Philadelphia Eagles' Training Camp Poem

Philadelphia Eagles’ traininig camp
An everyday grind, full of drama
Two-a-day practices, the last of which in suffocating, skin-burning-like heat
But joy and fun, yes ther e was some
Donovan McNabb, the $100 million plus quarterback, showing the cool, refreshing, light, humorous side of himself
Fans loved it, snapped pictures,even called him giddy
But just an NFL star keeping it real
Showing his kid side, demonstrating dance moves, proving, let’s not forget, that he is human
And do more than just play football
A training camp memory
One in which sadness also played a part, that being the death of longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson
Just two days into camp in the hills of Bethlehem
A downer, yet also a reminder that life must be treasured every second
For none of us ever knows when our hearts will beat no more
J.J. as he will forever be remembered was a great man, a defensive mastermind
But camp moved on
Moved on in a seesaw way
With injuries galore, two season-enders
Moved on with one player and his driver, another, getting stopped
One getting busted for a wrist-slapping marijuana charge, the driver drawing a citation for having his headlights off
Juqua Parker, themariuana smoker, Todd Herremans the disobeying driver
In the grand scheme of things, while their actions were a distraction
Nobody will ever care that Parker took a puff or puffs or that party boy Herremans had a brain freeze
Training camp, you see, moved on
Had some highlights
One being the day rookie wide receiver Jeremy Maclin showed up
Finally paid, finally rich, finally able to show his skills
And boy did he dazzle, boy will Kid Mac continue to dazzle
With game-breaking plays
Much like DeSean Jackson
Much likeBrian Westbrook and in all likelihood, his backup, young LeSean McCoy
Training camp, a glimpse of what might be, what could be
Despite the injuries, despite Pro Bowl right tackle Shawn Andrews never even sticking his big feet on the practice field
What up? His back, supposedly hurt. His mind? Wait and see
But after 16 days, the 17th and final to come tomorrow
The bottom line is the Philadelphia Eagles have had a training camp to remember
As is the case with all training camp
For there are gains and losses – maybe too many this summer – but at the end of it all
It all comes down to wins and losses in the regular season
With that in mind, this team can still be successful
By winning the NFC East title
By winning the NFC title
By winning the Super Bowl?
Ah, now wouldn’t that be something
Something sweet, something big
But something, let’s face it, that can not be determined by just what’s happened in training camp.