As far as the Eagles are concerned, nobody wants a repeat of last year. Unfortunately, they might be kicking off the new campaign next week while embroiled in a very familiar type of controversy.
Last summer, it was Vince Young suggesting the Birds were forming a "Dream Team," which fast became a term of derision as the season spiraled out of control. Now less than 12 months after that lesson was learned, Michael Vick was talking about building a dynasty in an interview with Derrick Gunn.
“When I look at our football team and what we have on paper, I think about when I was growing up and the great San Francisco 49er teams, the great Green Bay Packer teams, and the great Dallas Cowboy teams, how they just positioned themselves to compete and be one of the best teams out there,” Vick said.
“I think we have a chance to be that. I think we have a chance to develop a dynasty.”
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And these guys had been saying all the right things for so long.
Anyway, do we think this is such a big deal? Not really, but it certainly will be blown out of proportion. Vick is, like most pro athletes, a confident guy, and if he believes they are good enough to win a championship, it's not so different from what players will and already are saying in camps across the country.
Actually, at its very core this differs from Young's Dream Team comments, which were especially unwise given his role as the backup. Vick is stating a goal, and if that's not universally accepted and even a source of motivation in the locker room, get 'em out of there. Young created a label that served no purpose beyond bringing unwanted attention on the club -- the bad kind that generally comes from such a soundbite.
Yet we still feel compelled to give a wag of the finger to Vick, not because he wants a dynasty -- who doesn't -- but because you haven't won one Super Bowl, dude. The Eagles haven't, either. Given the current climate between the organization and its fans, you've gotta know this kind of stuff is just fuel for the fire.
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Despite the rather predictable reaction that we're seeing already, not to mention all of the missing hardware between zero and multiple Lombardi Trophies, it was still a relatively harmless thing to say. However, my guess is plenty of folks will disagree.