Ryan Howard, McNabb, Dawkins, and my two cents

Right now, from this point on, you will NEVER hear me slam Ryan Howard again. Yes, I was one of many who bashed number six several times this summer when weeks went by where it looked like he never seen a baseball in his life. However, in my twenty plus years of watching this team, only three players come to mind who are, as once phrased by Jim Fregosi- "red light players": 1. Lenny Dykstra 2. Curt Schilling and 3. Ryan Howard These are indeed special players. Players who thrive when the camera light turns on, when pressure is on, and when the games count now more than anything. Only three players in a cast of thousands over the last two decades is not very good. That is why the Phillies have no choice to give Howard the money that he commands for a long term contract. Although an energized Jimmy Rollins has helped revitalize the bats with help from Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino, Howard has taken his performance to another level. Make no mistakes, Howard's game still has his holes (strikeouts, Ricky Jordan's disease), but when he turns it on like he is right now, his pluses outweigh the minuses. Oh, and the fact that the Phils are probably going to the playoffs helps as well. The team currently has seemed to recapture the magic from 2007 that enamored them to the entire tri-state area. It didn't seem like it was always there this summer. For now it has unquestionably returned, and that's enough for me to be a believer. With Ben Sheets having more arm problems, it looks like Milwaukee may miss the playoffs again, and that the Mets may not hold onto the division, but could very well be the NL Wild Card. It could make for a very interesting NL Playoffs, and with two of the most cursed teams in baseball possibly going head to head for a World Series berth, something's got to give.

Which now brings me to the Eagles. After Monday night's heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football (also known as "The One That Got Away", several questions were answered regarding the 2008 squad, and several more have arisen:

1. The Eagles CAN compete with the big boys, but can they BEAT the big boys- In divisional games, the teams always take their game to another level, and Monday's game was no exception. I hate the Cowboys, but you have give credit where it is due. The Eagles rattled Tony Romo several times, with one of the times resulting in a touchdown. To Romo's credit, he didn't let it rattle him and he pulled out a victory. The Eagles could have put Dallas away on several possessions, but failed to do so and it cost them the game. Failure to penetrate the end zone in the second quarter when the score is 27-21 would have put the game out of reach. The Eagles however, only managed a field goal and the rest is history. Championship teams have that killer instinct to put teams away. The Eagles don't have that, and they had better find it if they wanna be considered a serious contender.

2. Donovan McNabb CAN still play, but he can't close the game- If you look at McNabb's numbers for Monday (25/37 with 281 Yds Passing) it's obvious that if he stays healthy, he has several good years left in his 31 year old body. The bad news- McNabb plays one of the best 57 minute games in the NFL. Problem is that there are the three other minutes in the game that have had Eagles fans scratching their heads for the last decade. Hall of Fame QB's take their team down the field and execute. All anyone needs to know about Donovan McNabb's career should watch that Monday Night Football game, which sums up his career in a nutshell (even more so than the Super Bowl). I couldn't help but feel that I was watching the same game that I have been watching for the last ten years when the Eagles lost Monday night, and the fumble and overthrow on third down in the fourth quarter were unacceptable.

I am one of the rare oddities who is in the middle of the road when it comes to Donovan McNabb. I am more of a supporter than a basher. We are watching the best quarterback in the history of the franchise. The Eagles will win a Super Bowl one day, but four consecutive trips to the NFC Championship Game may never happen again. There is nothing I would change about McNabb's game, except for those final three minutes. A "red light player", he has yet to prove. And after ten years in the NFL, I get this sinking feeling that we may never see those final three minutes we've all been waiting for from Donovan McNabb.

4. Brian Dawkins- From one athlete who still can play, to an Eagles legend whose game is becoming the most painful one of all to watch. At 34 years of age, Dawkins obviously is not the force he once was, and several plays on Monday night in which he seemingly was burned by Jason Witten and Terrell Owens multiple times has only brought more speculation to the fact that Dawkins game is fading. One of the classiest Eagles of all time, I hope that Dawkins is smart enough to know when his playing days are over and doesn't overextend his welcome and become a detriment to the team like so many other athletes have done in the past. A man of his stature should exit the game gracefully.