FEB 11: BIG DOM, LURIE MEET REID AT THE SUPER BOWL Despite starting the 2023 season hoping to repeat as NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles will not compete in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Sunday night.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and top security chief Dom DiSandro nonetheless attended the big game to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers. Former Eagles coach Andy Reid is attempting to win his third Lombardi with Kansas City, and he visited with Lurie and DiSandro during pregame at Allegiant Stadium.
Which is more embarrassing: losing against a team for whom you have the full gameplan, or being the team whose complete gameplan was leaked in the first place?
That’s the harsh reality for both the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles this week, as many Jets players have accused former wide receiver Mecole Hardman of leaking the offensive gameplan to the Eagles ahead of their Week 6 matchup. Nonetheless, New York won the game 20-14, handing Philadelphia their first setback of the season. Hardman was moved to the Kansas City Chiefs just a week later, and the receiver has been accused of not just leaking the offensive gameplan but also tampering.
Speaking on Ryan Clark’s Pivot Podcast, the former second-round pick from Georgia told the hosts that he had contacted the Kansas City front office and quarterback Patrick Mahomes to “come get me” after accusing the Jets of exploiting him after signing a one-year free-agent contract. It appears that his unhappy attitude forced him to actively assist opposing teams while still with the Jets. Now, the Eagles may face criticism for losing a game to a club for which they apparently had a game plan. However, having a gameplan does not excuse Philadelphia’s four turnovers during the contest, which were a clear reason why the Birds dropped their first game of the season.
Turnovers are unavoidable in sports, and even excellent teams might struggle to defeat lesser-talented opponents. It’s why the Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers while the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. It is not an indictment of the Jets, either. Players coming out to defend the organization’s dignity because a disgruntled employee wants to make them the subject of a joke is not the kind of embarrassing news people want to hear.
