Eskin Crosses Reid, Eagles

By Steven Lienert

The Phanatic Magazine

Oh, heavy is the head that wears a self-inflicted crown.

Andy Reid, who famously starts each of his press conferences with a pronounced throat-clearing before proclaiming the day’s injuries, deviated from the norm on Monday because a member of the media had committed what he deemed as a cardinal sin.

“We won’t talk about injuries today,” Reid said. “Some of your colleagues here decided that they would go to the players and/or other personnel here and ask about injuries. I made a pact with you guys when I first got here that I would disclose to you the injuries that you just stay away from the players, stay away from other personnel in the organization and I would take care of you with that. That part was breached and so we'll get on with the Flight Night! part of things.”

Who was the member of the media that crossed the line? Why, 610’s own Howard Eskin, who seemed to become somewhat of an Eagles spokesperson during the second half of last season. He became such a part of the organization that at one point he donned an Eagles jacket while taking in a nationally televised late-season game from the Eagles’ sidelines.

Eagles’ linebacker Stewart Bradley hurt his knee during Sunday evening’s Flight Night! and apparently Eskin went to the team doctor to get a report on Bradley. Eskin then turned around and “broke” the story that Bradley had torn his ACL, which obviously upset Big Red.

So, instead of letting the rest of the media in on the fact that Bradley would most likely miss the rest of the season (which has now been reported from several outlets, including ESPN which conveniently stated that ESPN 950 broke the story), Reid told the gathered mass in Lehigh that “He (Bradley) did not practice today.”

Well, that was kind of obvious since Joe Mays and Omar Gaither were taking reps with the first team defense and Bradley was nowhere to be found.

What was worse, though, was how Reid told the media to handle the situation.

“Peer pressure is the best pressure there is,” Reid said. “You can work it out with your colleagues.”

So, are the Eagles’ beat writers from other outlets supposed to approach “The King” and peer pressure Eskin into doing the right thing? If peer pressure worked on Eskin, he would of have left Philadelphia years ago.

Could you imagine Les Bowen telling Eskin to quit asking team personnel about issues only Reid should be addressing? Furthermore, could you imagine Eskin actually listening to Bowen’s logic?

Maybe Rueben Frank and Brian Seltzer can corner Eskin in the locker room while Bob Grotz sneaks up from behind and puts a plastic bag over his head before dragging Eskin out to the parking lot and stuffing him in the trunk of Mark Eckel’s 1977 Pontiac Bonneville.

Yeah, that’ll get the message across.

Angelo Cataldi has tried it. Mike Missanelli has tried it. Heck, even Charlie Manuel tried to get Eskin to fall in line.

It ain’t worked. Eskin is still, well, Eskin (this is a family column).

Maybe Reid will be the guy to bring the King to his knees. (Insert joke here).

In the meantime, Reid will decide when the rest of the media will be allowed to know about injuries and what-not.

“When I decide that people can abide by the rules I'll do that,” Reid said.

That doesn’t seem very fair, especially since Reid can call Eskin into his office and tongue-lash somebody that many people believe has been deserving of it for quite some time.

But if Reid thinks the rest of the media can intimidate Eskin into doing things other than his way, he over estimates the power of Eskin’s peers.

After all, we know what happens when the King is questioned.

Steve Lienert is the Assistant Managing Editor of The Phanatic and can be reached at stevelienert@hotmail.com.