Hello Friends!
I hope that all of you had a most Merry Christmas and got to share it with all your family and friends. It's easy to get caught up in all the commercialism that the holiday brings and it seems that everyone today is obsessed with outdoing the other person. Well I'll tell you this past weekend Dawn and I spent it with most of our family with the exception of Dawn's brother Bruce's family. You see, our niece Mellissa lost her only child Domenic this past January at the tender age of 24 when he died in his sleep. He had gone to bed with a bad migraine headache and never woke up. Missing Bruce, Carol and Melissa at the dinner table made all our family realize how precious life is and how your life can be turned upside down in an instant. So hold your loved ones real close and tell them now how much you love and treasure them because when they’re gone, it's too late. Also try to do an act of kindness for someone, whether it be family or even a complete stranger. It will give you a real good feeling deep down inside. Material things do not mean a thing, as it's not what you take with you, but what you leave behind!
Well it is hard to believe, but this is my last blog of the season. It seems like we just started this new venture, but here we are heading into the last game of the season for the Eagles. What started out so promising (winning the first three games) and looking like they'd surely be competing for the NFC East division quickly spiraled downhill. If you go back and look at all the Eagles losses, it's easy to see that we could have won a lot more games than we did, but as I said time and time again; close doesn't cut it. That being said, I think the Eagles have a bright future with the young Carson Wentz at quarterback. In today's NFL, you can turn around a program real fast if the folks in charge make the right moves with trades, free agency and most importantly the NFL Draft in April.
Here's what I think the team must address this offseason and add to get better to try and catch up in the division:
- One or possibly two top-rated wideouts. I don't care how they obtain them, but it's clear that our lack of talent at this position cost us - BIG TIME!
- A shut down corner back. I know you're not gonna find any of them on the street, but somehow they MUST upgrade that defensive backfield. Too many times we were looking at the numbers on the back of the Eagles corner backs while wideouts were toasting them for big plays. We have to contend with great receivers each and every week and the lack of talent on the Eagles at cornerback is as plain as day. Heck, the Eagles corners were getting burned by mediocre wideouts and something has to be done!
- Another stud pass rusher would be a big help and I feel the team can get one of these guys in the draft. #
- Our offensive line definitely needs some depth as it showed this past year how rough it was after Lane Johnson started serving a 10-game suspension. That, along with all the injuries, really hurt the team this year. One thing the front office must be very vigilant about is if Lane Johnson gets caught using any performance-enhancing drugs again, his next suspension will be for two years. He's probably the best right tackle in the NFL and the Eagles can't afford his loss, but they have to be prepared just in case. Here again you can get very good o-linemen in the draft.
One position I thought we would be alright with heading into next season was running back. Well that changed big time this past Thursday when Ryan Matthews sustained a season-ending injury to his neck. In fact, while talking with my son-in-law Dr. Brian Klee, he stated that depending the severity of Matthews’s injury, it could be the end of his career. I hope that's not the case. As you know, Ryan Matthews is a favorite of “The Hatchet's," but if he can't go, running back is another area of need. All we can do is hope that Howie Roseman and company make the right moves and add playmakers that will make a difference. Keep the faith as the Eagles are not that far off from competing. Trust me!
3 Things To Know About This Week's Game
- Motivation? I THINK NOT! All you have to do is say the word Cowboys and it's enough get the juices flowing. It's not just the Philadelphia Eagles fans that hate "Dem Boyz," but the Eagles players hate them as well. I think one of the first things an Eagles player hears upon signing his name to a player’s contract is: you better learn to hate them guys from down there in Big D. So there won't be a lack of effort or motivation on the Eagles part this New Year's Day as the team knows that it will mean a great deal to the program going into the offseason, as well as to the fan base, if they put a beat down on Dallas. Listen, the Eagles know they should have beat the Cowboys the first game and the Cowboys know that the Eagles should have won that first game. And we fans know the Eagles should have won that first game! The frenzied Eagles crowd is going to be juiced up (in more ways than one) as most of them will still be partying from the night before. Dem Boyz are going to know what it's like to play in front of a hostile crowd, that's for sure. (Where's the snow when we need it? Haha!) The Eagles need no extra incentive for this game as they'll be plenty motivated to end the year on a high note. I look for the Eagles to play inspired football and put some hurt on their guests from the Lone Star State and the crowd will have a huge impact on this game and a start to a Happy New Year!
- Defense! Defense! Defense! The egotistical owner of the Cowgirls, Jerry Jones, is on record stating that the team will not rest their starters for this week's game. I, for one, hope that's the case and our defense gets a chance to show that the "Media's Team" is not as great as they think they are. You can't turn on your TV to a sports network without those commentators (that I'm pretty sure Jerry Bones has gifted many a Rolex watch and other perks to) talking about how the Dallas Cowboys are going to destroy whoever it is they play. Well, the Eagles players watch and hear that rhetoric too, and you can bet that they are going to be jacked up for this one and anxious to make a statement. It will not be easy my friends, as the Cowboys with the likes of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and company are (oh how this hurts me to utter these words) very, very good. But that's why they play the game folks. And as the saying goes: paybacks a B----!
- The Battle Of The Rookies! At the beginning of the season it looked like Carson Wentz would be battling it out with Dak Prescott for the Rookie of the Year Award as both these young guns were on fire. A lot of different circumstances sidetracked that story, but I think Carson Wentz wants to show the world why he was chosen #2 overall in last April’s draft. I look for Doug Pederson to open up the game plan to showcase Wentz and to put Dem Boyz on notice that they will have all they can handle for at least the next 8 years or so with Wentz leading the way. Now I know the Dallas fans are going to debate who is the better QB, but believe me, if Prescott was playing behind the Eagles makeshift offensive line, his stats would not be nearly as impressive. What do you think Wentz' stats would be if he was playing behind the Cowboys line? In the long run, with the right pieces added Carson Wentz will have a much brighter career. Mark it down. "The Hatchet" guarantees it!
Well my friends, that will do it for my final Blog. I want to thank Nikki Murry and Robyn Jones of Berks County Living for asking me to do this each and every week. It's been an honor. I also want to thank all you for the nice comments and kind words given to me throughout the year. It made this old man feel good. While giving thanks, Dawn and I cannot forget our family and friends who make the Locker Room what it is: the greatest place to watch an Eagles game ANYWHERE! As I mentioned time and time again, here on game days, it's not me that makes it such a great experience, but it's our friends and our family that do. Much love goes out to all our friends who helped out by adding food to our selection and also for participating in the different fundraisers to help with the costs. Thank you to our dear friends that are always here for us to help in any way they can. I'm not going to list all the names, but you know who you are and we can't thank you enough. We love you!
Finally, I wish to thank with all my heart, my lovely wife Dawn, who works so hard each week preparing the great food and many other duties. Without her I would be lost, and that is a HUGE understatement. She's my rock!
I must also sing the praises of our daughter Chevelle, along with her husband Dr. Brian Klee, who is more like a son to me. When I got the idea of building the Locker Room, Brian stepped right up and said you can count on me Pop to help in any way I can. Well he stepped up BIG TIME and would be here every night (after his office hours) until the wee hours of the morning working to get the Locker Room done in time. I said it a 1,000 times and it's true...without Dr. Brian Klee's help the Locker Room would not have happened. I appreciate it more than words can say. Chevelle, who has a heart of gold and very strong family values, works like crazy here with doing a lot of cooking, baking and also without her there would be no Locker Room. Chevelle also is the leader of the "World Famous" Locker Room dancers and just like her Pop, never gives up. Thanks Honey: I love you to the moon and back.
Lastly, I have to give props to three of my six grandchildren: Griffin, Nick and Isabella Klee, who stick by their MomMom & PopPop by always helping to make it a great time here on game days. I love you to Infinity and Beyond! Now, if I could only get my three other granddaughters, Olivia, Madeline and Katherine Vagnoni, interested in Eagles football - that would be the ultimate!
Well friends, that will do it for me. I have had an absolute blast doing this every week for you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did doing it. It was all in fun for me and I hope that's the way it was taken. I wish all of you (and I mean all of you - even Cowboys fans) a very healthy Happy New Year with many blessings. Until Next Time...
Love, Luck, Lollipops & Linguini,
Barry "The Hatchet" Vagnoni
Fly Eagles, Fly!
