Earlier this season, former governor Rendell called me the epitome of scrooge. That was the October night the Eagles crushed Dallas, 34-7, and fans once again were climbing aboard the Dream Team bandwagon.
The euphoria spread to the Postgame Live set where the governor said something to the effect that Mike Vick was the best quarterback in football and Shady McCoy was the best running back ever. The governor was really on a roll. I felt the need to say, well, something.
But they are 3-4, I said.
To underscore the point, I shouted, Reality check.
The audio clip was replayed over and over on the radio. I became known as Diddy Downer, a riff on the Saturday Night Live character Debby Downer, who goes through life under a perpetual black cloud. I dont see myself that way, but the governor, among others, did.
Ray, let us enjoy this (win), for Gods sake, he said.
The thought occurred to me again Saturday after the Eagles defeated the Cowboys, 20-7, for their third consecutive victory. I was listening to Vick at the podium talk about how this December surge was something the team could ride into next season.
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If we had gotten into the playoffs, I feel we would have definitely done some damage, Vick said. Several teammates echoed his words.
I felt like offering another Reality check, but it was Christmas Eve and the governor already had called me scrooge once, so I didnt want to go there again. So I settled for a milder dose of perspective.
I said, yes, the late flurry of wins was nice, but it also could be a bad thing if it gave the front office a distorted view of what this team really is.
The Eagles are a 7-8 team and now the fantasy of somehow sneaking into the playoffs is finally gone. They were unable to win a division that is pitifully weak. Thats the reality. You can paint a smiley face on it if you want, but thats what this team is. Sorry to break it to you, guys, but thats the truth.
Were hearing talk now about young players and new faces and the time needed to build chemistry. That is the spin coming out of the NovaCare Complex: it was just a matter of time and fitting the pieces into place but now were good. The Eagles are making excuses for this season when they should be working on a blueprint for next season.
That is not what president Joe Banner promised last winter when he laid out the agenda for 2011. He said: If we dont win it next year, there will be nobody here making excuses. But thats exactly what the Eagles are doing now. You cant have it both ways, fellows.
This is a team that started the season with a grandiose self-vision. The organization tried to distance itself from the Dream Team label applied by Vince Youngby the way, it was nice knowing you, Vince, good luck at your next stopbut deep down that was the way many coaches, players and staff felt. They thought this team was locked and loaded and ready to win a championship.
Players who had never won anything in their careers talked about playing with a swagger. There was a disquieting air of entitlement for a team that has not won a postseason game since 2008. When they faced adversity early in the year, they appeared stunned and unprepared.
Andy Reid will deny it, but there was a disturbing lack of effort at times. The players, especially on defense, did not appear to have confidence in what the coaches were preaching and it was reflected in how they played. They dug a hole so deep they could not escape it no matter how many games they won down the stretch.
Did they improve in recent weeks? Yes, they did, and it is nice to win. You cannot, however, lose sight of the competition: the Dolphins with Matt Moore and J.P. Losman at quarterback, the Jets with a saucer-eyed Mark Sanchez running for cover and Dallas with a JV offense. There is a good chance all those teams will be sitting home with the Eagles watching the playoffs on TV, so lets not be fooled.
The biggest mistake the Eagles could make would be, regardless of the outcome of their final game against Washington, to conclude they have everything in order. It would be a huge miscalculation to say, Hey, we almost made the playoffs when the bar in the NFC East was set so low that a drunk could trip over it.
Even if the Eagles had somehow won the division, it would not have meant much in the big picture. Being the best team in a bad division doesnt mean you are a good team.
What the Eagles need to do is stop measuring themselves against the Cowboys, Giants and Redskins who are mediocre or worse. They should measure themselves against the top teams such as Green Bay, New Orleans and New England. Thats the level you must achieve to win a championship and the Eagles claim that is their ultimate goal.
When the Eagles played New England a month ago, the Patriots could have scored 60 points if they wanted to. Pop that tape into the machine and take a good, long look and you will have the necessary reality check.
Sorry to drop this in your Christmas stocking, folks, but if you think this winning streak means the Eagles are over their troubles and destined for glory in 2012, well, Im not so sure. I dont mean to be scrooge, but Im just saying
E-mail Ray Didinger at viewfromthehall@comcast.net.