Philadelphia Eagles Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie gave his previously postponed remarks about the team on Thursday, just ahead of the team’s preseason finale against the Jets.
In his address, Lurie had some pointed words about the future of head coach Andy Reid with the franchise should the team not improve on last year’s 8-8 record. While Lurie expressed sympathy for Reid’s family over the death of son Garrett, he stated that the support Reid has garnered from the team, fans and even the owner himself can hopefully provide “a real opportunity for success.”
And then he abandoned the attempt at warm and fuzzy to state outright what we all already know: “It’s about business.”
Lurie reiterated that he would not revisit Reid’s contract until after the end of the 2012 season. But part of the review will be a hard look at whether there was marked improvement this year over last.
Here are experts of Lurie’s remarks:
-“I think that people are going to ask about Andy and there’s a lot to be said. I think we all know we’ve had a terrific run and he’s been a great coach. This is an opportunity for the football team to have a terrific season. At the same time I think I’m looking at it in a way where professionally we tend to put our resources into everything we can think of to make the team better… There’s an added kind of emphasis I would say this year out of necessity which is I feel responsible to be there personally, as I think we all do, for Andy and for Tammy [Reid]. The team, the organization, the players, and our fans with the Philadelphia community have been galvanized to support this family… It’s kind of like ‘Team Andy’ and we so much want this to work out in a great way to maximize the talent we have. I think we’ll know at the end of the season whether that unity that occurred and whether that common purpose that we all share comes to fruition. There’s a real opportunity for success.”
-…”there’s no question [that] what I said was we need substantial improvement. We have a very good team I think on paper and paper doesn’t get you that far if you don’t maximize it.”
Lurie made everyone who would listen aware of his disappointment at what transpired during the 2011 season for the second time this year. So were his remarks on Thursday meant to serve as an additional warning to Reid about his expectations come the regular season?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that Lurie’s remarks were playing out around the league as “cold,” and that the reverse of the owner’s stated desire for the team to stay out of the spotlight was happening because of them.
I see it both ways. While Reid is going through an awful situation with coming to terms with Garrett’s death, he is in a high profile, high pressure career. He chose to came back to work just days after his son’s death, which made it clear that he was prepared to work through his grief. Regardless of the career, once you return to work after a personal crisis you are expected to perform. While fans very much sympathize with Reid, we expect wins come the start of the regular season in just over a week.
At the same time, Lurie is reiterating what he has already made very clear. So why the additional address, and why now?
Reid doesn’t need or want to be treated with kid gloves and took Lurie’s remarks in stride, agreeing that 8-8 is unacceptable. So long as there is consensus on that point, the questions of timing or sensitivity are extraneous.
After a 4-0 preseason and an excellent draft and training camp, the Philadelphia Eagles need to make the team’s talent count now more than ever. We all know it. And Andy Reid knows that his job will be at stake if his team doesn’t outperform 2011′s 8-8 record and, dare I say, make the playoffs.
Were Lurie’s remarks curiously timed? Certainly. But they also made sure that there is absolutely no doubt about his expectations for his team and his head coach for the 2012 season.
Brandyn Campbell is writer and founder of the Eagles blog Philly Sports Muse. Follow her on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.
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August 31, 2012
