(“Coloured” written by an Anonymous pupil of King Edward VI School, Birmingham, UK; found in The Children’s book of poems, prayers and meditations ed. Liz Attenborough, Element Books, 1989)

The phrase “wild card” was designed to denote the X factor in a situation that is perceived to have a certain outcome.

In pro football, the wild card has symbolized excitement and reaped rewards; the team on a roll parlaying their walk with destiny into a run for the ultimate team prize.

Since the age of six, my colors of choice have been the Kelly Green, Silver & White of the Philadelphia Eagles; and they were champions when I walked in the door, having beaten Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers 17-13.

To this day those Eagles were the only team to beat a Lombardi – coached team in a National Football League championship game and this year will recognize the 50^th anniversary of that feat.

I have enjoyed watching Pete Retzlaff, Tim Brown, Tom “Wild Man” Woodeshick, Chuck Bednarik, Ted Dean, Clarence Peaks, Tommy McDonald and my cousin, number #24, Nate Ramsey, a mainstay of the Eagles’ defense in the 1960s.

From Eric Allen to Don Zimmerman, I have been there for the highs and the lows; and like all true fans, remained so win, lose or draw.

When the final whistle was sounded in the 34 -14 ass whuppin’ the Dallas Cowboys laid on the Eagles in the playoffs, the drums immediately began to beat for the ouster of quarterback Donovan McNabb. Headlines like “McNabb came up small” “Fair or not, McNabb to be judged heavily” and “Time for McNabb to move on” were slapped down faster than it takes to order a cheese steak at Pat’s.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

In those 50 years, the line at quarterback for the “Iggles” has been fragile for long stretches of time. When stable, however, the rewards were worth the wait: Sonny Jurgensen, Roman Gabriel, Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb.

The last 11 of those 50 years have been in McNabb’s hands, and as much as the mainstream media desires to depict him as anything but an elite quarterback, facts have never gotten in the way of what McNabb has accomplished – in spite of all the poison sent his way.

Here are the facts: since being booed on Draft Day in 1999, McNabb has emerged as the Eagles all-time passing leader (32,873 yards and counting, a 216 -100 TD to INT ratio, 93 – 50 – 1 as regular season starter, 9-7 in playoffs).  Of the 22 playoff appearances ever earned by the Eagles franchise, eight of them (almost 40%) have been with McNabb under center, more than any other Philly QB.

McNabb is a five time Pro Bowl selection, and NFC Offensive Player of the Year (2004).

Over the entire history of the league, McNabb was the first quarterback to ever throw for 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a season; so much for questions of ball security, accuracy and passing percentage.

Of the 11 Division Championships throughout the Eagles history, five were with McNabb as their field general, more than any other. Think Norm van Brocklin, Jaworski or Cunningham, and you’re not even close.

Of the three conference championships, McNabb has one, along with Jaworski and the tandem of van Brocklin/Jurgensen.

And of their two Super Bowl appearances, McNabb has one (SB XXXIX).

When the Eagles 75^th Anniversary All-Time Team was presented, the player under center on that team was not van Brocklin, Jurgensen, Jaworski or Cunningham – it was Donovan Jamal McNabb.

Compare the stability and level of excellence served to spoiled Eagles fans to other teams in the league, and you will find maybe four or five teams who have had the luxury of similar stability. In the rough-and-tumble NFC Beast, the Eagles, under McNabb, have more Division Championships in the past decade than the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys or laughable Washington.

Once you get past Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Brett Favre, McNabb, along with Ben Roethlisberger and Phillip Rivers is one of the league’s elite passers. Consider that in the same time frame, he has had only one All-Pro receiver (Terrell Owens) to work with (for one season!) puts more iron in the argument of McNabb’s being a franchise, and yes, a Hall of Fame quarterback.

Manning (with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne & Dallas Clark, all long term and multiple selections) Brady (with Randy Moss & Wes Welker, long term, multiple selections) and Favre (Donald Driver, Antonio Freeman & Greg Jennings, long term, multiple selections while with Green Bay) by hook, crook, free agency or Draft, have clearly been blessed with better talent in which to achieve their respective goals.

Yet in spite of this, the desire to give McNabb the hook and have him go elsewhere seems predicated by the color of his skin rather than the content of his results on and off the field of play.

Why do I say this? As I casually scanned the headlines of all the weekend’s Wild Card results, none of those I saw implied that Brady had choked when the Baltimore Ravens put a beat down on the New England Patriots’ ass; or that Carson Palmer was an overrated choke artist after the 24-14 loss to the New York Jets.

Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers were both praised for their performances in the 51-45 shootout in the desert, but only McNabb was the designated target in the ignominious defeat by Dallas.

Sadly, McNabb’s standing affects the other Black quarterbacks in the league as well. It doesn’t matter if Jacksonville’s David Garrard once led the league in passing efficiency and TD/INT ratio; Tim Tebow has all but been signed if you believe the squeaking of The Mouse (ESPIN).

It also doesn’t matter that Tennessee Titans fans got screwed out of a playoff appearance (and who knows what else?) because head coach Jeff Fisher looked to jerk Vince Young by keeping him on the bench in a 0-6 start. Since Young finished the season 8-2 as a starter (26-13 career; far superior to draft alums Jay Cutler and that lame-ass Matt Leinart) had Young been in the lineup and won even two games, the whole playoff landscape is changed.

Seneca Wallace & Michael Vick struggle to avoid being thrown into the Wildcat Ghetto of “athletic” quarterbacks (you know, those Niggers can really run!) Brad Smith gets discovered (finally), Pat White gets noise from the “experts” implying he was drafted too high, and Dennis Dixon shows flashes of ability.

Jason Campbell gets similarly jerked by his now former head coach and is once again thrown into uncertainty with Mike Shanahan’s ascension to head man in Washington; while JaMarcus Russell’s survival may depend on Al Davis’ faith in his becoming a star player (if only Davis had shown this kind of loyalty to Eldridge Dickey!)

So, Rush Limbaugh’s bullshit notwithstanding, McNabb’s fortunes course throughout the rest of the league; and if Philly fans are so quick to let this go, they may well regret what they wished for.

After all – Hall of Fame quarterbacks come in every color.

michaelingram@blackathlete.com

mike@footballreprtersonline.com

But best of all, I was there for 1990. Thirty one to seven over the Bears in the playoffs, Parcells and Ditka prowling their sidelines like two sentries on opposite sides of the DMZ, the Giants feeling and knowing they needed to “make up” for the playoff loss to Da Bears in ‘85, I saw O.J. Anderson, Rodney Hampton, and Dave Meggett  (the first three headed rushing monster!), I saw the “Jints” “ball control” 90% of the teams they played that season. Although I was already getting a press credential to the draft that was the first year I got to watch games from the press box in the Meadowlands. I went to “Frisco” for the 15-13 stunner. I went to Tampa for XXV, working my first Super Bowl as a media member.

Then came a few down years, again. “Fits and starts” my Dad would have called them (he passed in December of 1987, and we buried him with a pair of Giants tickets to a home game against the Green Bay Packers scheduled for the next day in the breast pocket of his suit) had he still been alive. At least he got to see his team win a Super Bowl. “Now I can die in peace,” he told me on the flight home from California. Eleven months later he was gone at age 59 to heart failure. My mother always said the Giants weakened his heart. I said the strike of ‘87 was then last straw for him.

Ray Handley: I can still remember Tom Keegan of Bayonne, sitting five rows behind us in section 311 screaming at the top of his lungs “Handley can you hear me? You’re a bum Handley!!!” I remember January 14^, 2000 and the Giants shut-out victory in just their third ever NFC title game. Just as clear was the drubbing the Baltimore Ravens handed the Giants two weeks later. It was my last Super Bowl with a credential.

I’m going to miss the memories of Giants Stadium, the “real” stadium – the watered down diet soda, the warm water dogs, the “ramps” where I made friends at halftime and before games for a generation. I’ll miss you Meadowlands, but I’ll never forget you and the good times you gave me or the education in the great game of football I got from sitting in section 311.

It wouldn’t be New York if its fans and media didn’t often overreact to each game that any professional team plays in New York. That response just comes with the territory when rooting for or discussing teams in the New York City area.

Sure enough, to the degree that the Giants were being discussed as part of the National Football League elite after a dominant 5-0 start, was the extent to which many in the New York area were asking what was wrong with the Giants and how New York could let its entire season slip away after a subsequent four-game slide.

No doubt, the questions surrounding the problems that the Giants still need to fix this season were, and still are, legitimate. And, if the Giants don’t soon rectify a lot of the issues that were exposed during their aforementioned four-game losing streak, it’s true, Big Blue’s goal of reaching the playoffs could be in serious jeopardy.

But, for those who were spewing all of the doom and gloom talk about the Giants’ playoff possibilities, many going so far as to say that the Giants’ fourth straight loss ended their season, take a look at the current NFC standings after what happened on Sunday, as the Giants tried to regroup during their bye week.

Sure, New York had slipped from 5-0 to 5-4, and from first place to third place in the NFC East.

Yet, simply by not playing, the Giants moved back into a tie for second place with the 5-4 Philadelphia Eagles (who were beaten in San Diego on Sunday), and are now just one game behind the 6-3 Dallas Cowboys, the NFC East leaders, who lost at Green Bay this week.

As for the NFC wild-card race, the Giants and Eagles are not only tied for the wild-card lead with each other, but also with the 5-4 Atlanta Falcons (losers at Carolina on Sunday) and the 5-4 Green Bay Packers. Carolina, San Francisco, and Chicago are each a game back, at 4-5.

For all of this past week’s chatter about the Giants’ season being over, New York still very much controls its own destiny as long as it can pull everything together and play better.

The Giants host Atlanta next week, while having other home dates with Dallas, Philadelphia, and Carolina in December. And, the Giants are done with both the Cowboys and Eagles on the road.

The bottom line is that while the Giants have to correct a lot of what plagued them while losing four games in a row, and they still have much work to do in order to reach the playoffs this year, they’re very far from the fate many had prematurely predicted for them (if any Giants are Mark Twain fans, they can certainly relate).

As evidenced while the Giants rested this week, no one else in the NFC East seems to be running away with their division, and even less so in the NFC wild-card picture.

So, at least for now Giant fans, view the remaining Giant games in this season the same way your team plans on approaching them. It may sound clichéd, but forget about the recent past and take the rest of the season one game at a time.

Because it doesn’t appear that anything regarding where the Giants are headed this season, one way or the other, will be determined any time soon.

The Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant is facing a Tampa Bay team that has forgotten how to play defense. Grant has played reasonably well this season but only has on game with over 100 rushing yards this season and no multiple TD games. Against the Buccaneers he should achieve both of these feats. Tampa has given up over 100 yard rushing performances to DeAngelo Williams, Ahmad Bradshaw and, are you ready, Fred Jackson. Here I go beating up on the Lions again but, Seattle RBs, Julius Jones and Justin Forsett could have nice games against them. Remember what I said about J. Jones in Seattle.

The NY Giants defensive backs have been embarrassed over the last few weeks. Now the pass happy San Diego Chargers and new starting receiver Malcom Floyd come to town. Floyd, in the past has been a red zone threat but his recent play has convinced the Chargers brass that he could handle the job and they released former starter Chris Chambers (now a KC Chief). SD QB Phillip Rivers must love Floyd’s combination of size and speed. Third receiver Naanee could also be a nice high risk play.  Rookie, former holdout, Michael Crabtree could also show out against the Titans this weekend.

While NY Giants QB Eli Manning has been struggling as of late, he and TE Kevin Boss should be able to put something together this weekend. The San Diego Chargers are coming into New York this weekend and even more than the other ¾ defenses they struggle mightily attempting to cover tight ends. Although it is a late game, San Diego will also be traveling west to east which as I stated before is a challenge, but more so for early game participants. Boss got going against Philly last week, now hopefully he can continue. Kellen Winslow also has a great match up this weekend.

The Green Bay Packers travel south to Tampa Bay to face new starting rookie QB Josh Freeman. Freeman will be starting his first game after only minimal live game experience this season.  The Packers are still learning their new ¾ defense but against the Buccaneers they should be able to put up some stats this weekend. The Packers all Pro defensive backs Charles Woodson and Al Harris should be able to bait Freeman all game long. The Atlanta Falcons defense really showed up this weekend against the Saints, so I’m expecting them to really tee off against the Washington Redskins.

Last Weeks Favorite Five

Matt Stafford – 168 yards, 1TD (rushing) and a 2pt conversion – Not bad.

LenDale White – 47 yards – I wanted more but as a last resort….

Devin Hester – 81 yards (plus return yardage depending on your league) wanted a TD but this will work.

Dustin Keller – 76 yards and 1 TD – How many people said to avoid him? Not me.

Detroit Lions – 1 INT – Sorry.