FredEx done constructing his coffin....

[Tarkus]

If there was any doubt that Mitchell will be elsewhere next year, this article should erase it completely. A Philly suicide as only Dead Head Fred could do.....

Excerpt:

Wrong said Fred

Mitchell didn't learn his lesson Super Bowl week

1. Freddie Mitchell, that old New England fan favorite, tells me, "The Patriots aren't all that good."......

I phoned him after the heat of the moment had died down to find out what he thought of the Patriots and what it was like in the huddle in those last, ill-fated six minutes. He got himself well-hated by the Patriots for saying he didn't know the New England cornerbacks, and that he would "have something'' for safety Rodney Harrison during Super Bowl XXXIX. He had something all right: one catch for 11 yards. But that didn't stop him from opining harshly about the victors.

"If you played this Patriot team 10 times, how many times do you figure the Eagles would win?'' I asked.

"Eight times,'' he said. "To me, the Patriots are not that good. We turn it over four times, and still they only beat us by three. We're the better team. But we turned it over too much. A good team crushes that Patriot team. I'm telling you, they're not that good. T.O. was hurt, and he still scorched them for over 100 yards.''

Speaking of Belichick, I told him Sports Illustrated had quoted Belichick this week as calling Mitchell "terrible ... We loved when he was in the game."

"Oh,'' Mitchell said. You could feel the steam over the phone. "I see. It takes a big man to talk after the game. Why didn't he say anything before the game? That shows what kind of guy he is.''

I asked him his opinion about Tom Brady.

"He's like Ben Roethlisberger to me,'' Mitchell said. "They don't put him in position to make mistakes. They limit his ability to make mistakes. He's sort of like a robot.''......

Now for the final six minutes. Mitchell said he didn't think there was much difference between the McNabb in that huddle and the McNabb he'd seen during other games. "Dry-heaving is pretty normal for Donovan,'' Mitchell said. "He's pretty much done it all four years I've been with him.'' On two or three plays, Mitchell said, McNabb was struggling to speak because of the dry-heaves and exhaustion, so he gave hand-signals, and Mitchell would call the formation that went along with the play. "I just filled in the gaps,'' Mitchell said.

"The way we approached that long drive,'' he said, "the sense of urgency wasn't there. Maybe, if anything, Donovan should have run off and let [backup quarterback] Koy Detmer come in.''

Those comments won't make McNabb very happy. But you get the feeling Mitchell might not be around the Eagles next year anyway. He's not happy with his limited pass-catching role, and Andy Reid's not a very big fan of anyone speaking his mind the way Mitchell does -- especially when he's not producing on the field enough to justify all the opinions......

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/peter_king/02/13/mmqb/index.html

[dirtywhiteboy]

Mitchell sounds like the son of Dallas Green to me.

[davematthews3]

Yea Mitchell is screwed becuase I dont really know any teams that are looking for a no talent stoned hands wide receiver. So good luck finding a new team Freddie

[HibachiDG]

I think Freddie will find a team. He can catch, he can block, finds ways to get open. A solid possession receiver that are hard to come by sometimes.

I definitely don't agree with the things he said about Brady or the Patriots, but when it comes to Belichick Mitchell was spot on.

When I read that Sports Illustrated the week after the game, any ounce of respect I had for Belichick as a human being went out the window. I think he's a great head coach, but what he said was ridiculous.

Just that the Patriots took Freddie's comments about "having something" for Rodney Harrison seriously, well, you have to wonder about those guys. They either thought Freddie was trying to insult them which would make them flat morons or they used Freddie's comments to motivate them which would just make them silly.

Either way, I hope Freddie Mitchell does well wherever he winds up. He is one of the genuine good people in this game. A solid player and as an Eagles fan, I hope he stays with the team because once they figure out how to work him into the offense with Terrell Owens, he's going to be very productive.

[Pimpbot]

Freddie doesn't know when he is making a fool of himself obviously. Its alright to talk smack before a game, but when you got beat and your only contribution to the game was one eleven yard catch, it's time to shut up.

As far as losing respect for Belichick because of comments made about Mitchell. I don't see it as a big deal. A smack talker is just getting smacked back. Althought this smacker has game!.

[davematthews3]

Freddie is not very good at getting open which is evident by what he did in the superbowl against avarge corners

[trayhezy]

The Eagles players were doing a lot of recruiting of Musin Muhammad (sp?) at the Pro Bowl to sign with them as a free agent. If that happens Freddy has to go. He won't be happy as a fourth receiver if he is not happy now, and Greg Lewis is just better. However I like Freddy, people take him too seriously.......it seems that everything he says is reported as much as what President Bush says. He just states his opinions and we all have the right to disagree with them. Heck I nor anyone else I knew could name the Pats starting corners either considering they were a rookie and a second year player.

[Pimpbot]

The whole Freddie superbowl comments mess was a fiasco created by the media who blew it all up in the first place and the Patriots(Rodney Harrison) who took the press bait. Freddie's comments since though, just proove what an idiot he is, funny or not.

[HibachiDG]

Originally posted by Pimpbot
As far as losing respect for Belichick because of comments made about Mitchell. I don't see it as a big deal. A smack talker is just getting smacked back. Althought this smacker has game!.

Well, to me, the Belichick comments crossed the line simply because that could very easily affect another team signing Mitchell. Not to mention, Belichick is smarter than that...he's not just some average fan. I'm sure Belichick realizes the reason why Freddie Mitchell didn't have much of a game, and it's not because he's terrible. Just was a bush league comment.

Freddie is not very good at getting open which is evident by what he did in the superbowl against avarge corners

Eh, Freddie was open enough to have a good football game. McNabb threw two AWFUL passes to Mitchell. If McNabb just makes DECENT passes, Mitchell is walking away with 3 catches for 40 yards as his passing stat. For the amount he was on the field and a threat in plays, that would have been a good game. Also, Mitchell had a nice block on a Westbrook run around the edge and Mitchell ran that route perfectly to cut off the Patriots defender and spring Terrell Owens for a big gain.

[Pimpbot]

Originally posted by Doug Graham
Well, to me, the Belichick comments crossed the line simply because that could very easily affect another team signing Mitchell. Not to mention, Belichick is smarter than that...he's not just some average fan. I'm sure Belichick realizes the reason why Freddie Mitchell didn't have much of a game, and it's not because he's terrible. Just was a bush league comment.

I think Freddie's stats will contribute to who does and does not sign him, not Belichick's comments.



Eh, Freddie was open enough to have a good football game. McNabb threw two AWFUL passes to Mitchell. If McNabb just makes DECENT passes, Mitchell is walking away with 3 catches for 40 yards as his passing stat. For the amount he was on the field and a threat in plays, that would have been a good game. Also, Mitchell had a nice block on a Westbrook run around the edge and Mitchell ran that route perfectly to cut off the Patriots defender and spring Terrell Owens for a big gain.

You mean he could have had all of 40 yards doug.....geez, even Mr "No over the middle hands" Pinkston contributed more than that. He was still very underwhelming indeed. Lets not forget that his "block" was illegal.

[HibachiDG]

3 catches and 40 yards is a damn good game for a guy that is option #6 in an offense.

[doublee]

Originally posted by trayhezy
The Eagles players were doing a lot of recruiting of Musin Muhammad (sp?) at the Pro Bowl to sign with them as a free agent.

Yeah, I heard that Donovan and co. made a point of becoming buds with Muhammad at the Pro Bowl over the weekend. Speaking as an Eagles fan who lives in Panther country I would love to have the guy. He has always been a team guy and would fall right in line behind TO. If the Eagles do go ahead and sign him, that is if the Panthers do cut him loose in a couple of weeks, then it is probably a pretty safe bet that both Pinkston and Mitchell will be let go to help pay Muhammad's salary. The Eagles can easily get by with TO, Muhammad, and Lewis as the top three guys with Westbrook as the fourth guy in 4 WR sets, and draft someone to be the fourth WR on the roster.

[coachJ]

How would TO react to less balls thrown his way? TO had a lot of the passes going his way this year and that kept him happy, but they really didnt throw to the other guys much, except for Westbrook.

[FSUViking]

A good team crushes that Patriot team.

So, what you're saying, Freddie, is that the Iggles simply aren't that good then? lmao......

[doublee]

Originally posted by coachJ
How would TO react to less balls thrown his way? TO had a lot of the passes going his way this year and that kept him happy, but they really didnt throw to the other guys much, except for Westbrook.

He won't care as long as the team is winning. Chances are Muhammad would cut into the number of balls that Westbrook, Pinkston, and Mitchell caught.

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Doug Graham
I think Freddie will find a team. He can catch, he can block, finds ways to get open. A solid possession receiver that are hard to come by sometimes.

I definitely don't agree with the things he said about Brady or the Patriots, but when it comes to Belichick Mitchell was spot on.

When I read that Sports Illustrated the week after the game, any ounce of respect I had for Belichick as a human being went out the window. I think he's a great head coach, but what he said was ridiculous.

Just that the Patriots took Freddie's comments about "having something" for Rodney Harrison seriously, well, you have to wonder about those guys. They either thought Freddie was trying to insult them which would make them flat morons or they used Freddie's comments to motivate them which would just make them silly.

Either way, I hope Freddie Mitchell does well wherever he winds up. He is one of the genuine good people in this game. A solid player and as an Eagles fan, I hope he stays with the team because once they figure out how to work him into the offense with Terrell Owens, he's going to be very productive.


If Freddie Mitchell can block, then I guess he's headed straight to Cleveland! But I forgot, Butch Davis is no longer their head coach ...

Seriously though, I spoke with my brother on the phone Sunday morning - he listens to WIP like 14 hours a day, and he told me something that honestly surprised me: The Eagles are definitely going after one of the big-name free-agent wide receivers next month; the name being bandied about most is Muhsin Muhammad, who was actively "recruited" by the Eagles players who were, as Muhammad was, in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl (they did the same thing with T.O. at last year's Pro Bowl - and Jerry Porter is also reportedly on their short list), and that they will address the power running back issue in the draft, with one of the five picks they have in the first day (the pick from the Chiefs for offensive guard John Welbourn has now been established as a third-round pick and not a fourth-rounder; the round of the pick was based on whether Welbourn took part in more than half of KC's offensive snaps, and it was determined this past week that he had). My brother also told me that according to Howard Eskin and Mark Eckel (the two WIP reporters who are closest to the team), Mitchell has indeed played his last game as an Eagle - you can veritably bank on it - and so, quite likely, has Billy McMullen; but Todd Pinkston isn't going anywhere, at least not in 2005 (mainly due to what the salary-cap consequences would be if Pinkston were to be released).

Another franchise receiver in Philly next year? If it's them and the Colts in Super Bowl XL the scoreboard at Ford Field might break!

[trayhezy]

I could understand the salary cap hit they would take but I still would drop Pinkston. For this guy to leave the freakin SUPER BOWL with cramps is sickening.

[doublee]

Who knows maybe they can con the 'Skins to take Pinkston for a draft pick the way they did with Thrash last year. Maybe they try to package him in a deal to move up in the draft or just to acquire another late round pick. One would think they could find someone to take him off their hands for a fifth round pick. He would only be buried on the bench in Philly if they do get another stud WR. Lewis clearly stepped up his game down the stretch and has earned a chance to win the third spot. They have been saying McMullen was out of their for most of the season. Reid does not feel he has been putting the effort in to become a quality NFL player and his fate was sealed once the team signed Lewis to a long term deal.

The Eagles are also due draft picks for losing Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, and Duce Staley to free agency, the exact level of compensation has yet to be determined. I think they potentially have 11 picks this year in the draft. They have some capital to go get a guy they really like in the first round if they so desire.

[MountaineerDave]

Doug writes Just that the Patriots took Freddie's comments about "having something" for Rodney Harrison seriously, well, you have to wonder about those guys. They either thought Freddie was trying to insult them which would make them flat morons or they used Freddie's comments to motivate them which would just make them silly.


I think maybe Doug, because he isn't up here 24-7-365 has missed one particular aspect of Belichick's genius, one that obviously is easy to miss from the national point of view, because the guy is just so plain ol' boring:
He motivates players any way he can.

ANY WAY.

Whether it's pointing to a lack of respect given by the other team or the media (as in the '01 season), or by pushing a team to prove that the '01 season wasn't a fluke (as in the '03 season), or by wanting to shut up loud mouth morons like Freddie Mitchell (as in the '04 season), the man motivates like few ever have.
There aren't super-fiery speeches and he doesn't rant and rave on the sidelines, but he'll pull whatever stops are necessary.

If, for instance, the Man felt that beating the Eagles football team to avenge a slight lain by a Philly columnist on the Patriots cheerleaders when he said they didn't weren't buxuom enough (or whatever he wrote, whoever it was), he'd use that writer's throw-away line to assist in motivating the team.

Belichick knows the Xs and Os of the game as well or better than nearly every coach before him. But, he also knows that Xs and Os only go so far. A player may not hit hard enough in the hole if he isn't sufficiently juiced. A player might need just that scintilla of motivation provided by Mitchell's idiotic remarks -- intentionally idiotic or not, there's one guy you just plain ol' don't challenge, because he starts the game with a chip the size of Texas on his shoulders; invoking his name with anything but respect in your voice only means he's gonna gun for you on Sunday. Or, the fact that Mitchell would make such a comment is grist for the respect mill that Belichick has employed time and again to unarguable success.

I appreciate Doug's provinciality on this one, but I think he just doesn't fully understand how exceptionally idiotic Mitchell was before the game, or has been since.

And, I hope he's right for Mitchell's sake that he does have something. He's YET to show it however, and his career looks short, and that his 15 minutes of NFL fame may have been used up by calling out Rodney freakin' Harrison.

Oy.

Dave

[HibachiDG]

I don't buy the argument that Belichick using Mitchell's remarks as motivation affected the outcome of the game in any way. Like you said, he'd do it "ANY WAY". If Mitchell wouldn't have made the joke, Belichick would STILL find a way to motivate the team.

Dave, could you explain to me how Mitchell's comments before the game were idiotic other than a "Belichick used them as motivation" sense?

You can motivate all you want, but at the end of the day if you want to try and sell me on one team being more motivated to win over the other in the Super Bowl...I'm simply not going to buy it.

I agree completely that Mitchell's comments have been moronic since the game ended. The Eagles are not a better team the Patriots and blah blah blah. I think it is mostly due to frustration and being the laughing stock of so many without really given the chance to take on the criticism that has Freddie's mouth running.

I do not understand where his comments were idiotic before the game. So yes, you are correct in saying that I don't fully understand how exceptionally idiotic Mitchell was before the game. At the same time, however, I'm asking for an explanation from someone easily calling the guy an idiot to explain why he was an idiot.

by calling out Rodney freakin' Harrison.

Lastly, I truly hope that you don't honestly believe that what Freddie Mitchell did classified as calling out Harrison. And I'm not sure how Mitchell gets labeled an idiot without Harrison getting labeled an idiot. Personally, while thinking Harrison said multiple idiotic things before the game, I won't go so far as what you've done and to label the guy an idiot. I'll give Harrison the benefit of the doubt on two things...1. When Harrison initially heard what Freddie said, he simply had Freddie's comments read to him. It's excusable that Harrison not catch the context surrounding the entire interview. 2. If Harrison wants to self-motivate in that manner, fine, whatever.

[MountaineerDave]

The point is this, Doug: You don't give the Belichick regime ANYTHING. I mean ANYTHING. They will take it personally, they will make it their gametime mantra, and they will beat you with it.

The locker room stuff matters, whether you like it or not. Saying he "has something for Harrison" is essentially calling him out.

What was it that Belichick (who, I admit, has been breaking with perceived personality in his striking back at Mitchell post-game) told Leno: "He said he had something for Rodney. All I saw was two dropped passes" or something to that effect.

I think there's a point (of success, experience, what have you) at which players can be reasonably expected to "talk" for this type of event. Mitchell came off as a loudmouth all-talk type when he made his comments about the NE DBs, and given his in-game performance, regardless of whether you blame McNabb or whatever, he's yet to rise to a place where he can randomly babble and expect it to be taken for what it is, or what it isn't. Mitchell hasn't earned his voice, so to speak. So, he's best off lips zipped. Anything else is idiotic, come gametime.

I think the Patriots wing-flap mocking that we've discussed before is a manifestation of how the Belichick coaching staff uses the audacities and the idiotic comments (out of context, always!) and the little idiosyncracies that have nothing to do with Xs and Os to bring the team to a boil, to get the mouths frothing and the blood roiling.
"You ain't so bad! You ain't so bad! You ain't nothing!" Sort of a taunting of the bully.

Even though it's irrational to think of anyone but the Patriots as bullies, the fact of the matter is that they turn every game, especially in the postseason, into a blood rivalry.

You may not buy it, and that's fine. But, that's what they do. They hate for 60 minutes. I'm not saying the Eagles don't.... actually, I am. They hated for about 52 minutes, and then did... whatever they did.

Dave

[HibachiDG]

This is a bit different, but the other conversation about how the Patriots took Mitchell's comments is pretty much exhausted. It has to do with the one thing you said about Mitchell not earning his voice.

While he might not have earned his voice, he does run it. Constantly. All season long the Eagles were out to not do in the big game what they did in the big game in the past. To not go into a shell and do things differently. A lot of Eagles came out and said that they would be surprised if Freddie had clammed up or what not.

Also, and I mention this because of the motivation thing you brought it up but don't particularly buy into it, last season the receivers were mentally/physically intimidated by the Panthers. While I don't necessarily think that Greg Lewis and Todd Pinkston played differently because of this, but their interviews about the game after Mitchell's comments were a lot looser than they had been.

My only point really is that people are labeling the guy an idiot and classless based off of just this Super Bowl thing.

[Anthony]

I'm with Dave on this one; it may sound corny, but if you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say it at all. There's no way you can go wrong with that approach.