Hey Lurie…It’s Time to File Now

Jeffrey Lurie must do what’s best for business Owning an NFL franchise is a very profitable business. Jeffrey Lurie has profited immensely since purchasing the Philadelphia Eagles back in 1994. He bought his new toy with $195 million, mostly provided by his mother. So when it comes to being a hardcore, shrewd businessman, Lurie can’t take the moniker of being a self-made billionaire, the teams current value. Most people in that position are known to be able to make the hard and sometimes not, the most popular decisions for the good of the business. Andy Reid has been a very important cog in the process of building this successful business. Since Lurie hired Reid as head coach in 1999, the brand has gone from being one that was never a serious contender, to one that has always been in the Super Bowl conversation. Merchandising took off and Lurie was able to build a state of the art stadium to replace the dilapidated concrete bowl on Pattison Avenue. Luxury suites and personal seat licenses aside, Lincoln Financial Field is sold out for every game. Reid has won a lot of games and despite the four NFC championship losses and lone Super Bowl failure, most of the fan base still held out hope that he would finally get it done. But here we are in year 14 and the Eagles have free fallen to the lower depths of the league with a record of 3-7, largely due to Reid’s poor player personnel choices, game planning, in-game management and that ill-advised coaching promotion. Lurie obviously has at least noticed the decline as he dubbed this season as ’8-8 is not acceptable’. He drew a line in the sand for the first time and Reid is one loss away from crossing it. And with 6 games remaining, Reid has no shot of surpassing  Lurie’s standard.  After 6 straight losses, the team is playing with no purpose and no direction. Surprising for a team whose franchise quarterback vowed this season be dedicated to Reid’s son, Garrett, who died of a drug overdose at training camp this summer. Or a roster, that on paper, has arguably the best talent in the conference. Both sentiments, which were met with overwhelming optimism, have been the poster child for disappointment. What Lurie has allowed Reid to become is a lame-duck coach and the team is playing like it. And as much as Reid says he can turn this mess of squad around, all he’s saying is that if he going out, he’s going out his way….not what’s best for the future of the franchise. Case in point, when Michael Vick is ready to return from his concussion, he’ll be the starter. When what this franchise needs, is to find out if Nick Foles can play in this league or if it needs to draft a signal caller or find one via free agency. Or if first-round pick Danny Watkins, can be a starting guard, instead of a guy nobody else in the league wanted, who was sitting on his couch watching the RedZone channel for 9 weeks! Frankly, I don’t blame Reid for this mentality, because why should he care about what the 2013 Eagles are if he’s not here. But as the owner, Lurie should care and should have moved on from him after Sunday’s no-show in D.C. There is such a dichotomy on the subject if Reid should be allowed to finish the season, between fans and pundits all over the airwaves. The majority of fans have seen enough and want him gone now, while his coaching fraternity buddies think he’s earned the right to finish the season because of what he’s done for this franchise. But, for the sake of the fans and the franchise, as much as you love Reid, you have to start thinking like a shrewd businessman and make the tough decision, because just like you filed for divorce from your best friend, Christina…Mr. Lurie, now it’s time again.