My Worst Sports Take: "I Thought Nick Foles Would Suck"

Eagles Writer Shamus Clancy shares his worst sports take and why he couldn't be happier to be proven wrong

I think Tim Tebow could’ve been a solid NFL starting quarterback. I don’t think Brian Johnson was at fault for the Eagles’ 2023 collapse. I thought the Raiders did the right thing by hiring Pete Carroll. I thought the Sixers would regret trading away K.J. McDaniels. I thought the Giants couldn’t win a Super Bowl with Eli Manning (or even two of them). I thought Trey Lance would fully unlock the Kyle Shanahan offense. I thought Ja’Marcus Russell would be the next great quarterback after LSU beat Notre Dame in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. I think NBA Finals Game 1’s and Game 7’s should have halftime performances like the Super Bowl.

Listen, we all have bad sports takes. The takes we regret, the takes we are happy to have disproven, or the ones we still hold onto no matter what. They’re the takes we say in the dark or hills we’re still willing to die on. Some we trot out there for the world to see, and some we keep to ourselves for fear of our miscues being resurfaced by rogue Twitter accounts. Like when your buddy has a few beers and quietly confesses to you that he thinks Tom Brady is overrated. Or when your college roommate used to send you high school basketball mixtapes of Austin Rivers with reckless texts like, “By the end of his career, he’ll be one of the best to ever do it.”

But here are Burds of a Feather, we’re celebrating those poor points of view with a little series called My Worst Sports Take. I’ll be chatting with friends and some of my favorite sports writers to share a sports take they had that didn’t quite pan out (for better or for worse) or one they still hold onto this day. Because one of the best things about sports is having a take that’s entirely yours, whether it’s right or wrong (but hopefully right because that feels amazing).

First up is a conversation with Philadelphia-based sports writer Shamus Clancy. Shamus is one of my favorite writers on all things Eagles. He’s a longtime writer for the pre-eminent Bleeding Green Nation, the pre-eminent blog for Eagles fans. He also shares his thoughts on Philadelphia sports and fandom on his Substack, From Broad Street with Love.

Shamus’ take involves one of the most beloved athletes ever to grace the City of Brotherly Love, who altered the course of Philadelphia sports forever. He and I both are happy that this take didn’t pan out.

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What’s your name and what’s your worst sports take?

My name is Shamus Clancy. And as for my worst take, it’s pretty easily that I thought Nick Foles would suck in the 2017 NFL Playoffs after coming in following Carson Wentz’s season-ending surgery.

The year is 2017. Carson Wentz is a frontrunner for MVP and is having what might be the greatest season ever for an Eagles quarterback.

It’s Week 14, and the 10-2 Eagles are taking on the 9-3 Los Angeles Rams, led by first-year head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Jared Goff, and running back Todd Gurley.

The Eagles lead the Rams 21-7, but the Rams storm back. After blocking a Donnie Jones punt and returning it for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, they take the lead.

Wentz takes the Eagles offense right down the field with a series of miraculous throws. In the redzone with 3:53 left in the third quarter, Wentz scrambles to his right and dives in for a touchdown. As he’s diving, two Rams defenders hit his knee from either side. Though Wentz makes it into the endzone, a holding penalty against Philadelphia negates the touchdown.

The next play, Wentz throws a beautiful pass to Alshon Jeffrey for Wentz’s fourth touchdown of the day. The next series, the Rams drive down the field to reclaim the lead on a Todd Gurley touchdown run. As the Eagles’ offense comes back out on the field, Nick Foles is the quarterback leading the huddle. At that moment, what were you thinking?

I was sick at the Coliseum. I knew what it meant. The news broke online about the true nature of Wentz’s injury before the game was over. I couldn’t even properly enjoy the victory that clinched the NFC East and the West Coast weather because of it.

What was it about Foles that gave you hesitations?

It was multi-faceted. I was such a huge believer in Foles in 2013. When he originally burned out during his first stint in Philly during the Chip Kelly era, I was jaded. It’s hard to have “The Guy” not become “The Guy”. I resented him.

I was also all in on Wentz at the time and was even at the game in Los Angeles where he was injured. Soul-crushing stuff. Foles was also horrific when returning to the field for the Birds in those cold weather home games against Oakland and Dallas. I thought his arm talent was gone. I wanted either Nate Sudfeld in as his backup or to even do something so drastic as to sign someone like Tony Romo or Colin Kaepernick off the street. I wanted anyone besides Foles back there lest he break my heart again. Obviously, it worked itself out in the long run.

At what point did you start to get confidence in Foles?

Right about when he uncorked a 53-yard bomb to Alshon Jeffery to go up 21-7 in the second quarter of the NFC Title Game.

When did you have an inkling the Eagles could win the Super Bowl?

I knew we’d get a parade after I saw Patrick Robinson’s pick-6 in the NFC Title Game. Team of destiny stuff.

How do you think that Wentz season will be remembered? Carson never reached those heights again, but how will he be remembered as an Eagle?

Moses led people to The Promised Land, but wasn’t allowed in himself. That sums it up for Wentz, no?

So I think we’re both very glad this take didn’t work out. With that in mind, where does Nick Foles rank on your all-time Eagles list?

Though I’m certainly in the minority, he is the greatest Eagle ever to me given that he was the first person to do what he did. Is he the “best” player who’s ever suited up for the Eagles? No, of course not. Greatness has an intangible quality to it though.

Eagles Mount Rushmore?

Foles. Lane. Dawkins. Bednarik. That’s my Mt. Rushmore.