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Lane Johnson Learns Philly Is Not Oklahoma

By Kevin McGuire

Since the opening of Lincoln Financial Field in 2003, the Philadelphia Eagles are 57-44 in the regular season and just 4-3 in the postseason. Fans making their way down to the games this season have not had too much to cheer about, unless they are going to see Temple. Following a second straight loss at home in as many weeks and preparing for a quick turnaround with a Thanksgiving game at Detroit this week, tensions have run high on the Eagles roster. One Eagles player opened his mouth just enough to regret it this week, but maybe he learned a valuable lesson about playing in Philadelphia.

Lane Johnson Criticizes Lack of Home Field Advantage

All of the fuss began Tuesday when Lane Johnson, in his third season in the NFL out of Oklahoma, made a comment to Josh Paunil of Philadelphia Magazine about the lack of home field advantage the Eagles have playing at Lincoln Financial Field. Johnson commented on how quickly fans will turn on the home team when things are not going well. Johnson, like so many have done before him, got himself into trouble by coming off as someone who thinks fans should be rah-rahing them through thick and thin like this is St. Louis or Nebraska. The point he was really trying to illustrate was actually fair in suggesting there is not a home field advantage at the place the Eagles call home.

"If we down by any significant amount of points or we don't make any first downs, we're going to get booed," Johnson told Paunil. "That's just kind of how it is. It's not really home field advantage playing here anymore. Really, that's the truth. Cats here, they don't really care."

Johnson may have been fan until he threw in the phrase at the end suggesting fans don't care. That could actually be left to interpretation, as fans emptied the stadium in disgust the other day. Fans care, but they are not going to sit idly by watching a pitiful performance from a pitiful team failing to seize control of the absolute worst division in the NFL.

Lane Johnson Apologizes

As is usually the case when a player says something so insanely stupid or ill-advised, Johnson took to Twitter to issue a statement of apology, perhaps after getting a quick call from someone in the Eagles PR department. That's all well and good, and it deserves to be recognized, but the sting is not healed so easily. At least he did not double down the way some have before (Jimmy Rollins, anybody). In his statement, Johnson acknowledges it is on the team and the players to give fans a reason to be excited, and that simply has not been there this fall. At least teammate DeMeco Ryans had the common sense to understand the Eagles let the fans down.

Lesson Learned: This Ain't Oklahoma, Lane

Johnson was drafted by the Eagles out of Oklahoma. During Johnson's time with the Sooners, he was part of some of the best teams in college football from 2009 through 2012, routinely playing on a top-10 team and being a part of a program that won three bowl games. College football fans in Norman love Oklahoma and have had few reasons to turn on their beloved Sooners even when times are tough (like last season). They are passionate, just as the Eagles fans are passionate about their Birds. There is a bit of a difference between Oklahoma and the Eagles. Oklahoma has won big, while the Eagles are in pursuit of their first NFL title since 1960. It's been a long time, Lane. We're not exactly accustomed to being among the best on a regular basis.

Fans of pro teams can also be harsher on their teams when things turn sour, and they have a right to voice that displeasure. Unlike when student-athletes are playing to attract NFL scouts for a scholarship playing in the college game, those in the NFL are getting paid to perform at a high level. When those expectations are not being met by fans paying an astounding price for the tickets (not to mention the high parking fees and any personal seat license fee that comes with the privilege of watching an NFL game in The Linc), they are not going to be happy and they deserve the chance to let you hear it. At Oklahoma, fans have experienced greatness. In Philadelphia, we demand it and accept nothing less.

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.

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