Donovan McNabb...the name is forever cemented in Philly sports lore. The all-time leader in nearly every Eagles' passing statistic, the all-time leader in disconnected weirdness, and the 4-time NFC Championship silver medalist has finally left the nest to play for division foe, the Washington
It's difficult for those outside of the Philadelphia to truly comprehend Dirtpass McSoupSlurp's relationship with Philadelphia. Yes, we booed him on draft day. Yes, we hated his post-interception smiles. Yes, we wanted to jump through the television and punch him in the throat every time he tossed a ball at the shoelaces of our receivers only to do that "my bad" chest pat thing. But those aren't the (only) reasons we wanted him gone.
Frankly, he wasn't a good cultural fit in Philadelphia. Race aside -- and yes Philadelphia has its share of racists -- his awkward charisma and bad Michael Jackson dances are the complete opposite of what Philly fans want to see from their QB. We want passion. We want fire. And, most of all, we want CHAMPIONSHIPS. We certainly don't want this.
Perhaps if Donovan was drafted by, say, San Diego he would be the most beloved and successful African American quarterback of all time by now. But he wasn't. And neither he nor the Philadelphia faithful should be blamed for this disconnect.
Point is, he's gone. He may not have wanted to go, but he's gone. So from now until his career is ended behind the Redskins' porous O-line, we must live with the consequences of our decisions.
With that, I present Donovan McNabb, Single-Tear Redskin!
Let me start this off by saying this isn't a Cole Hamels apologist article. I, just like most fans, am frustrated by his first two starts. While the Nationals offense isn't nearly as bad as the casual baseball fan would think, it still isn't the Yankees. A 5.00+ERA isn't going to cut it and he knows that. If his ERA is still over 5.00 in May, you can be worried. Until then, let's just give him a chance.