We first talked with Philadelphia Eagles Left Guard, Evan Mathis during his bye week earlier this season and learned that he is not just about playing football. The Alabama native owns a training facility in Arizona (ZoneAP.com) and has an extremely entertaining twitter page (@EvanMathis69) to just name some of his many outside of football accomplishments. His team has struggled but Mathis has enjoyed the best year of his career. A feat he attributes to his coaching staff, the players around him, and his conditioning.

Mathis joined the Eagles in early stages of training camp and won the competition for a starting spot on the squad. He was vital in establishing Lesean McCoy as the top running back in NFC in 2011 and has quietly impressed analysts around the country with his play. With his work ethic and drive, he has taken his career from steady back-up on losing teams to premiere status at his position.

Evan was nice enough, to once again, answer a few of my questions.

Mike Kaye: Looking a back on this season, what was the most positive thing you can take out of your performance?

Evan Mathis: I definitely had the best year of my career.  The techniques and methods that Howard Mudd taught me have made the game so much easier to play.  I look at this as a starting point and will build on it from here.  I’ve always worked to improve each day and will continue to do that going forward.

MK: You are the Left Guard for the top rusher in the NFC. While Lesean McCoy has unquestionable talent, what do you think you and your fellow lineman have done to put Shady in a position to use those skills to best of this ability?

EM: As an offensive line, we have played really well as one unit and not five individuals. We work well together to keep the defenders away from Shady. Working together requires commitment during the work week on the practice field and in the meeting rooms.  Everybody in the offensive line room bought in to what we were trying to accomplish and I love the way we all came together.

MK: The season has ended in disappointment, but what do you take from the success the team has had towards the end of the season? How can you build on that?

EM: It would great to parlay the energy, effort, intensity, and great play that’s going on now into next season.  We’ve all learned a lot from 2011 and will turn those lessons into a great 2012.

MK: The Eagles’ offensive line has been almost criminally underrated this season, why do you think that is?

EM: When you don’t have a winning record there’s not much reason to give anybody praise.  I know we far exceeded what most people expected out of us.  Now take how well you think we played and expect more out of us because we only plan on improving.

“When it comes to making the Pro Bowl as an offensive lineman it usually takes generating more than one year of buzz to get in.  Very few people pay attention to the OL during a game. They just vote for the names they’ve heard or whoever signed a big contract recently.  I’ll get in eventually, I’m too relentless not to.” – Mathis (69)

MK: In many Philly fans and reporters minds you were snubbed from the Pro Bowl this season. Do you think that has more to do with name recognition or the just the team’s season?

EM: Maybe a combination of both.  When it comes to making the Pro Bowl as an offensive lineman it usually takes generating more than one year of buzz to get in.  Very few people pay attention to the OL during a game. They just vote for the names they’ve heard or whoever signed a big contract recently.  I’ll get in eventually, I’m too relentless not to.

MK: What game sticks out to you most this season?

EM: The 49ers game.  We had a decent lead at halftime against a very solid team but came out and played a terrible 2nd half.  Had we finished that game the way we were supposed to, we would have not only had a W against a great team, but been in much better position to get in to the playoffs.

MK: As an Alabama alum, why do you think the program has been able to sustain such consistent success over the last decade?

EM: Alabama is a very tradition-rich school where the players learn to play with grit and pride.  The toughness that Nick Saban instills in the team is what keeps the team’s success consistent.  I didn’t have the opportunity to play for Coach Saban but I truly admire the work he has done for the Crimson Tide.

MK: As a free agent (yet again) how are you preparing for the off-season?

EM: I have a gym in Scottsdale, Arizona called Zone Athletic Performance (www.zoneap.com).  I’m very obsessive about my training and only take a week off each year.  I used the lockout this past year as a chance to get in the best shape of my life.  I think it helped me tremendously during the season. I’ll take a week off and visit a lot of family in Alabama and then I’m right back to training at Zone.  It’s important to me to be the fastest and strongest lineman in the league.

MK: Your twitter account continues to gain steam; do you attribute that to your ability on the field or your word-of-mouth legend on Eagles blogs?

EM: The massive following of the Philadelphia Eagles has definitely helped me gain a lot of steam on Twitter.  I love interacting with friends and fans on there.  I’m usually just joking around or messing with people, I like to have fun with it. I’ve said before that the only thing I take seriously is football.  Just follow me because I’m awesome (sarcasm).

MK: With the league’s quarterbacks putting up massive yardage and a lack of 1,500 yard runners, is the league becoming even more of a passing league or are defenses become easier to read?

EM: That’s a tough question and I haven’t really given it much thought.  Let’s see if it’s still the case in 2012 and we can start analyzing whether it truly is a trend.

Want more Evan? Check out Mike’s first conversation with the Eagles LG Here

Photo: Getty

Here’s the thing about being a heavy underdog:  no one expects anything of you.  When you shock the world, you’re the coolest cats in town, but when you lose, you’re almost deprived of the traditional pressures of losing and expectations, because well, no one really expected you to win anyways. It’s kind of a cool thing, being in the underdog role.  You can play the ‘No one believed in us, but ourselves’ card and it takes a while before it becomes old.  When you do something unexpected, especially when it’s great, it just adds to the notion that your story is all the more fun.  Everyone loves a good underdog story.

Here’s the thing about being a bloated, super-hyped up favorite with absurd pressures and expectations because a backup quarterback you signed in the offseason labeled you a ‘Dream Team’ before you ever played a game: the expectation of victory and immediate success is so assumed, that anything remotely off the mark is immediately deemed a massive failure.  A scrape into the world of mediocrity, and forget it, you’re buttered bread.

* * *

The Miami Heat and their Tri-nasty, were able to overcome a 9-8 start, unprecedented media attention, and hatred stemming from coast to coast (some of which was obviously jealousy).  “Not one, not two, not three…” and “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” emerged as rhetoric of ridicule and endless satire.  Even after the Heat pulled within 2 wins of an NBA title, before folding like a lawn chair, many people chided their ‘failure’ to win it all, and some even deemed their coming together as a bust.  That was a team that finished second in the East, won the conference, and had the Mavs right where they wanted them, despite their all world 2-time MVP being M.I.A. for much of the series.  That team, some believed was a major disappointment.

So imagine what the City of Brotherly Love is thinking right now.  Their beloved Eagles, media darlings of the off-season after they signed a slew of big names and well known players, trapped in the NFC East basement after a stunning 3-5 start. Unlike the NBA, you don’t get a boatload of games to work through your problems.  In the NFL, a slow start is usually a crushing blow to your playoff hopes.  Anything worse, is usually the death knell to title dreams.  We’re now roughly halfway home to the end of the 2011 NFL season, and they’re smack dab in the center of disappointment and disbelief.

The team that tried to create their own formidable collection, the product of too much media hype, is quicking learning that this off-season gave them too little time to assimilate each others strengths and weaknesses into chemistry.  Too many new faces, the burden of insane expectations, and a coach whose been on the hot seat on and off for the better part of a decade all add up to a team almost designed to fail.

Sounds crazy right?  That the star-powered Eagles could fall on their faces the way they have.  But maybe we should have seen this coming.

* * *

It’s much easier to be the underdog, then to take on the role of the villain.  When you win a title you become the hunted.  But as Green Bay can attest, going through that championship ride hardens your team into a collective unit, and getting through to the end strengthens a team’s resolve.  Going into a season with an avalanche of expectations for a team that has yet to accomplish anything in the bigger scheme of things, is a tall task.  Asking a qaurterback who has still yet to prove he can win the ‘big games’ to be the leader in a house of killer cards and then giving him nearly $100 million in confidence bucks rachets up the pressure nozzle up another notch.  Failing in a city that has booed Santa Claus, pelted refs, and booed their own teams off the field is not something that makes any of this any easier.

The Eagles are, as we can see them now, a product of 21st century hype.  A creation of our instant information society.  They are a fantasy team with no substance.  They score points, they play with flash, their running back is tough as nails, yet they can’t hold a 4th quarter lead.  Their QB is electric, dynamic, throws the ball like a whip, and yet, he still doesn’t look like a guy you can fully trust a team to.

Mike Vick is still a fun player to watch. No one discounts that.  But he’s way too inconsistent.  In wins he has 5 TDs, 1 pick.  In 5 losses he has 6 TDs, 7 picks.  This isn’t his fault entirely.  That would be going too far. Others are to blame. But he’s the face.  He delivered the throw to Jeremy Maclin way too high on 4th down yesterday.  When Maclin went to regain his footing, he fell, and was unable to give up. One yard short, one disheartening way to lose.

* * *

As fans began to exit from their seats into the turnstiles, they had to be wondering if this was the last meaningful game the Eagles would play this year.  While there’s still time to turn it around, the clock is ticking faster than ever.  The pressure is overflowing, and the Eagles are running out of games.  When greatness is expected of you, before you prove that you are truly great, it can be a blessing, but more-so a curse.

The Eagles weren’t ready for this. That much is crystal clear.

Photo: AP

Well so much for the ‘Dream Team’ moniker. Faster than you can say “I want my MTV back” the Eagles fall from Dream to Scream is nearly complete. Proving that paper champions never collect a ring, the Eagles fell flat on their face under the lights, in what could be a death-blow to a season that so many felt would end ‘Super.’ Instead, the Eagles literally fell to their demise, as Jeremy Maclin tripped trying to regain his footing, and Philadelphia comes one yard short of keeping their realistic hopes for a playoff hope alive in a brutal loss at home to the Bears. Now 3-5, and reeling after yet another 4th quarter lead blown asunder, the Eagles have a long way to go just to earn their way back into the playoff discussion and stare virtual elimination from the second season with another loss. But there is one debate worth having: what should we call the bumbling Iggles now?

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MIKE KAYE

JS: You are a pretty accessible pro athlete who has gone out his way to answer fan emails and tweets. Most celebrities or athletes tend to be less welcoming. Why do you think it’s important for athletes to really acknowledge fan support first-hand (or in your case online)?

EM: I know what it’s like to be a fan.  I grew up watching football, baseball and basketball.  All the guys out there were larger than life to me: they were my heroes.  I aspired to be just like them and along the way I learned that all athletes are merely fans playing the sport. So when I’m reaching out to the fans it’s just them interacting with another fan.  I truly appreciate the support and I know that everybody else appreciates being acknowledged for being a loyal supporter.

JS: How has Howard Mudd’s scheme benefited your game? I know he chooses to attack defensive lineman before they can get to you. How does that change your mindset as an offense lineman in comparison to other schemes?

EM: Howard’s scheme is absolutely perfect for me.  It calls for aggression and athleticism, the two traits I would choose every time to describe as the strengths of my game.  Other schemes have the OL often going backwards and allowing the defender to make the first move or first contact.  They work but I don’t think they are as effective as the OL attacking the DL.  There are multiple schools of thought in this league, but I love this one.

JS: Most guys grow up wanting the ball in their hands and to be “playmakers.” Other than your big frame and aggressive style of play, what made you choose the offensive line?

EM: Well I would say my big frame and aggressive style of play but you won’t let me.  As a big guy, I was always extremely athletic. Knowing that I was always the most athletic at my position gave me confidence that I could play OL for a long time.

“All the guys out there were larger than life to me: they were my heroes.  I aspired to be just like them and along the way I learned that all athletes are merely fans playing the sport.”
- Evan Mathis

JS: The NFL Lockout was featured as a struggle between players and owners, but I I know you worked on a documentary about the events during the lockout. What exactly were you able to film when you were unable to talk to coaches and owners? Can you talk about the process  behind the making of that documentary?

EM: I thought that documenting the NFL’s first lockout would be a fun and informative process.  It was awesome in the beginning, tracking everything that was happening, gathering interviews, and filming along the way. Then it got really annoying.  The media was flooded with lockout stories and everybody was getting sick of it.  I scrapped the project and I’m glad I did because even answering a question about (the documentary) reminds me of how annoying the whole lockout mess was.

JS: You weren’t able to complete the documentary, but do you ever plan on finishing it? Is a film career as a producer or director possibly in your future? Eagles owner, Jeff Lurie recently won an Oscar for a documentary he produced and was a producer prior to being an owner. Any possibility of collaboration down the road?

EM: I could see myself dabbling in the film industry in the future.  I’m not going to finish the lockout project, for the reasons I stated above.  Maybe one day I can team up with Jeff Lurie on a project but not until after I retire.  When I commit to something I go all in.  I wouldn’t want to spread myself thin since I’m completely all in with football right now.

JS: Adding to your list of current endeavors, you founded Zone Athletic Performance (ZoneAP.com) last year. What made you decide you wanted to open up a training facility? How has owning the facility improved your performance?

EM: Off-season training has always been very important to me.  I usually only take a week off after the season before I am training 6 days a week.  The wealth of knowledge and guidance that the staff at Zone provides me is very beneficial to my career.  Having someone who knows everything about fitness and nutrition take you through a program custom tailored to your strengths and weaknesses is an amazing thing.  I’ve been the strongest player on the team everywhere I’ve been. It’s because I don’t let up in the off-season.

Missed part 1?  Read it here

MIKE KAYE

Starting left guard for the Philadelphia Eagles is his occupation, but Evan Mathis is more than just a football player. The Alabama native has dabbled in filmmaking, owns a training facility in Arizona (ZoneAP.com) and has an extremely entertaining twitter page (@EvanMathis69). And those are just some of his many outside of football endeavors. The self-proclaimed “sit-down comedian” has made a very a strong impression with Eagles fans through his aforementioned social media prowess and is one of very few athletes that openly interacts with his fans.

Mathis was a standout offensive lineman at the University of Alabama, where he played both guard and tackle. He was voted to the All-SEC first team in 2004. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft where he spent three years, before moving on to a stint with the Miami Dolphins. Evan joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008 and played there through the 2010 season, before joining the ‘Dream Team’ Eagles.

Since the early stages of training camp, Mathis has become a reliable force on Philly’s offensive line. He seems to have found a home in the City of Brotherly Love with a coaching staff that has embraced his skills and so far this year he has started every game at left guard with no signs of slowing down. After a rocky 2-4 start the Eagles go into their bye week with renewed optimism after breaking a four game losing streak.  This week Evan was nice enough to take some time out of his busy schedule, to answer a few of my questions. It’s another Juiced Sports exclusive.

Juiced Sports: After a sluggish start to the season, how important is it that you guys headed into the bye with a win?

Evan Mathis: 2-4 is far from great but it’s much better than 1-5, especially with the current standings in our division.  Our team is overflowing with heart and talent and none of us expected to be anything near 2-4 at this point in the season.  Sitting at 1-4 we didn’t hang our heads, we recognized that we had the right men for the job on the team and the coaching staff.  Each week we’ve made some silly mistakes and ended up giving a few games away.  Everybody put the work in to correct those problem areas and we worked on improving daily.  We got the win against the Redskins and head into the bye week knowing that we are far from where we need to be but willing to grind it out to get there.

JS: You’re new to the NFC East but after intense match-ups against the Giants and Redskins and the Cowboys coming up after the bye, what is your opinion of the rivalries so far? How do they compare to a Alabama vs. Auburn or Alabama vs. Florida?

EM: The rivalries of the NFC East do compare to those I experienced in college.  The most important factors in a rivalry’s prominence are history and the passion of the fans.  The Alabama/Auburn rivalry dates back to the 1890s and Eagles/Giants to the 1930s. That’s plenty of time for animosity to build. There’s more than just the win on the line, it’s the division, it’s revenge, it’s blood. The only place I’ve seen fans as passionate as Eagles fans was in Alabama.  The Crimson Tide faithful are truly a force to be reckoned with. That kind of backing is fuel the the fire in a rivalry.

JS: With a quarterback like Mike Vick, who has premier running ability, what do you have to do differently to protect him as oppose to a Mike Kafka or Carson Palmer?

EM: The most prominent change is keeping a close watch on the defender’s eyes after stopping him at the line.  When he starts looking anywhere other than right behind me, I know it’s pretty much time to go.  By go I mean continuing to block and running with the defender as Mike scrambles for yardage. Just as it adds that extra element to the fans watching it, we experience the same thing actually being a part of it.

“It’s obvious that we do have a whole lot of talent.  It’s even more obvious after 6 games that having that much talent guarantees you nothing but a bulls-eye.  We don’t call ourselves the Dream Team. The Dream Team was the 1992 US Men’s Olympic basketball team”- Evan Mathis

JS: From an offensive lineman’s prospective, which defense is harder to protect the quarterback, 3-4 or 4-3?

EM: As different as they are schematically, protecting the QB is the same difficulty against either one.  It really depends on the game-plan the defense brings into the game combined with their talent level.

JS: Last year, LeSean McCoy rushed for a thousand yards and had 77 catches; this year he’s on pace to have 1,500 yards rushing. Obviously he is now a premier back in this league, but what has the offensive line done to maximize his talent?

EM: We know that if we do our job, Shady is going to make things happen.  It’s crucial to finish blocks at every position with a back like him because if he sees a breakdown in his original aiming point or running lane, he can quickly make something happen somewhere else.

JS: Being on a new team is tough: you’ve played for a few. Can you explain what it’s like to be the “new guy” in the locker room? Have you bonded with anyone in particular since you joined the team?

EM: Just like the first day of school or the first day on a new job, there’s a little bit of discomfort being in a new place.  Coming here a few days into camp, I just focused on getting it done on the field and letting my play speak for me.  There are many like-minded guys on the team, especially on the offensive line.  There’s nobody I don’t get along with and that says a lot about this team.

JS: How has the team dealt with the “Dream Team” moniker?

EM: We decided to lose 4 games just so people would stop using the term (laughs).  Not really, but it’s obvious that we do have a whole lot of talent.  It’s even more obvious after 6 games that having that much talent guarantees you nothing but a bulls-eye.  We don’t call ourselves the Dream Team. The Dream Team was the 1992 US Men’s Olympic basketball team.

JS: You’ve said in other interviews that you came to the Eagles because Howie Roseman promised that the best offense linemen would start and that there would be an open competition. You’re obviously a confident guy, but with a Pro Bowl-caliber left guard like Todd Herremans and a first round pick like Danny Watkins at right guard, did you ever imagine that you’d be the starter on opening day? Were there other teams that promised open competition?

EM: The Eagles were the first call I received. When my agent, Drew Rosenhaus, called and told me about the offer I asked if he could have Howie Roseman call me.  I asked Howie if they would let me compete or if they viewed me as a backup.  He assured me the best five would play.  I weighed that and the fact that none of the linemen at that time had any history with Howard Mudd, whose scheme I supposedly would fit well according to my former OL coach in Cincinnati, Paul Alexander.  Those factors would pretty much have sold me anywhere at that point in my career but coming from an organization with as much culture and success as the Eagles, there was no way I was turning it down.

Click here to Read Part 2.

SCOTT JACOBS

When Mike Vick went to prison the thought of him ever fulfilling his destiny as the greatest, most dynamic player in the NFL seemed to go out the window with it.  Sitting two years behind bars was sure to be the undoing of a man who relied so much on athleticism and making people miss.

When the Philadelphia Eagles signed Mike Vick after two years of prison it seemed like a dumbfounding decision, one that didn’t seem to mesh with who the Eagles were.  They already had Donovan McNabb under center and Vick as a wildcat threat guy just seemed to take Philly out of rhythm.

When the Eagles traded McNabb inside their division to the Redskins it looked like a big time coup for Washington, which was in desperate need of an offensive spark and a franchise quarterback.  The Eagles did have Kevin Kolb however who was immediately anointed the starter.  People saw Kolb in the same light that they did Aaron Rodgers: he sat his time, now he was ready to play and play well.

Then the season started, Kolb got hurt in the first game, Vick came in and almost mastered a beautiful comeback win over Green Bay and ever since then he hasn’t looked back.  Now 4-0 after last night’s pasting of the rival Skins (in games he starts and finishes), Vick has not only glued Kolb to the bench, he’s probably immersed himself deep into the Eagles future plans as their quarterback not only of the present, but of the future too.

After a dominant showing, unlike any first half performance I can recall in recent memory, Vick tore through the Skins defense like they were Scott toilet paper, rolling up just ridiculous numbers on a national TV stage.

Showing poise that he never had in Atlanta, and a scrambling ability that hasn’t disintegrated even a bit, Vick showed that not only is he back, he’s better than ever.  The Human Highlight Reel started out 9 for 9, had the Eagles on the board 18 seconds in on a beautiful 88 yard strike to DeSean Jackson, and the Eagles never looked back, pouring it on the Redskins on a night where it poured like cats and dogs.

In Landover, Maryland the NFL’s once biggest thing, re-emerged, showcasing an array of talents that left Washington’s defenders spinning.  By the time the Redskins had began to find their footing, they were already sporting Vick’s Eagles a 35-0 deficit (1 minute into the second quarter).

Philadelphia was Wisconsin and Washington was Indiana on a night where the Eagles amassed nearly 600 yards of offense and Vick showcased a skill-set that the Falcons could only have dreamed about when they made him the number one pick way back when.

Whether it was his uncanny ability to make defenders, one after another miss, or his scrambling ability inside the pocket before launching an absolute strike down the field, Vick had it all on Monday night.

I wrote earlier this year that Vick didn’t deserve a second chance in the NFL after the heinous crimes he committed, but in a second chance society Vick has seemed to make amends, both in the community and especially on the field where the game just seems to be too easy for him right now.

In an NFC where no one is racing ahead to the number one seed, it’s hard not to think that the Eagles might be the best team in the conference.  At 6-3 they may not be better than the Falcons, who are 7-2, but they look just as impressive, if not more so.

Trading McNabb and developing a new QB was supposed to be a season of growing pains for the Eagles who figured to take a step back or two in 2010.  Instead it’s been the revelation that is Mike Vick, who has not only lit up the league, but began to light up MVP ballots down the line.

With talks of hundred million dollar extensions in the backdrop, MVP considerations in the forefront, and watching America fall in love with Mike Vick all over again, albeit slowly, Vick is coasting towards a comeback season for the ages.

And if that comeback takes him to Atlanta for an NFC Championship date with the Falcons at the end of January, with the team whose future he briefly wrecked, well wouldn’t that be one hell of a tale for the media to dissect.  Vick’s old team thriving with Matt Ryan at the helm versus his new one, thrilled to death that the NFL’s most electrifying talent fell into their lap.

All it took was a little scrutiny, some nice window dressing, and a season to get back into the swing of things.  And just like that, the Eagles are no longer just good, they might be elite.

As for the Redskins, well, they got the Eagles quarterback they wanted.  Unfortunately, they probably got the worst one.

Photo: Getty

SCOTT JACOBS

If you need any further proof that the United States of Sports Lovers is a forgiving society, look no further than the Philadelphia Eagles, and their potential QB quandry.  And you’ll find right dab in the middle of that mini-controversy, Michael freaking Vick, the man who was disowned by most sports fans before the NFL finally let him back in the league last year.

But the hypocritical nature of sports usually rears its ugly head when the off-field actions become hazier and the on-field help becomes apparent.  Vick was apparently pretty impressive after Kevin Kolb got knocked out of the game versus Green Bay with a concussion.  The much maligned Vick was supposedly pretty good (notice I keep saying things like apparently and allegedly– simply put I wasn’t watching the game) and showed flashes of his vintage pre-dog killing self.  You know, the electric, do everything quarterback that was going to forever change the game.  Well that was Vick I’m told on Sunday.  He was 16 of 24, throwing for 175 yards and running for 103 yards in his former Atlanta Falcon style.

The Eagles lost.  But they came close.  That’s not the storyline.  Nor is Vick’s out of nowhere resurgence.

No, the story is Vick the person and the fact that football fans and the media are already stirring up a potential QB controversy.  Look, word is that Kolb may not be ready for next week’s game against the pissed off Lions, so Vick may get the start by default.  But it astonishes me on so many levels how just one season after crucifying the man who spent months in prison, America appears ready to hop back on the Michael Vick Experience.

Everyone’s preaching second chances and how much he has improved his image and his life, but I have a hard time embracing a man who was considered the scum of the sports world just under a year ago.

Maybe this amounts to nothing.  Maybe Kolb comes back, plays fine and all this goes away.  But what if it doesn’t?  What if Kolb isn’t fine and Vick plays, and plays well?  Many have floated out the wild prospect that the first game of the Kolb Era could have potentially been his last.  Which is, quite frankly, mind blowing considering all the hoopla that surrounded him this offseason (And o yeah, the Eagles trading Donovan McNabb to Washington because they had their QB of the Future in place).

Look, this situation is tricky.  Eagle fans embrace their own, and most have even grown to accept Vick and to root for him.  But boy does the situation change if Vick starts elsewhere.  Are Eagles fans and is the NFL for that matter really ready to put Michael back in the spotlight?

If this doesn’t show you that we forgive and forget nothing will.  After Kobe’s rape allegation nightmare the sports world was convinced his star would never shine as brightly again.  Two championships and an Olympic Gold Medal later Bryant is once again a national star and even more amazingly a global icon.  His advertisement dollars have returned and he is easily one of the biggest names in sports.

Ray Lewis is doing Old Spice commercials years after people made him the most villainized athlete in sports.

Which is why Tiger Woods (assuming he ever gets his golf game back to elite status) will once again regain his throne as the king of golf.  It seems clear now: people love hating a star who screws up, but what they love even more is embracing his heroic return to greatness.  Our fickle nature goes both ways.

Which brings us back to Vick.  If our change of heart with previously troubled stars is any indication then Vick will be back in the limelight in no time, as if that whole dog thing (what happened again?) never happened.  Which is sad and confusing and more and more predictable with the overflow of cases that continue to stream in.

Because in America, as sports fans we claim to care about the personal lives of our favorite athletes, but in reality they can erase any wrong with a return to dominance in their respective sport.

So let’s call a spade a spade, sports fans: If Vick dominates on the field again, you’ll cheer his name, maybe buy his jersey, and given some time, probably forget the reason you absolutely despised him in the first place– Which however way you look at it, is amazing and uncomfortable at the same time.

Photo: AP

SCOTT JACOBS

On the same day that one of the NFL’s biggest stars announced what one would assume is his “official retirement,” brilliant defensive genius Jim Johnson, notorious for his complex defensive schemes and blitz packages, officially lost his bout with cancer.

It was well known that Johnson was sick, but I had no idea that he only had days left to live, after the Eagles officially named Sean McDermott their new defensive coordinator.  Johnson was treated for melanoma way back in 2001, and it appeared that he had defeated it. But this past January Johnnson began complaining of back pains in the press box while coaching the Eagles defense to the NFC Championship game. What started as discomfort soon turned out to be the disease that ended his life.

Back in May, Johnson was strong enough to coach at Eagles mini camp, where he called the shots from a motorized scooter.  But that camp would be his final one, his health failing, and his time short, he left the team in an effort to beat the cancerous tumor that had taken ahold of his spine.

Today he passed away.  He was 68.

The term great coach gets thrown around a lot, but Johnson’s defensive brilliance spoke for itself.  In 10 seasons with the Eagles, his defense produced 26 Pro Bowlers, and the Eagles were usually amongst the NFC’s elite.

He was more well known than many head coaches around the league.

And deservedly so.

He was great at what he did, and truly was a class act in the process.

The NFL lost more than a coach today.  They lost a great person too.

Photo: Getty

MIKE KAYE

When I was approached to write this blog entry by my friend and colleague, Scott Jacobs of Juiced Sports, I thought to myself there is no way I could get through it without breakdown in tears. I decided, however, that this entry would be a good form of therapy. Scott asked me to write this as I am both a die-hard Eagle fan of almost my whole existence (I’m 20) and just as important, Brian Dawkins has been my idol since I was nine years old.

When I was in 7^th Grade, I was asked if I could be like any person I had never met, who would I be? When I replied Indiana Jones, my teacher explained it had to be a real person. Without even thinking I shot back “Brian Dawkins.” That is how I believe most die-hard, green-bleeding Philadelphia Eagles would respond. The only difference was I that I was in a South Florida classroom, seven years removed from being a mid-New Jersey resident. I truly did not care that no one knew what I was talking about and was proud of that fact. Brian Dawkins is someone that every person should want to emulate.

I remember the day we drafted the some-what skinny safety from Clemson in 1997, because I had missed the 1^st round selection of Jon Harris (eck!) of Virginia. Dawkins was fiery from the start, but never significantly stuck out till the team hired Jim Johnson as coordinator.

With Johnson, Troy Vincent, and Hugh Douglas, Dawkins made the Eagles a defensive power-house. The team had the offensive guidance of a youngster from Syracuse in Donovan McNabb and the greatest Secondary in what I believe is NFC East history. Dawkins became the heart and soul of the team never stopped through five NFC Championships and a Super Bowl loss.  I believe most of the reason Eagles fans haven’t gone suicidal is because of Dawkins backing of Andy Reid and Donovan.

A role model’s Role Model. Dawkins’ 5 year contract with the Broncos is the worst loss in Philadelphia Eagles’ history, no doubt.

At the beginning of this season, Dawkins struggled but still maintained his leadership over the team. Dawkins soon rebounded and single-handedly beat the current Super Bowl champs, the Steelers, an image that will forever highlight Dawkins’ career and Eagle lore. Dawkins led the Defense to ranking among the top five units of the league and willed his team to the NFC Championship game after losing tremendously to the Ravens.

At the start of the offseason, I must admit I thought there was less than 1% chance that Dawkins would not wear green next season. When the buzzer went off Friday, I have a feeling his time was done. I cannot put into words how upset I have been the last few days. I held back tears at work when I found out and I have been ever since.

Dawkins was not only one of the top three safeties in the league but he is also the greatest leader in the league. Unlike other team’s leaders, Dawkins never got into a fist fight with a teammate (Steve Smith) or witness a murder (Ray Lewis), he is a man of faith and principle.

A role model’s Role Model. Dawkins’ 5 year contract with the Broncos is the worst loss in Philadelphia Eagles’ history, no doubt. The loss in the Super bowl to the Pats, the recent NFC loss to the Cards, and T.O. were not even close.

I love Brian Dawkins and wish him well. I tried to put blame on Andy Reid, Joe Banner, and Tom Heckert but I can’t: five years plus a 35 year old equals crazy. Do I wish Dawkins was still an Eagle, more than anything. But what is done is done. The Broncos got not only our heart and soul but they also got maybe the best back up on our team in Correll Buckhalter. The Eagles are significantly at a loss. I would not blame Donovan if he wants a trade, as a matter a fact I think we need to start over.

I wouldn’t honestly be surprised if B-Dawk gets into Josh McDaniels’ ear about Super Five and we see Jay Cutler wearing green next year. It makes sense to me. I grew up a Syracuse fan and even I think it’s time to let Don go.  I don’t think it would be that devastating, considering my favorite player ever just had a news conference that I made 14 seconds into before stopping it. I thought I was going to throw-up. No Dawkins means no faith in a Super Bowl for me.

My Plan for the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles:

• Trade Donovan for Cutler and a 6^th round pick.
• Trade Kevin “I’ll never be a starter” Kolb for a 4^th rounder (cut our losses)
• Sign Patrick Ramsey (Cutler’s former back-up, and former Redskin)
• Trade one or two of our three 5^th round picks for Oakland’s Michael Bush.
• Draft OT Eben Britton of Arizona and Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew with the two first rounders.
• Unfortunately this draft class is not stocked with safeties to replace an irreplaceable player, but take either Louis Delmas of Eastern Michigan or William Moore of Missouri in the 2^nd round.
• This is all good and well but still will never replace #20, Brian Dawkins, the Greatest Person in Philadelphia Eagles’ History.

Photo: AP