Favor for a friend

Sports is a business. We’ve been reminded of that countless times. Everytime we see a picture of Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform, Jerry Rice as a Raider*, or Joe Montana as a Chief.
*= You can’t convince me that he played for the Seahawks. Go ahead, try me.

But the more I kept thinking about it, the more I like this Donovan Mcnabb trade. Not for what it represents in the long run, but for how counterculture it is.

Consider that the Eagles sent Donovan McNabb to the Redskins for a second round pick in this year’s draft and a third or fourth round pick in next years draft.

From the Eagles point of view, they get a favorable draft pick in what many insiders are calling one of the deepest draft classes in years. Second rounders are always sexy* because they don’t cost nearly as much as first rounders do yet there’s a few first round talent still there to those fortunate to be picking there. Then there’s the fact that Donovan’s coming on the last year of his contract which means he’s heading into a contract year which makes him more valuable than say a year from now when he can be a free agent and may command big bucks and the Iggles love to leverage their guys. They had Kevin Kolb on the roster and Michael Vick too so Donovan was expendable. Also Mcnabb is an injury concern. He’s played a 16 game schedule once in the last 6 years. Did we mention he’s 34?
*= sexy’s the new vogue adjective in sports. They aren’t just spicing up television programming folks, print journalism is making a last ditch attempt at conforming!!

Its easy to see why the Skins did it: Donovan’s entering his walk year so he has much to play for. He’s got three to four good years left in the tank even at the age of 34. Mike Shanahan wanted a QB but the guy he wanted was Sam Bradford and as draft day approaches all signs point to him landing in St Louis, a team that can’t afford to go 3 consecutive years without drafting a first round QB. Shanahan is a QB coach who can quicken the rebuilding process in DC with Mcnabb on board. Shanahan never had any intention in opening the season with Jason Campbell no matter what he said to the press.

In the end though, this was about Andy Reid and the entire Eagle front office’s respect for McNabb. Reid and Mcnabb have been linked for the past 11 years in Philadelphia, a town notorious for having as little patience with their superstars as New Yorkers. With Reid getting an extension, and two other capable QBs on the roster, the Eagles had to make the uncomfortable decision of trading their franchise QB while they could still get value for him.

Without a no trade clause in his contract he had no say to where he was going, yet the Eagles and Andy Reid especially respected McNabb’s wishes to go to a contender even at the risk of seeing him twice a year. So, Reid gave McNabb what he wanted. He pulled the plug on his Eagles career on his terms. Mcnabb’s final wish was granted.

It seems poetic, almost storybook stuff to talk about when you consider all the Eagles are risking. The fans, who had let it be known that they tired of McNabb, aren’t overly disappointed today although there are a few sane fans who recognize all that McNabb did for them in his career there.

Regardless, the end of the McNabb story has not been written, and thanks to Andy, his friend, it will be written on McNabb’s terms. For all the fans who think Mcnabb can’t take a team to the promised land, Andy Reid has given his buddy a new place to prove everyone wrong. In a sports universe that’s gone too business and cold blooded, atleast this divorce has a happy ending. A mutual parting on good terms. No lingering ill effects. Its crazy to think that in a country who’s divorce rate is 50%, this one ended on a good note. Everything from here on out, is fair game. Not bad for a guy who’s first experience as an Eagle was a chorus of boos.