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The Eagles had a bad game against the Giants. It was brutal to watch, and the Birds lost by 13. We know we always have tough Divisional games, often splitting the season with our NFC East opponents. (Owen) Schmitt happens.

In each of the other losses, we lost by 1, 4, and 7. Close Games.

Except Atlanta, the 3 teams we lost to have winning records; San Fran and Buffalo are both 4-1! Buffalo even took care of the perennial world-beaters, the New England Patriots (in which game, incidentally, the Bills also picked off Tom Brady 4 times).

It is not inconceivable to think that at the end of the year, Buffalo and the 49ers are making hay in the Playoffs, and everyone expects Atlanta to win their division (especially after watching Tampa get brutalised by the Niners this weekend). What if we look back and realise that not only did we start the season with a whole lot of new blood, and a truncated off-season in which to put them together – but that we also started the season against 4 out of 5 Playoff teams?

Then instead of doom and gloom, we had close games against real contenders.

After getting our brains blown out for most of Sunday’s game – the team visibly turned it around, and started turning it on. For the first time, I saw that determined spark – both offensively and defensively – and the Eagles clawed their way back, making critical stops and marching the ball downfield. It looked GOOD. There were some unbelievable blunders, to be sure (PARKER!!!!!!) – but we almost got it back.

Peel back the red mist of anger, and the bitter taste of another defeat – and there was some hope in the later stages of the game.

The rest of the season, we play a whole slate of teams that also have losing records at this time. Notable exceptions are the New England Patriots, and the teams in our own division: Washington and the Giants have winning records, Dallas is tied at 2-2. Everyone else that we play for the rest of the season has a losing record. Also, our Bye is in two weeks, and we almost never lose during that week.

Week 6 – Washington (3-1): I don’t know if Torrain or Hightower will be the problem, but I do know it WON’T be Rex Grossman. They sit at 3-1, but I don’t buy this team as a contender. I believe we put up too many points for their foot-slogging ground and pound to overcome. We’ll yield a 100-yard rusher, for sure – but as long as the penalties and turnovers get under control, they just can’t stop the Vick-Jackson-Maclin-McCoy-Harbor (!?!) show. WIN. 2-4

Week 7 – Bye: As I said, I can’t see a way we lose this week. I know we make a ton of mistakes, but still. Still 2-4.

Week 8 – Dallas (2-2): I had bruised ribs, and they hurt for almost 6 months. Romo’s got cracked ones that are poking through his lungs? Babin is going to eat his lunch. Andy Reid after a bye never loses. WIN. 3-4.

Week 9 – Chicago (2-3): Did you see the garbage Chicago is putting on the field? That Monday Night game in Detroit was HILARIOUS. Cutler… oh my god, scrambling for his life behind that high-school O-line of his. (Wait, sounds familiar…). Our QB is more of a Wizard than theirs – We’re going to sack him 14 times. Matt Forte vs our entire offense? Oh, and Bears? We’re not on Soldier Field THIS time. WIN. 4-4 (.500, baby!)

By this point, you’ll note that experience plus a bye week has got our team improving week by week, while those teams that were peaking from the get-go – Packers, Detroit, Pats – will start stumbling.

Week 10 – Arizona (1-4): ‘Nuff Said. You’re dead, Kev. Win. BIG. 5-4.

Week 11 – New York Giants (3-2): Angered by the early season loss, the Birds come back and embarrass the Ginas like we always do, splitting the season. WIN. 6-4.

Week 12 – New England Patriots (4-1): Tom Brady and Wes Welker are probably going to break our nice little winning streak here. There is hope, as they are coming to OUR house. Heartbreaker, LOSS. 6-5.

Week 13 – Seattle (2-3): Short week (Thursday game) after a hard game (Pats) and travelling 3000 miles west? Oi vey. Luckily… It’s the Suckhawks. WIN. 7-5.

Week 14 – Miami (0-4): Not only are they terrible, the Fins are even worse at home, and will be well on their way to winning the Suck For Luck sweepstakes. WIN. 8-5.

Week 15 – New York Jets (2-3): We welcome Rex’s big mouth into the Linc. Sanchez is terrible, and they at least have no good runners (Greene and Tomlinson). WIN. 9-5.

Week 16 – Dallas (2-2): Big game, Christmas Eve, in Texas. We usually split… so, LOSE. 9-6.

Week 17 – Washington (3-1): By this point, they’ll have benched Grossman for Beck, and switched back again – the team will have no confidence, a losing record, and will come into our house to be a punching bag. WIN. 10-6.

And that 10-6 record is going to be the best in the NFC East. And by that point, we’ll be peaking at exactly the right time.

Bring it on season, the Birds are ready.

GO EAGLES!!!

Tom Schadle

Phoenix, AZ

Thanks Steve.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed interest in another game in London or any other United Kingdom city for the 2010 regular season. Overwhelmed by the sellout crowds in both games, the commissioner feels that another game overseas for the fans would be great for the game and the league.
Source: Examiner.com

In 2007, Goodell told reporters, “There’s a great deal of interest in holding a Super Bowl in London. So we’ll be looking at that.” The Daily Telegraph recently reported that London officials have “received assurances from the NFL that … there is a commitment to bring the Superbowl to the capital in 2014.” The report comes a week after Frank Supovitz, NFL senior vice president of events, told the BBC, “We have had very substantive conversations with the city of London on what it would take for them to host it, what it would take for us to bring it there,” but added that specifics have only been discussed “superficially.”
Source: Finding Dulcinea

“We have been thrilled by the reaction of our fans in the U.K. through our regular-season series,” Goodell said during a live chat on NFL.com. “In fact, we are considering expanding the series to more than one game in a season as early as next year. All of our U.K. fans continue to impress us with your knowledge and enthusiasm to the point that it is realistic that you could have a franchise sometime in the next 10 years.”
Source: NFL.com

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So how are the Philadelphia Eagles gearing up to take advantage of the anticipated global expansion?

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On 6th August 1989 I headed to Wembley, London for my first taste of live NFL football. The Philadelphia Eagles took on the Cleveland Browns and, since my last name is Brown, I decided that becoming a “Brown” would be too corny! Watching Randall Cunningham scramble about that day is a treasured memory and I have followed the Birds ever since.

I visited New York City in 2001 and saw the Eagles win 10-9 at Meadowlands. During that trip I managed to find an Eagles baseball cap in one of the sports stores, so I could finally wear some green.

When the first NFL International Series game was played in London in 2007 I HAD to show my true loyalties, especially as the Giants were one of the teams playing. I placed an order through philadelphiaeagles.com for 6 T-shirts, paid the $44 shipping and then another $35 import tax. It was expensive, but better than nothing.

A year later and the second International Series game was looming. I received an email from the Eagles store advertising free shipping to US addresses and immediately wanted to take advantage. I ordered a black Brian Dawkins jersey with matching baseball cap and had them mailed to a friend in the US. My friend then sent them over to me which saved a decent amount of postage cost.

Just a couple of months ago I made a flying 3 day visit to Philly and spent a FORTUNE in Modell’s though I couldn’t decide who’s jersey to buy to replace my treasured #20. I headed home and then the news came through… we’ve signed Michael Vick! This was followed a week later by an email from the Eagles store offering a 10% discount across the store on all orders placed within the next 4 hours. Perfect!

I logged onto philadelphiaeagles.com, headed to the store and picked out my new #7 jersey. When I tried to checkout however, I found that I could only enter a shipping address in the US, Canada or Puerto Rico. After a mad rush, I managed to find a friend in the US who was willing to send the jersey on to the UK and started the checkout process once more. But then I found that I couldn’t use my credit card as the billing address is in the UK! After staring at the screen in amazement for several minutes and with the clock ticking down to the end of the sale, I picked up the phone and called loooooong distance to Philadelphia. The lady I spoke to was extremely helpful, but was unable to process my order using a UK credit card. I gave her my previous order numbers and she explained that the store had been “upgraded” since then and could no longer take international orders. She suggested that I try Amazon.com.

Off I went to Amazon.com, picked out the same jersey (without a 10% discount) and then found that it could not be shipped to the UK! I managed to pay for it with my credit card though and it is being shipped to my helpful friend in the US who will then send it on. I’m really disappointed that my money is going to a random Amazon seller rather than the team I support.

I’ve since discovered that NFLShop.com takes international orders, but why would an Eagles fan go there rather than click “shop” on the philadelphiaeagles.com site that they’re already on?! Also, their product range isn’t as good, they don’t run the same promotions as the Eagles store and the Eagles don’t benefit from the sales (well, not as much as they would by selling the merchandise themselves). Incidentally, I checked the NY Giants website and they ship to the UK. Even the Lions ship internationally and after discovering that, I gave up in despair!

In recent years, TV coverage of the NFL has increased dramatically even though various leagues based in the UK and Europe have been and gone. A growing number of British football fans sit at home on a Sunday evening to watch the early and late games which run from 6pm through to midnight(ish). Many of those fans will buy team merchandise, so come on Eagles build your brand globally and cash in!

Steve Brown