FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Imagine if you will, a world where Donovan McNabb was not the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, in fact he wasn't drafted by the Eagles, and never even played the game of football.  He is just a mild mannered accountant in the Phoenix area where Donovan, his wife and kids, daydream of one day visiting the city of Philadelphia.  Now imagine if you can, that Kevin Kolb is the starter replacing the incumbent of the last two years, A.J. Feeley, who replacing the popular Jeff Garcia, has had mild success as the Eagles captain but is clearly not the star he was earlier in his career.  Now, with his job on the line, Andy Reid hands the reins off to Kevin Kolb.  How would Kevin do?  Will he choke under the pressure?  Has is half game worth of experience against a good defense prepared him for what will be coming his way in 2009?  We shall see what will become of Mr. Kolb as he career plunges into the...Not-So-Red Zone.

We open the series at the first minicamp of 2009 where Kevin Kolb is working with DeSean Jackson and new receiver Jeremy Maclin.  Kolb likes what he sees in the new kid but is especially excited because this year the coach has actually promised him that he will call some pass plays while he's in the game.  Maclin's not sure that Kolb can match what Feeley brought to the team in terms of experience and leadership, but being a rookie, he'll have to keep his mouth shut, for now.  Jackson, on the other hand thinks that Kolb will do wonders for the deep game as A.J. couldn't really throw it more than about 25 yards without having a longer hang time than one of Sav Rocca's punts.

During one morning workout during the first day, Kolb impresses the audience by throwing a bullet to Shady McCoy for a forty yard completion.  Andy Reid tries the same play with Lorenzo Booker, only for Booker to bobble the pass and have it bounce off his head to finally fall incomplete.  He gets a pat on the butt from his QB if for nothing else but for the effort.  Secretly Kevin's arm gets tired after about ten or eleven throws, an obvious conditioning issue that has resulted since he has had virtually no playing time the past two years.  The afternoon practice sees a young undrafted free agent understudy Adam DiMichele, from the blossoming football program of Temple University complete seven of eight passes and Kolb starts getting nervous.

On the second day of camp, Kevin is the only one who shows up in full pads.  He wants to show his coach that he really is excited about his opportunity to be starting quarterback and that he's a real go-getter.  The scheduled workout is delayed as Kevin needs help getting the pads off.  When work does get underway, Kolb looks amazing completing passes to Jackson, Maclin, and Jason Avant.  During a break he imagines what it would have been like being a highly touted prospect out of Syracuse.  He doesn't know why the feeling of being booed has suddenly come over him.

Just prior to the breaking of his first minicamp as starting Quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kevin hears laughter coming from the training room where a team meeting was taking place.  When he comes through the door the laughter stops aside from horribly restrained giggling and an awkward looks comes across the face of Coach Reid.  Kevin thinks the joke is on him....he's right.  Camp is now broken, and so is Kevin's pride.  Poor boy.  Kolb thinks to himself, "Don't fret young man, tomorrow is a new day."

Tune in next time when quarterback Kevin Kolb is the victim of rookie hazing....not because he's a rookie, the team just wants to haze him.  Click over to http://www.sportssimpleton.blogspot.com/ to vote for what you think the Eagles should do with Kevin Kolb.  It's free, it's fun....well, it is free at least.