Sometimes I wonder what goes through players’ minds when they are talking trash to each other.  Sometimes it goes out of hand, but at least they are the people who will take the field and have to back up their trash talking.  So I didn’t mind when I heard that DeSean Jackson and Mike Jenkins have been trash talking all over twitter about the up-coming wild card game Saturday.  What did surprise me is that when I was about to head to work today the sports talk and even one of our local regular morning shows were talking about an Eagles employee spitting on the Star at the Cowboys stadium.

Now, let me say first that I am an Eagles fan.  And as a true Eagles fan I can’t stand the Cowboys and would love to see them go on a 5 year winless streak if possible.  That being said, I think it was a very low class, if not totally class-les act for someone who won’t put on the pads on game day to be doing.  Those of us in Eagles nation know the perpetrator, Dave “Spuds” Spadaro, because he’s the Eagles “insider” who writes for philadelphiaeagles.com.  His opinions and reports aren’t really taken seriously by true fans as he comes off like a team mouth piece than an objective reporter.  But I can’t hate on his hustle, I’d praise the organization writing my big paycheck too.  The problem is that he always tries to portray himself as anything but a team lackey.

This may have been a stunt to gain more respect among the fans.  You know, the so-called “Philly” fans that the media love portraying as violent, tough, and unruly.  By doing something that would reflect how Eagles fans feel about the Cowboys.  Yes, we despise them.  But the majority of Eagles fans are not low-class, beer bottle throwing idiots.  The majority of Eagles fans I’ve come across love not just the team, but they love the game and the love the competition.  There is no bigger weekends in Philly football than the 2 (rarely 3) weekends that we play the Cowboys.  It’s an unsung rivalry.  It’s a bitter rivalry.  But at the end of the day, it’s still just a game and most of those fans respect the games.  I live in Philly, and I see a lot of Cowboys fans walking around here.  They aren’t assaulted or harmed (for the most part).  I’ve interacted with them and most are nice, they genuinely know the game.  There are a lot of bandwagon Philadelphia Cowboys fans who are more ignorant, loud, and stupid than anything, but I digress.  We can’t talk about those cockroach fans who only show their face when the team wins.  The point is that by Spadaro spitting on the Dallas star, it adds unnecessary motivation to a team that may have had more confidence than needed.  It may have brought the right focus to the Cowboys who may have been playing with expectancy to win a 3^rd game of the season over the Eagles.  Now, they may play more focused on avenging this act of disrespect.

In trying to act tough, and act rogue, and act like he’s not just a team lackey, Spadaro has probably further alienated himself from Eagles fans.  Those of us in the know already don’t read his columns for any in-depth analysis of the team.  He is who is his, and he was even dumber to videotape himself spitting on the star.  That kind of nonsense can’t be tolerated.  You don’t come into a man’s home and spit in his living room.  The best thing the Eagles could have done for their fans was to come in this Saturday night and beat them Cowboys in their house and send them home without a playoff win for the 14^th straight year.  Now that task just became a little harder.  Thanks “Spuds”.  You’re still no closer to gaining any kind of legitimacy with the Eagles fans.  You’re still a team lackey, and now you’re also seen as a wanna-be tough guy.  Here’s his apology:

“As you may have seen, I went too far with my Spudcam video prior to Sunday’s game against the Cowboys,” Spadaro writes.  “Acting alone, and without permission from the Eagles organization, I walked out to the middle of the field at Cowboys Stadium and spit on the Cowboys star, and for that I deeply apologize to the outstanding Cowboys organization and the fine people there, from Jerry Jones to the rest of the team.”

As much as I hate the Dallas Cowboys, I wouldn’t walk into their stadium and spit on the star.  Only players should talk trash to the team, and do things like that because they have to come on the field and back it up.  T.O. posing on the star was fantastic because he was on the field scoring touchdowns and burning them.  But he learned the consequences when he was hit by a player who didn’t take his show-boating lightly.  Spadaro will be “punished” by the eagles, but to what extent?  Trash talking, show-boating, and the like should be reserved for players and perhaps fan-to-fan interaction.  Most people know not to take it too far.  I’d expect a professional “writer” and “journalist” to also know that.