The Little Engine That Could

As Brian Westbrook headed into the end-zone on a dazzling 49 nine yard touchdown scamper in Sunday's Wild Card game against the New York Giants, he left a trail of sprawled out bodies in his path. Although he is far from a household name, it was evident to the national television audience that this guy is something special. As Brian Westbrook gains more notoriety around the NFL, I think it is imperative that his story be told. The story of Brain Westbrook is not one of glitz and glamour, but of heart and determination.

This story begins in Fort Worth, Maryland, where Westbrook grew up in a small housing development a stones throw away from Washington, D.C. It was here that Westbrook began his dream. A dream that just about everyone told him was unattainable.

At first he was told that he was too small to even think about playing football in high school. Westbrook ignored his doubters and went to play varsity football at Damatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, MD. Despite being denied an opportunity because of his height during his freshman year, Westbrook at 5'2 came back and made the team his sophomore year.

Although Westbrook was told he was till to small to play football in college, he once again defied the odds and began his career at Villanova University in 1997. He went onto to shatter the record books at Villanova. By the time he was entering in the NFL Draft, Westbrook held the All-time NCAA record, with 9, 512 all purpose yards. In 46 career games, he scored 542 points with 84 touchdowns, carried the ball 734 times for 4298 yards, caught 219 passes for 2,582 yards and 4 TD's on kick returns. In this period Westbrook also established 41 school records and 13 Atlantic Ten Conference records. It must also be noted that in 1998 Westbrook became the first players in college history to amass 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.

Despite all of his collegiate accomplishments, Wesbtbrook still had a difficult time trying to convince an NFL team to draft him in 2002. It was not until the third round that the Eagles took a chance on him. Defying odds at 5'8 and 200 lbs, Westbrook was one step away from his dream of making it to the NFL.

It was not until mid-way though the 2003 season that Westbrook made it known to everyone watching, that he was something special. In an October 19 game at the Meadowlands, he returned a punt for a touchdown in the final minutes to seal the victory for the Eagles. This play many will argue, turned that season around for the Eagles. Although the Eagles lost to the Carolina panthers in the NFC Championship game, people began to notice that Brian Westbrook had arrived.

It was not until the 2004 season that Westbrook began to captivate everyone who watched him. With the departure of Duce Staley to the Steelers and an injury to Correll Buckhalter, Westbrook became the go to guy in Philadelphia. It was during this season that he rushed for a career high 812 yards and led all NFL backs with 73 receptions for 703 yards.

This year Westbrook stepped up to fill the leadership void caused by the season ending injury to Donovan Mcnabb. He has been nothing less then spectacular, once again breaking the 1,000 yard mark. It is amazing that a correlation can be drawn between this player and a famous children's story, "The Little Engine That Could". For those of you who haven't read this story, this is the gist:

"A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. At last in desperation the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
Then as it near the top of the grade, that had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly, but still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by dint of brave effort and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

On Sunday as I sat next to my good friend in section 205 and watched Westbrook put the Eagles on his shoulders in the final minutes of the game and grind the ball into field goal range, I could not help but wonder why anyone had overlooked this little engine. It also left me to wonder how many times this man has been told he could not accomplish something, only to reply with certainty.. "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can".

Now I know why he is called the wizard. Please, Brian bring us some more Magic.

Guest Blog for Philly-sports.net

Let me start off by saying that Philadelphia is the best sports city in the world. I truly bleed green, orange, red and black. I have been offered the chance to do some blogging on www.philly-sports.net/philadelphia. I would like to thank them for this opportunity. If you enjoy this article, please check out my website at http://www.marianosrealm.blogspot.com/

If you want to see something hilarious, go to http://www.youtube.com/ and search "cowboys suck". There is a small war going on between Eagles and Cowboys fans on this website. As of now, it is seemingly playful fun. What is discouraging is how fans from other cities only remember the bad stuff about us. Santa Claus, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Irvin, the usual tourist myths. I was pissed by the way Philly fans were described below. The following was written in the St Petersburg times in 2003.

"As hosts, Philadelphia sports fans have, well, outdone themselves. Years of fisticuffs and upturned beers and taunting -- even Santa Claus was bombed with snowballs during a halftime show -- have given them a well-deserved reputation for inhospitality and even violence toward rival fans. "

Give me a break, now a days security comes over if you call someone an asshole. Our fans come off as brash and in your face because of our desire to see our teams win. Ladies and gentleman, this is called passion. It is what makes us get excited every year in April for the Phillies, even though they haven't made the playoffs since 1993 and we swore we would never watch them again after last year. In October, even though the Flyers lost Game 7 to the Lightning and broke our hearts 5 months ago, we still turn on the tube and start the ride all over again. We can't help it.

The thing that outsiders do not understand is that we even boo our own players when they screw up. We recognize the need to let our players know when they are not doing their job. We make our players work and earn their paychecks. The formula to success in Philadelphia is simple: Come to practice, play hard, and execute. This is not rocket science. We are a hard working, mainly middle class, blue collar city. Our grandfathers were electricians and carpenters. We know all about hard work. It is in our blood.

In fact, we despise athletes who don't give 120%.

Take a look at #81 on Dallas. He implodes the Eagles 2005 season and then is lucky enough to get a good deal with the Cowboys. What does he do? He comes to Dallas and doesn't want to practice. He is on the job for one week, making millions of dollars and he can't practice because he doesn't want to run in the August heat. Those types of players don't last at all in Philadelphia, hence was the case with #81 during his second and final year here.

Our fans know a primadonna when we see one. Regardless of what people think of Philadelphia fans, I am glad and proud to be part of what I have coined " A Unification of Brotherly Love"

"ONE TEAM.. ONE CITY.. ONE DREAM.."

Quote that in the Times.

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Dallas

You might want to start calling me Mr. Cleo, mon. It seems as though I can see into the future. With an impeccable win yesterday against a well coached, well staffed and well respected Giants team, the Eagles once again showed us why they have a defense to be feared. They went into the Meadowlands and won a very very very big football game. Not only was this game big because it helped us stay afloat in the hunt for the NFC East title, but it also sets the stage for a monumental game this coming Monday against the Dallas Cowtoys.

I refuse to watch ESPN this week becasue of their reputation for overhyping certain Dallas players. Come Monday afternoon, however, much after the fat man climbs down our chimmney and leaves gifts for Mom, Stepdad and Little Emily, I hope I am not forgotten. I hope that fat man in the red suit speaks with the Big Guy upstairs about my gift. I have been very well behaved this year.

For me it is very simple.

It has been 25 years. 25,000 tears have been shed in this time watching not one professional sports team in Philadelphia win a championship.

After all the close calls and the "could have beens "

All I want is this one..

This is the one that 50 years from now, kids will remember watching with their dads, sisters and uncles on X-Mas Day.....

This is the one when all eyes will be on us......

This is the one we owe to #81......

This is the one that we win to take the NFC East and get back to the playoffs where we belong.

Who is with me?

"The Snitch"

You have really got to love this guy.. If there is anyone in professional sports that should take a class in "Shut the Fuck Up 101", it is T.O. Not only does he make himself look like a jackass on a weekly basis, but anytime he gets beat at his own game, he becomes the victim.

Terrell Owens really likes being part of the Dallas Cowboys except for one thing: "The Snitch."

Owens remains upset that someone within the organization has been airing his dirty laundry. It started with a preseason report about him being late to work and continued with the story about a problem that causes him to fall asleep in meetings.

Those things happened earlier this season, but the bitterness lingers. Owens told ESPN in an interview that aired Sunday that he was "faking it" in practice because he was so frustrated, then he explained himself much further in a roughly half-hour interview in front of his locker yesterday.

Describing his tumultuous early season, which also included a hamstring injury in training camp and a broken hand that led to an "accidental overdose" on painkillers, Owens said: "I just felt like I was out there, just out there. I didn't feel like I was a part of the team."

"One of the coaches came to me after one game and I just told him I felt alone in this locker room. That's how I felt at that time. It was weighing a lot on my mind during the course of the game. My mind really wasn't clear to play football."

Now?

"I'm tons better," he said.

T.O.'s season has followed the same arc as the team's record. He was mediocre early, then began putting up big numbers when Tony Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe at quarterback, a move that led to a 5-1 streak. Dallas is 8-5 and leading the NFC East going into a game at Atlanta on Saturday night.

"Winning cures a lot of things," Owens said

Wait what was that famous quote from a few years ago T.O?

"If it smells like a rat...

Then it must be a rat."

Somewhere in a mansion in Moorestown NJ, Jeff Garcia is smiling.

Defense is Back

Although they almost blew a 13 point lead Sunday against the Washington Redskins, the Eagles defense showed us a blast from the past. Michael Lewis came to play this past week and ended up being the difference maker. Isn't that some crazy shit? I have strong reason to believe that this team's defense is still good enough to take us to the promised land. Over the years the players have changed, but they still play the same style of big hit defense. They will not hesitate to lay the wood. What will they do this weekend on the road at the Meadowlands in another must win game? You guess is a good as mine. Guess it won't hurt to go to church twice this weekend.