience, Dawkins needed to be replaced; he was the weakest link in this defense. If you’re going to upgrade an elite unit, you obviously start at its weakest point.
What upsets me most is that I as of yet haven't been able to properly mourn this loss. As I drove into work this morning I turned on my radio, and I wanted to hear fans retelling the tales of Brian Dawkins’ glory days. Instead I heard 35 minutes of non-stop anger and hatred spewed at Andy Reid, Joe Banner, and Jeffery Lurie. The hosts on both sports-talk radio stations called the Eagles’ front office team arrogant, and talked at length about how the Eagles overplayed their hands and bungled this signing. The callers all agreed adding greedy, heartless, and stupid to the already embarrassingly vile conversation. Both host and callers alike wondered aloud as to how this could happen, and why they weren’t more aggressive financially if, as Joe Banner stated, they had more money than they could spend. Nobody seemed to be able to answer this question, so I’ll step in here and supply the answer: THEY DON’T WANT HIM BACK BECAUSE HE’S A LIABILITY ON A SPEED BASED DEFENSE!
What is so hard to accept, and why is it this fanbase’s first instinct is to bitch and moan and just s*** all over everything the Eagles try and do? (I am firmly against swearing in my articles, but I couldn’t think of another word that properly covered the emotions involved here.) Get a faster safety and the defense improves, it’s that simple, so why all the commotion? Don’t these people shouting themselves hoarse remember Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor leaving? I was ready to give up on identifying myself as an Eagles fan because I don’t want to be considered in the same peer group with this morning’s callers. Rather than disown my (…sigh) brethren, I worked to understand them, and I do now understand. What they are experiencing is a basic process all humans encounter in their lives unfortunately. It’s simply the grieving process, and they have reached step 2: anger. There are five stages in total, and I will gladly lead you through them now.
1. Denial- Nobody last season would acknowledge that Dawkins was slower, or that he had become a liability, especially in coverage. Whoever I spoke with on the subject would say I was just hating, and that he may be slightly slower in coverage, but that he was every bit the hitter he was in his prime. They weren’t willing to see what was obvious, that we were nearing the end.
2. Anger- Just turn on the radio, and you’ll be inundated with vicious ranting from a die-hard group of fans who are forced to give up one of their all-time favorite players. When somebody we love dies, we blame God for taking them away from us, and we curse him and his “Plan.” When somebody we love gets cut from our favorite football team, we blame the guys that took him away from us; in this case we curse Andy, Joe, Tom, and Jeff.
3. Bargaining- This is beginning to happen now and should take root over the next day or two. Calls like, “If the Eagles don’t add TJ Houshmandzadeh or trade for Boldin, then I’m done with this team and this ownership,” will start to hit the radio shows, and similar emails will bombard the PSP. I heard a few already, and more are on the way.
4. Depression- This one’s easy for Eagles fans. Come Monday or Tuesday if the Eagles have yet to make their move, I fully expect the naysayers to be out in full force. They’ll site a lack of leadership and a lack of commitment to winning before talking up the Redskins and newly signed Albert Haynesworth as the reason why we’re doomed and that the playoffs are an unrealistic dream for this team.
5. Acceptance- This one might take awhile. Unless the Eagles get Boldin, the fans will be down on the team until training camp, but one day they come to realize the truth and accept it. The truth in this case is that Dawkins was old and had to go. The truth is the defense will be better in 2009 than it was in 2008, although Demps will be crucified for any miscue he makes by the same folks who were apologists for Dawkins. The truth is that despite spending a record amount of money, the Redskins will still struggle because pro football is equal parts system and talent, and their system is broken. When the Eagles are in the playoffs, and the Broncos and Redskins are not, then this rabid outrage will just seem silly, as if it already doesn’t.
So my frustration is lifted, grieve on fellow fans, I know it’s not your fault that you are acting and talking irrationally. What you guys are going through is natural, and it’ll get easier with time. One day, when you’re ready, you’ll love again. You’ll come to terms with what seems beyond understanding, and you’ll realize your life was better just for the chance to cheer one of the all-time greats. As for me, I’m settling in front of my desk, a fresh lime floating on top of my freshly poured glass of mourning, the gin will ease the pain of letting go and I’ll fire up youtube and watch a man in his prime wreaking havoc on opponent after opponent.
Brian Dawkins you were everything I (and this entire fanbase) ever wanted from a football player. Thank You.
Greg
