The Eagles announced today that they have reached an agreement on a contract extension with coach Andy Reid that will keep him in Philly until at least 2013.

At the end of his contract, Reid will have coached the Eagles for 15 years, the longest of any coach or manager in Philadelphia since the vaunted Connie Mack.

As noted by 97.5 The Fanatic Eagles beat reporter Brian Seltzer, this ensures that Reid will have responsibility on deciding the long term quarterback situation for the Eagles, as Donovan McNabb’s current contract will expire before Reid’s.

Reid is the winningest coach in team history, taking the Eagles to five NFC Championship games and one SuperBowl. The Eagles have reached the playoffs seven times under Reid. He has compiled 115 wins since being named Eagles coach in 1999.

Despite his obvious success as coach and de facto GM of the Eagles, Reid has his fair share of detractors. The biggest knock against Big Red is that he cannot seem to get the Eagles over the hump, and comes up short in the big game, as is evidenced by five NFC Championship appearances and only one SuperBowl appearance. As one of my friends said to me this morning when I told him of the extension, “Aren’t we lucky….I love being a brides maid.”

His clock management skills, or lack thereof, have become a thing of legend. And his is seemingly incapable of making adjustments in-game. He is arguably one of the worst game day coaches in the NFL.

Then again, he’s won 115 games, taken the Eagles to five NFC Championship games and the SuperBowl. He’s a great judge of talent, particularly when it comes to knowing when a player is past his prime.

Love him or hate him, he’s here for the foreseeable future.

Details of the contract extension were not immediately available, but reports of mass suicides in area sports bars are flying in.

Stay tuned, a press conference with Reid and owner Jeffrey Lurie has been scheduled for 11:30 AM.

There are currently two debates raging in the Philly sports world.

First, who wants Sixers’ center Samuel Dalembert out of the city more: Dalembert, or the city? According to a report this morning by ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Sixers are in talks with the Sacremento Kings, and possibly the Boston Celtics, about a deal that would send the embattled center to the Left Coast for Kenny Thomas. The Celtics would get Andres Nocioni. Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine would also come to the Sixers, and the Kings would get J.R. Giddens.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News’ Sixers’ beat reproter, Kate Fagan, the deal does not appear to be close to happening. She also remarked, “don’t think Dalembert is content being a Sixer. His party is actively looking for a new home for the Sixers’ center.”

On the flip side, a comment by The 700 Level’s Enrico Campitelli aptly sums up the city’s feelings on the possible departure of the former Seton Hall grad:

Okay, let’s play a game. Here’s part of a quote from a Yahoo! post.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings were apparently discussing a deal that would send Samuel Dalembert out West in exchange for…

Do you even care what the end of that sentence is?

Uh, no, says the city. Enough said.

The second debate surrounds the health and well being of one of the city’s favorite sons, Eagles’ running back Brian Westbrook. After suffering his second concussion of the season, whether he will, or should, play again is the question of the day. Westbrook will meet with two concussion specialists in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Eagles’ head trainer Rick Burkholder released the following statement:

“The Eagles will first have Westbrook consult with neuropsychologist Mark R. Lovell, PhD,” the statement read. “Following that visit Westbrook and Lovell will consult with neurosurgeon Joseph Maroon, MD.  Dr. Lovell has been consulting with the Eagles’ medical staff on Westbrook’s recovery from the first concussion during the past three weeks.”

As a result, a debate has been raging whether Westbrook, who is 30 years old and already showing signs of the affects that the wear and tear of his position can have, should retire. A poll on Philly.com asking that question shows that 78.6% of the almost 2500 respondents believe that Westbrook should hang up the pads. Remember, this is a city that has lived through Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau. This is also a city that, despite its overblown reputation to the contrary, is one of brotherly love and cares for the well being of its sports stars.

No matter what the media and fans think, the debate will ultimately be decided by one person. Westbrook will likely not be easily deterred from an eventual return, whether it be later this season or next year. However, if Tuesday’s trip to Pittsburgh results in a couple recommendations to retire, coupled with a growing number of former football players suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, the Eagles’ ultimate weapon could be forced to put his long term health ahead of his short term financial well being.

Consider your suffering eased, I have returned. After a month and a half hiatus, I am back at Hot Stove Philly, and you may all now breath a collective sigh of relief. Woo. Good.

Unfortunately, it seems I may have returned to the Philly sports world with little to be excited about. The Phillies season is over. The Eagles are inconsistent at best, and embarrassing at worst. The Sixers make the Eagles look good. The Flyers are the best thing going, and they’re in fourth place in their division. Could it be possible that the Phillies’ off season is the most interesting thing in Philly sports right now?

As the kids say today, wtf mate?

Despite another incredible season that saw the Fightins get to their second straight World Series, they were clearly outmatched by a superior Yankees team. The Bronx Bombers had better hitters, better starting pitching and a better bullpen. Hard to win when under those circumstances.

The series put into sharp contract the glaring holes that need to be addressed by GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and his team this off season. Now that they’ve let Pedro Feliz go, the team’s first priority is a starting third baseman, with Mark DeRosa, Adrian Beltre and Chone Figgins the top three contenders on the Phillies’ list, or so we assume.

The Phillies’ next priority has to be the bullpen. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported today that he believes Detroit closer Brandon Lyon would be a great fit in Philadelphia as a late inning set up man and emergency closer, should Brad Lidge decide to relive 2009 next season. Olney believes that “perhaps the best of the guys who might be OK coming in as a set-up man, and he’s coming off a solid season in which is posted a 2.86 ERA for the Tigers, allowing just 56 hits in 78.2 innings, with 57 strikeouts.”

There are several holes in the bullpen that need to be plugged, and the bench, that was so good just a year ago, needs a thorough rejuvination. The hot stove is heating up with free agency set to begin in just four days and it looks to be a particularly interesting one for Amaro and the Phils.

Across the street at Lincoln Financial Field, Andy Reid and the Eagles are headed in quite the opposite direction, as they find themselves loser of two in a row after falling to the San Diego Chargers Sunday 31-23.

The Birds have looked great at times this season (Carolina, New York) and awful at others (Oakland, Dallas). Their once heralded offensive line has been anything but, a result of the plague of injuries that has besought the group like a pack of demons. The defense as a whole is not much healthier. At least they have an excuse for playing lousy.

The offense? Even with a healthy Brian Westbrook (if you can ever call him that anymore) and Desean Jackson to start the game, the Eagles struggled to put points on the board, failing to get the ball in the endzone until the fourth quarter. That’s including three trips inside the Chargers 10-yard line in the second and third quarters. Kicker David Akers was a little too busy yesterday.

The reason? Donovan McNabb. Andy Reid. No O-line. None of the above. All of the above. Take your pick. The Eagles are uninspiring this season after what has to be one of the most exciting and hopeful off seasons in recent team history. Did I mention I hate training camp?

Luckily for the Eagles, the Sixers are even more uninspiring. Unfortunately for the Eagles, nobody cares about the Sixers so everyone is still talking about the Birds.

The Sixers are not living up to their offseason expectations either, which is pretty impressive considering how low those expectations were to begin with. The team is averaging 28.43 fans a game. Elton Brand, who is supposed to be the team’s best player, and is at least the team’s most expensive player, doesn’t play in the fourth quarter. Their center of the future, Marreese Speights is reportedly out until January with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. They are, once again, the worst three point shooting team in the NBA. And they’ve won just four out of their last five games, their lone win coming against the 0-10 New Jersey Nets. And yet, thanks to an incredibly mediocre Eastern Conference, the Sixers are in third place in the Atlantic Division, one game back of the 5-5 Toronto Raptors. There’s a lot of basketball left to played and the Sixers have a great chance of being one of the many teams that will make the playoffs, so there is still hope that they will yet again miss out on a meaningful draft pick.

The Orange and Black are pretty much the only thing left to be happy about in Philly right now, winners of seven of their last 10. They are tied for the second best record over that period in the Eastern Conference with the surging Buffalo Sabres, topped only by their rivals up the Turnpike, the 14-4 New Jersey Devils, who have lost just once in their previous 10 games.

The Flyers boast the best goals for/goals against ratio in the NHL, scoring 1.44 goals for every goal they’ve allowed. They’ve scored the tenth most goals in the NHL with 59, and have allowed the third fewest in the league with 41.

Chris Pronger has been everything he was promised to be and more. He is second in the NHL with a plus minus rating of 13 and was named the league’s “nastiest and most intimidating” defender by The Hockey News. And according to the Philadelphia Daily News, he was named “the ‘best corner man,’ for winning puck battles along the boards. Pronger also figured in the discussion for ‘best shutdown defender,’ ‘best first passer,’ and honorable mention for ‘best point shot.’” He currently has a six-game point streak, recording seven assists and nine points and is second on the team behind Jeff Carter with 17 total points. Oh, and the Flyers have the NHL’s best power play unit, in large part thanks to Pronger.

Rookie winger James van Riemsdyk has also been everything he was hyped to be, coming into Monday’s game against the Devils fourth on the team in points with 15. He trails Carter, Pronger and captain Mike Richards. Not bad company for a kid not two years removed from the draft.

So while the Eagles and Sixers leave us wanting much, much, much more, the Flyers are worth watching, and the Phillies’ off season will be one filled with intrigue and ainticipation as we march to February and the start of Spring Training.

We apologize for our hiatus here at Hot Stove Philly but promise to bring you all the latest breaking news and commentary that you have come to love from here on out.

I know that the Philadelphia Eagles stomped the New York Giants last week, but other teams might not have faired as well against New York teams. Maybe your sports week went even further south and your college team may have lost, to a conference opponent, after finally working their way into the top 25 rankings. Sure your fantasy team may have one, improving you to 7-1 on the season, but that’s really does nothing to console you right now. Anyway, the past is the past. Rather than stewing in depression this weekend lets try to put on a stiff upper lip and knock out Satan’s favorite team: The Dallas Cowboys. There’s still a lot to live for. A win this week would put us in the driver’s seat as far as the division is concerned and seriously; I hate the fucking Cowboys. So cut off your play off beard, dry up those tears and let’s get this thing going.

People are going to talk trash. You’re going to have to let them. There’s no point in talking about whose team pays more for their roster. Don’t try to fight back by telling them that back to back World Series wins almost never happens. Please don’t mention the number 27. Any type of come back is only going to dig you deeper and unless you feel like brawling, which I cannot openly condone, you’re going to have to deal with the fact that the last game was not our best showing, and it happened at possibly the most inopportune time, against one of the worst teams possible. At least when the Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders it was buried somewhere in the 4 pm games. No one seemed to notice. Except for the Raiders, they seemed more surprised than anything. You just have to deal with it. You can’t change the past, so lets move forward.

That’s why you must focus on Sunday, we can win on Sunday. We can win on Sunday AND we’re playing the bastard Cowboys. We’re talking about the team that is hated more than any other. The team that when Michael Irvin went down and had to be carted off we threw battery balls at his lifeless body. The best part about it; after the ass kicking we handed them last year they’re going to be circling this game as must win. We could throw off the Cowboy’s season, with one stroke and we’re only at week nine! This is exciting people! Sure, we could have had another ring if Brad Lidge could have just held it together (expect to hear this often from me in the upcoming months, and year). But wouldn’t it be almost as great to see the sad Tony Romo face? You know you’re going to be excited to see the “what’s going on” Wade Phillips face. While you won’t admit it, I bet there’s even a part of you that wouldn’t mind seeing the “I think I broke my leg” Miles Austin face. Embrace it! That’s the Philly hate that people expect from us and the best way to get over a broken heart is to break someone else’s hear, or appendage.

If you live in Mecca, Sunday will probably resemble something of an Irish Wake. While everyone is sad, they’ll be raucous over the present and the future. If you’re like me and living out in the winds it’s far more likely that local fans, and everyone that’s not an Eagles fan, will try to give you trouble about the Philadelphia Phillies. I’m not going to talk about why because I too am in the process of healing. For whatever reason people love to see Philly fans cry, don’t give them the pleasure simply point to the scoreboard. If the Iggles are losing then point to your beer and chug it or point to his shirt like he has a stain on it then when he looks down run your hand up into his face (classic). But whatever you do don’t get down, there are still plenty of Philly teams left to disappoint you this year (sorry had to get that last bit of negativity out).

There is truth in advertising. Monday Night Football is the lone saving grace of Monday, especially with John Gruden and the Ron “The Polish Rifle” Jaworski as ex-Philadelphia Eagles bookends dominating the booth. This week MNF is that much more awesome because the Philadelphia Eagles will actually be playing. The good news is; you know that game will be on TV. The bad news; if you don’t live in Philadelphia you’re boss may actually expect you to be productive on Tuesday. So while you try to avoid banal conversations about your co-workers’ weekends start mapping out the rest of the week. You’ll need to be careful if you want to keep this week from becoming one long train wreck.

If you didn’t go out yesterday to watch the games then you’re ahead of the game. All you’ll need to do is get the work you normally finish on Tuesday done in the beginning of the week. If you’re like me and ended up going out because you were unusually vested in the Kansas City Chiefs then it could be a bit trickier. You’ll want to consider writing off as much of this week as possible. Tuesday you’ll be beat from Monday night. Wednesday you’ll be preparing for game 1 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees, which to be honest already has my full attention. Thursday you’ll be tired from Wednesday and will then be waiting for game 2. Finally on Friday you’ll be exhausted from Wednesday and Thursday and it’ll be the day before Halloween. Face it, if you’re not hustling today you’re not going to anything for the rest of the week. Look to have pockets of productivity Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Given there’s about a 70% chance that Thursday will turn into a Thirsty Thursday, I can’t stress the importance of dropping Friday like it’s hot.

Don’t be tempted by the illusion that having people over will be cheaper and easier that going out. If you believe that then you’re lying to yourself. If you’d like to stay home and watch the game, that’s fine. But don’t think that if you have people over it’ll end up better than if you’d just gone out in the first place. In this economy you can’t guarantee that all of your friends will have work on Tuesday. You’re bound to have one guy that either doesn’t have to work on Tuesday or drinks like he doesn’t. Either way you’ll have someone at your house until at least 2 am and you’re house will be a mess in the morning. Just go to a bar. It doesn’t even need to be your normal Sunday haunt, it just needs to have some TVs. On Mondays every place is going to have specials so, in the long run, going to a bar will save you time and money. In extreme cases I authorize you to go to a corporate bar, but please don’t tell me about it, keep your shame to yourself.

With the Washington Redskins playing as poorly as they have this should be a relatively easy win for the Eagles. Of course, I would have said that last week against the Oakland Raiders. Go out and have fun but make sure to not blow your load too early in the week. There’s a lot of Philly sport to watch this week. Beating yourself up tonight will only cost you more on Thursday.

There are really two strategies towards maximum Philidelphia Eagles Sunday Funday goodness. The first, as I discussed last week is finding your Eagles watching castle, then populating it with fellow Reidaphiliacs. The other is finding a group and taking a more nomadic approach; moving form bar to bar until you find the DeSean Jackson to your Donovan McNabb. Finding a good group can only amplify the good qualities of a bar, such as: atmosphere, prices, and the size of TV that the Eagles game is on. It can also insulate you from outside influences, such as people who root for the local team or, god forbid, non-football watchers. This week complete domination of your local gin mill is imperative. In addition to the normal Eagles party, the Philadelphia Phillies play Sunday. If you watched game one, you know you’ll want to watch it. This means you need control of at least two big screen TVs, not including side TVs for fantasy reports and big plays. You’re not going to get this on your own, finding a group is going to be the only way to get the amount of sports it will take to fulfill your Philly appetite this weekend. This week I’m going to rate some strategies to help you get the most muscle out of your group.

First step: You need to decide if you want to be the Alpha or join an existing group. Joining an existing group means all of your hard work scouting tap houses will go by the way side. The good news is, if you join a strong group, you’ll get better specials and be with strong numbers. On the other hand if you want to strike it out on your own you’ll have the ability to add anyone and everyone you see fit, including people from rival teams, girlfriends, and Emo kids. Established groups may not be as accepting of these groups as you are. You also want to keep in mind that starting your own group means you’re the first one there and the last to leave every Sunday. This can lead to increased bar tabs and decreased productivity on Mondays. For the purposes of this article we’ll assuming you’re starting out by yourself, with a dream in your mind and a dive bar in your heart.

Strategy: Empty Bar, automatic numbers…

Required People: 2+

Comments: This is the lazy man’s way to a watching party. Grab a buddy and go to a bar that no one else will and tell them to put on some games. This is also the least efficient way to go about the whole thing. There’s a reason no one else is there; the bar sucks. It could be the service, the specials, the tap selection, or the TV, who knows. What I do know is that people don’t avoid bars because they’re awesome. Since the Eagles are the late game and the Phillies are on TBS this could probably work, but Reggie White is watching and he’s ashamed of you.

Rating: Freddie “Fredex” Mitchell

Strategy: Well we’re not local team fans, so let’s hang out!

Required People: 5+

Comments: If you have a bunch of transplants that you work with, or know socially, from different cities uniting against a common enemy can be effective and fun. It’s easier and faster than trying to search out Eagles fans and as long as everyone is a good sport you should be able to have a broader spectrum of shit talking than you’re used to. These types of groups are difficult to maintain and control though. For each team represented an additional TV must be added. There’s also the difference of TV Schedule and differing bye weeks. If you’re starting one of these groups be prepared to be at the bar from at least 12:30 to 7 pm. On a good weekend for the teams represented this can turn into a brutal binge drinking marathon followed by a sick day. These types of groups require large sports bars, which are often corporate and therefore have lawyers who force them into not giving good drink specials. If you really like the people this can be worth it, but this group is going to be a lot of work and totally swing your emphasis off of the Eagles.

Rating: Hank Baskett (pre Kendra)

Strategy: I know you, you’re an Eagles fan!

Required People: N/A

Comments: In this strategy you simply go with what you know. If you live close to Philly and live in a major city, or even Pittsburgh, chances are you know other people in the area that are Eagles fans. This group could be composed of college or high school friends, people who you knew through sports or other activities. It could even involved people who you generally avoided but are now forced to coexist with. Chances are, if you live in the northeast, you’re either in, or have been in, this kind of group. Friend groups are a solid, no hassle, choice for Eagles enjoyment. The only draw backs of this style of group are that it requires background in the Philly area and doesn’t really force you to meet people in your new city. In short, this is good but not great.

Rating: Kevin Curtis

Strategy: With an NFL package my house is an Eagles bar!

Required People: 10+

Comments: There’s definitely some big play potential here. Obviously, outside of the subscription this is going to be the cheapest option. If you get people to chip into a fund every week or have everyone bring things over you can have a great time every week. You do have to keep the numbers high though; otherwise you’re having a watch get-together, or box social, which would be lame. There’s also the fact that drunks spilling drinks and knocking into walls in a bar is funny, them spilling drinks on your couch and knocking pictures off of your walls; not as entertaining. Be prepared to have serious mop up duty every Sunday night and still expect your house to smell like Cheers Monday morning.

Ratings: DeSean Jackson

Strategy: Innovate, Dominate!

Required People 20+

Comments: This is the Cadillac of Eagles watch groups. It also requires the most time and commitment. In this group you create a network and draw in fragmented Eagles groups throughout your area to create one large earth moving group, capable of demanding specials and whole floors of bars. Normally these types of groups form from a Curtis level group, the members eventually get tired of being mistreated and rally to pull in their brothers and sisters. This type of group is not for the faint of heart, it requires dedication and work throughout the week, beyond simply drinking beers at random bars, but if you can form one you’ll have one hell of a watch party this Sunday and can even negotiates bus trips to games and tail gates.

Rating: Brian Westbrook riding a Unicorn.

After the Philadelphia Phillies win to move on to the NLCS the first thing that comes to mind is football, right? It is if you’re involved in logistics planning for Philadelphia. In what may be the ultimate jinx ever, The Philadelphia Eagles game will be moved to accommodate the possibility of a game 4 World Series game in Philly. This move also effects the start time of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers game the same day, assuming Brett Favre allows it. This is actually an uncharacteristically nimble move by the NFL, and the City of Brotherly Love. They realized that, perhaps, having two capacity crowds try to change places was not the best move. Obviously this won’t solve the problem of most people who go to the Eagles game staying around for the Phillies game and there still won’t be any where to park, or move, but I digress. The really interesting part is who we may play that day. The Eagles will be playing the New York Giants. Bud Selig, the MLB and all of baseball fandom [should] pray the Phillies play the New York Yankees. This would bring the full brunt of New York like a Nor Eastern of cheese balls and Jager bombs on to the city that Ben Franklin built but it would be the best thing for the team and the sport.

Phillies fans should welcome the prospect because if we beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and make it to back to back World Series who would you want to play; the Yankees. It would silence the last hold outs that think 2008 was a fluke, or a down year for baseball, and it would be a game that people would actually see. Outside of the Philadelphia and Tampa Bay markets last year’s World Series was largely a flop from a TV ratings stand point. By flop I mean regular season Football games kicked its ass and reruns of Friends were even, winning if Rachel and Ross were together in that episode. If the number of Yankees, and Boston Red Sox laundry out there is any indication of how many people care about the Yankees run in the post season then there are quite a few, of course scientists are still unsure if the number of Yankees and Saux gear bought actually correlates in any way with the number of fans of either team but since we’re still looking at something that might happen there’s no reason to look into how much we all dislike bandwagon fans or which group is more annoying (Red Sox).

The fact of the matter is that either team would bring in monster national ratings (Boston can largely thank ESPN for this phenomenon). Much larger national numbers than the Anaheim Angels, oops! If you don’t believe me just think about last night. The Phillies were in a nail biting battle with the Rockies that exploded in the bottom of the 8^th and top of the 9^th. How many of you were still keeping up with the New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins game enough to catch Pat White on the field? You may not have known it was him because he was wearing #6 which is different than the #5 he donned at his Alma Mater, West Virginia University. Did you know that they were celebrating Latin Heritage month? How many of you actually caught the box score of the Phillies game this morning when you were checking your fantasy stats? Don’t feel like a bad fan football is king. So while the football fan on you is already salivating at a shot at the Giants, the baseball fan, of any team outside of Los Angeles, should want two teams with national names up there. Thanks to the profit sharing agreement it’ll help every team in both leagues. This way the Kansas City Royals will have more money to throw at a player whose name you’ll probably never hear.

I know that we all love how football makes getting drunk on Sundays socially acceptable but that doesn’t mean you should through back shots at just any old ram shack. Remember when you’re not in Philly every bar is not a Philadelphia Eagles bar. In a foreign city you’re competing with not only local fans but other transplants and even people that don’t watch football, trust me they do exist! Locating a steady, Eagle friendly, dive will not only increase the fun you have during the game, it can also lighten the load on your wallet. Getting to know the bartenders leads to comped, and strong, drinks. Find a good bar can be trial and error, but rather than waste all of that time just take use my helpful hints to avoid any wasted time.

Don’t be a sucker for specials. Nickel a wing is great and all but not if you have to sit through the Cleveland Browns vs. Saint Louis Rams game because that’s the one o’clock game on Fox. Saving money isn’t any good if you’re keeping track of the game via texts from your friends. Also, don’t just go to your usual bar because it’s good the other six days of the week. True, Sundays are about loyalty; loyalty to the Eagles not your corner pub. You owe it to yourself and the Birds to find an Eagles bar that is as glorious as the team you root for, do not just settle!

If you drank here, you'd be sloshed by now

Finding a good bar can be a long pain staking process. Be prepared to put grueling hours of bar hopping and boozing. You may want to start doing curls with your left arm so that it won’t get tired from lifting your beer, or shot, from the bar to your mouth. Bar hopping is the best way to get to know the ale houses in your area. This process kills two Cowboys with one stone because you’re not only finding a solid Eagles viewing station, you’re also going to find good every day haunts.

As you’re moving from bar to bar pay attention to flags and banners. In major cities bar owners will use these to advertise what teams they root for. Also be aware of the various tschokies and nick nacks on the wall. A lot of one team most likely means that you’re in a bar that’s already staked by a team. If you find a place that’s tempting make sure to ask the bartender if he has Sunday Ticket or the football package; no package no good. Don’t be scared to ask people wearing Philadelphia Phillies, or Flyers hats or shirts. This can be a great way to get insider information and meet fellow watchers.

When it comes to Sunday it’s time to put your hard work to the test. It’s best to pick out two places in close proximity to each other to watch. That way if one sucks you have a back up, you can even switch at half time if you’re feeling adventurous. If you walk in and there’s no definable team influence you may want to leave and keep looking u

ntil you find Eagles pay dirt. Never settle for a corporate restaurant like a Friday’s or Ruby Tuesdays, that shit is weak! Unless you have a good group together watching with a group of fans that root for different teams can turn into a binge drinking fest which, while fun, will not help Donovan McNabb’s rib heal any faster! No matter what day it is always tip your bartender. [Insert the obligatory line about not drinking and driving here.]

Jeremiah Trotter has officially returned to the Eagles, again.

This will be the veteran linebacker’s third go around in Philly and is a surprising twist in young season already chock full of incredible twists and surprises. It’s not surprising that Trotter wants to play again, as he has always had a hard time with the idea of hanging up the cleats, but more that the Eagles actually signed him. President Joe Banner, GM Tom Heckert, and coach Andy Reid are renowned for cutting ties with players who are on the verge of being past their prime (i.e. Brian Dawkins, Duce Staley, and Trotter).

“At some points, like last year, when I was sitting at home . . . I was like, ‘Should I give it up and start doing something else?’ Something just kept telling me to work out,” Trotter said.

The Eagles signed Trotter to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. He will wear his familiar No. 54.

Trotter underwent surgery in 2008 to cleanout his right knee, at his own expense, in hopes he could convince a team to sign him.

“I just trained, the whole [time] I was out,” he said. “I was able to get my body rest . . . I rehabbed and just stayed in shape. I changed my workout regimen, lost some weight, and did a lot of praying.”

He says that the Eagles told him his knees look better than they did two years ago.

By bringing Trotter in for a workout, it is clear that Reid and the Eagles’ coaching staff are not content with the defense’s current run-stopping capacity. After the loss of safety Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos this offseason and middle linebacker Stewart Bradley to a season ending injury suffered during training camp, the Eagles are looking for a veteran presence up the middle.

Both Trotter and the Eagles are hoping he can bring some of the intense and dominant play that made him a fan favorite the first two times around. In 103 games with the Eagles, Trotter has 536 tackles to go along with 11 sacks, seven interceptions, and seven forced fumbles. More importantly though, he is a fierce presence on the football field, something the Eagles are lacking after the departure of Dawkins.

“It’s going to be even more exciting when I can make that first big play and drop the ax,” he said.

Hopefully for the Eagles, there will be a lot of ax dropping.

In a somewhat surprising twist, the Eagles invited former linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to workout with the team on Thursday.

“We had a chance to work out Jeremiah yesterday and I just wanted to see where he was at,” coach Andy Reid said. “He had his knee taken care of after he left here, so I wanted to get him in here and see him move around a little bit, which I thought he did a good job with.

“I haven’t made any decisions on it one way or another, I wanted to make sure that I had a pulse of where he was at.”

By bringing Trotter in for a workout, it is clear that Reid and the Eagles’ coaching staff are not content with the defense’s current run-stopping capacity. After the loss of safety Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos this offseason and middle linebacker Stewart Bradley to a season ending injury suffered during training camp, the Eagles are looking for a veteran presence up the middle.

Trotter, who had surgery to clean out his knee last year, could fit the bill, although Reid would not commit one way or the other.

“You want to make sure you have everything lined up in case you need to go in that direction,” he said.

Trotter could also provide that veteran leadership in the locker room that has been absent after the departure of Dawkins and injury to Bradley.