Should Eagles Fans Boo Redskins Receiver DeSean Jackson? Absolutely
By Kevin McGuire
The question pops up every time a former Philadelphia sports star returns to the city wearing the uniform of a different team. This week the question has once again resurfaced as the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to take on NFC East rival Washington this Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Should fans boo former Eagles and current Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson? The answer, of course, is absolutely.
There really is no question that Jackson is a player to boo, and the logic is straightforward and simple to understand. If a player is not wearing an Eagles green jersey on the football field, he is by definition an enemy and should not be cheered for. Once the game gets started, that will be easy enough to follow. The difficult part of the question is whether or not Jackson should be booed as he returns to the field, perhaps even having his name announced during the pregame announcements.
Yes, feel free to boo Jackson then as well.
Without a doubt Jackson cooked up some great Eagles memories during his six seasons in Philadelphia, and nobody will ever forget those moments. Jackson’s walk-off punt return against the New York Giants to cap a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback likely will remain one of the top moments in franchise history, and most certainly within the Jeffrey Lurie era of Eagles ownership. His ability to go deep on any play, walk or trot backwards into the end zone with his defender left with his face in the grass 20 yards behind him was always captivating. His stopping short of the end zone so he could look back at his defenders in Dallas before falling backward into the end zone was childish, yet welcomed in Philadelphia by many. Why? Because Jackson was never one to shy away from rubbing it in his opponents’ face.
Jackson, though, was deemed unsuitable for the Eagles roster under Chip Kelly. This seems silly coming off a season with a career high 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns, but Kelly has a system he is trying to build and Jackson does not fit the mold Kelly is trying to shape at the receiver position. Moving on from Jackson this offseason was surprising, but Kelly insists it was purely a football decision. Whether you choose to believe that or not is up to you.
If fans choose to show some appreciation for the good times Jackson brought to Philadelphia, go for it. But in the end he accomplished no more in Philadelphia than any wide receiver in terms of bringing a championship parade down Broad Street than Terrell Owens or Todd Pinkston. Jackson left his mark on Philadelphia, there is no question about it, but the trophy case still remains empty.
Like many that have passed through Philadelphia, the dream of winning a Super Bowl ultimately was just that for Jackson and the fans.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
