Almost every time you walk into the Eagles locker room Lito Sheppard, the eagles two time pro-bowl cornerback, has gathered a crowd – a staple that continues despite the corners rapidly decreasing role with the team (last week Sheppard saw action on special teams and no where else).  It may seem odd that a seldom used player attracts so much attention, but if one thought the reporters were leaning in just to hear a time-bomb ticking one would be largely wrong.  The Lito following isn’t a body-watch of reporters waiting for the CB to explode, they’re there because he’s interesting, honest, and generally a decent arbiter of the team.  Yesterday he tackled himself, and his role.  When asked about the team he responded that “they’re playing great out there … hopefully they can get me a ring.”  It was telling that he was talking about “them” instead of “us” – “yeah I’ve noticed that,” he admits, “If I was helping out, contributing, then it would be ‘we.’ “  As he continued I had no idea how to process this.  On one hand, perhaps publicly admitting that he wasn’t really part of the team was a problem onto itself – for better or worse, that’s a headline.  On the other his acknowledgement that “Jobs aren’t always great … and when they’re bad you can’t pout,” is strikingly everyman.  He continues, an is-what-it-is smile holding two bright earrings apart: “all these guys are my brothers … I’m definitely going to take that ring if they get there.”  

I didn’t write about this yesterday because I didn’t know what to say.  I had the raw data, but I was struggling to form it into a coherent around it, was crazy busy and couldn’t make it a story – I fucked up.  Luckily, Bob Ford is back from vacation (I’m assuming it was vaca, maybe he just needed a couple of weeks after eulogizing the Reid/McNabb era) and apparently brought his fastball with him:

During the games, he stands among the others waiting for the call that doesn’t come. And yet he waits, right where he is supposed to be, helmet in place, chin strap buckled, listening for the name he never hears.

The highest praise you can give Lito Sheppard, the Eagles’ forgotten cornerback, is that if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know. Not as he prepares for the games, not as he moves among his teammates, not as he hears the loud ticking of the countdown clock on his career in Philadelphia.

It’s not small praise Ford gives, and he gives it justly.  Say what you want about Lito on the field; off it, he’s been a hell of a teammate.

“Things happen for a reason and you learn from them. That’s what I’m doing now, learning.”- Lito Sheppard

Three lines on their world:

1. It might be time to start wondering if the Celtics are historically good

2. Tiger Woods is hitting golf balls again. (Lucky bastard, I wish I could hit golf balls in December)
3. and, in some pretty shocking (and buried … why was I was reading the Indy Star again?) news, Eric Gordon has blamed drug abuse for Indiana’s medicore 2007-08 basketball season.

Three lines on ours:

1. The Sixers lost Elton Brand

2. but won their second straight

3. and the Birds had an especially light day of practice

Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and what everybody is talking about after the jump

EAGLES

READ

SKIP

Bob Brookover says the defense doesn’t want to talk about it’s prestigious ranking.

Bob Brookover’s notes say McNabb relationship with his coach is just fine, practice was cut short, and more.

Rich Hofmann thinks that at this point in the year one thing matters: getting a win.

Les Bowen’s notes point out that while Eagles Nation has turned on Kevin Kolb he hasn’t lost the locker room, and more.

Rueben Frank looks at Kolb’s struggles and McNabb’s success.

76ERS

READ

Kate Fagen explains the tweaks DiLeo is making in the offense.

Phil Jasner reports that the move to DiLeo wasn’t exactly out of the blue, and more.

SKIP

Tom Moore gets Ed Stefanski to refute the Flip Saunders-to-the-sixers rumor.

PHILLIES

READ

SKIP

Dave Murphy reports that Jimmy Rollins will play in the WBC.

Michael Klein on the half-wits who complained about Chase Utley’s infamous proclamation.

Paul Hagen lists the Phillies spring training non-rosters invitees.

FLYERS

READ

Sam Cardichi’s notes get Paul Holmgren to give his seal of approval to the Flyers who crashed that frat party, report that Biron is still sickly, and more.

SKIP

Ed Moran reports that Danny Briere is back traveling with the team.

Sam Cardichi on the baby-steps the Flyers are taking with Randy Jones.

TODAY and MORE

Temple Football kept adding recruits, LaSalle knocked off Rider and Ted Silary looked at the local high school QBs.

Around here, we’re coming off a late night, so naturally we have posts set up through the morning.  I’ll try to get a movie review out this afternoon but no promises there.

As always, feel free
to email
with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 9:25 am and is filed under Morning Rounds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.