The Slippery Slope of Being a Fan of the Philadelphia Eagles

Photo: David Grunfield - The Times-Picayune

- Troy Ballard
It didn't take long for me to realize what the situation was in the Philadelphia Eagles latest embarrassment — a 13-28 loss on Monday Night Football to the disconnected New Orleans Saints — this team is a total loss.
This was it, ladies and gentlemen. This was the deal-breaker game for Philadelphia's entire 2012-2013 campaign. Forget about the past, if the Eagles could win this one in New Orleans, that would somehow solidify the team as a playoff contender once again.
Clearly, that's bullshit.
This game is no different than any of the other five losses this team has. It's like watching the same miserable b-list movie (think Samurai Cop, 1989) over and over. With each run-through, we as the audience keep hoping that something, even the smallest detail, will change. Sadly, nothing does.
That's the state of the Eagles. A loss-failure-disappointment-of-colossal-proportions.
And that's the slippery slope of being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
How many reasons did we have for this team to succeed? Let's do the moderately short list:
- Michael Vick had a full off-season to prepare and learn the offense efficiently.
- The defense has had more time to learn together and develop chemistry.
- DeSean Jackson is happy and should return to Pro-Bowl form after being handed a crazy contract.
- DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks should solve any issues with linebackers.
- Philly still has LeSean McCoy — and he is still one of the best running backs in the NFL.
- This team is young and deadly.
- The Eagles had an incredibly solid draft.
- Andy Reid has reinvented himself.
Laughable. This team is the exact same as last season — a season which was possibly the greatest disappointment and flop of in all professional sports in recent memory. Sure, we have new faces. But even with slightly improved actors, it's nearly impossible to save a movie as doomed as this one in Philly.
The offense is pathetic. The defense is soft and ineffective. There are a number of star players who are totally and absolutely underperforming. This entire team has zero confidence. The coaching staff is doing a miserable job. There is nothing attractive about this Eagles team. Nothing.
Early in the first half of this game against the Saints, I sent out a tweet saying something I never thought I would say:

I hate this #Eagles team. I really do.
— Troy Ballard (@TroyBallards) November 6, 2012

I have possibly never been more infuriated with this Eagles team than I was at that moment. In all my years of fandom, that was the tipping-point. The image of Mark Ingram literally carrying half the defense was the thing that snapped me.
Yet, I continued to watch like a true fan. I regret it. I'll let you guess what was next:

Hate. This. Team. #Eagles
— Troy Ballard (@TroyBallards) November 6, 2012

This season is over. For those who believe there is even a chance are living in the worst kind of denial. This team isn't going to win. This team doesn't deserve to win. I'm going to stop sliding down this slope. I'm grabbing a firm hold, and I am aware enough to realize this — this Eagles team is the most devilish mistress in the NFL.
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