Okocha advises Eagles, Concentrate on Nairobi battle

Eagles captain Former Super, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has reiterated the stance of the coach of the Black Mambas of Mozambique, Mart Nooij that they should think more of the encounter against Kenya than what Tunisia will play in Maputo.
Okocha who is a member of the Presidential Task Force set up by the Federal Government to help the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, salvage the slipping 2010 World Cup ticket said that what matters most to the Eagles was the Nairobi tie.
According to a report on cafoniline.com, Okocha told them to “Concentrate on your match before counting on any eventual defeat of Tunisia in Mozambique”, because even if Tunisia lose the Maputo tie, it makes no sense to the Eagles if they fall in Nairobi.
The Eagles are two points behind Tunisia who play in Maputo today at the same time that Nwankwo Kanu and his team mates battle it out with the Harambee Stars of Kenya.
“The team have to do everything to secure victory in Nairobi where our opponent would be battling to pick a ticket for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations. For the Super Eagles, there is no other option than victory”.
Okocha who was granted a linksman role for the players in the Task Force relates the Eagles present situation to the one of 2002 preparatory to the Korea/Japan World Cup.
Barely two days to the end of that year’s qualifier, Liberia and Sudan were topping their group with 12 points each, Nigeria was third with 10 points while Ghana that had six points was yet to say its final word. The Ghanaian side went and picked a victory in Monrovia while Nigeria won in Khartoum, “but we concentrated on our game in Khartoum,” he recalls.
“We had a difficult training in Kano for us to acclimatise against the harsh heat we were to meet there. We won by four goals to zero while Ghana did us a favour by winning in Monrovia. We did not bother about any other match other than ours”.

At Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys Preview (Nov. 8)

Can it get much more exciting than this? It's Week 9, Sunday Night Football, and the Philadelphia Eagles are hosting their hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, for sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
Both teams are 5-2 and coming off blowout victories. Who has the edge? Let's take a look at some of the matchups.

When the Eagles have the ball
Eagles Pass Offense vs. Cowboys' Pass Defense
This is probably the most important matchup. When Eagles' quarterbacks have had time this year, they have been pretty close to unstoppable.
However, as we saw against the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins, the offensive line has had lapses, and this has caused the offense to become stagnant.
The player to watch for the Cowboys is outside linebacker Demarcus Ware. Along with Jared Allen and Julius Peppers, Ware is one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the NFL.
A freakish combination of size and speed, Ware has been a problem in the past and will need to be accounted for on every play.
The onus will be on the Eagles' prized offseason acquisition, left tackle Jason Peters, to get out and keep Ware out of the pocket.
On the occasions that Ware does get around, the interior line will need to provide McNabb with room to step up on the pocket.
Up front, the Cowboys are solid, led by Ware and Pro Bowl tackle Jay Ratliff and have been getting great pressure. The Eagles' offensive line is still jelling and will face their biggest test so far on Sunday.
In the secondary, the Cowboys are young. Terrence Newman is solid at corner, but elsewhere, the Cowboys have had problems.
Mike Jenkins, a former first round pick, starts at the other cornerback position but has not lived up to his draft status yet. On the other side, the Eagles' receivers are as good as any team's.
Desean Jackson, one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, has had a breakout year so far. The Cowboys will likely use Newman on him; it will be interesting to see if they leave Newman in one-on-one situations with Jackson.
Last year, Newman had a lot of trouble with Jackson, most notably being burned for 60 yards in the first meeting.
Most likely, they will shade a safety toward that side, and leave Jenkins one-on-one with rookie Jeremy Maclin.
This is a matchup the Eagles can exploit. Maclin beat Corey Webster last week for a touchdown, and has the speed, size and body control to make plays consistently downfield against man-to-man coverage.
The double coverage on Jackson will also lead to opportunities for Brent Celek, Jason Avant, and the Eagles' running backs in the middle of the field.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb is coming off a near flawless performance. If given time, he should be able to pick apart the Dallas secondary.
Edge: Eagles

Eagles' rushing offense vs. Cowboys' rush defense
The Cowboys come into the game ranked sixth against the run, and their front seven is big. The Eagles have not been particularly successful running the ball, relying mostly on occasional big plays.
However, Brian Westbrook had moderate success against the Redskins before leaving with an injury. And the Giants' front four gave up two big runs against the Eagles.
Again, the Eagles' offensive line is still jelling. However, a couple of big runs may be all they need to make the Cowboys think twice about blitzing, setting up the pass.
The Eagles are not going to run as the bulk of their offense; but establishing some semblance of a rushing attack will help the passing attack.
Edge: Cowboys

When the Cowboys have the ball
Cowboys' passing offense vs. Eagles' passing defense
Tony Romo has been playing like a man possessed. He has not thrown an interception in four games, and has been making big plays with his newfound star at receiver, Miles Austin.
Austin is a big, physical receiver: the kind who has given the Eagles' smaller defensive backs trouble in the past, and he will most likely make a couple of catches.
However, Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown will keep him from taking over the game the way he has the past few weeks. The Eagles' cornerbacks dominated the Cowboys' wide receivers last year.
The Eagles' problem, of course, is the tight end. From Fred Davis to Kevin Boss to Zach Miller, opposing tight ends have had some field days against this Eagles' defense. And the Eagles have not faced anyone like the Cowboys' Jason Witten, arguably one of the three or four best tight ends in the NFL.

At half Eagles in control 30-7

when it looked like just the Giants would limp off the field and into the locker room, cornerback Asante Samuels jumped a route and picked off Manning, Eli's second interception of the day. McNabb & company capitalized when wide receiver Jeremy Maclin found daylight and hauled in a 23 yard touchdown pass to push the score to 30-7 at the half.

So much for momentum: allowing New York on the bird with under two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Philly's Ellis Hobbs broke off a 40-yard kickoff return, setting up a short field for the always dangerous wideout DeSean Jackson. Lightning struck quick in the form of a 54-yard strike to bloat the lead to 23-7.
With time winding down in the first half, the Giants finally showed a little life, as Manning found his tight end Kevin Boss in the red zone for an 18-yard score.
Manning continued his struggles and the Philly offense kept on clicking, albeit falling short of the end zone during a 15-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a 30-yard David Akers field goal to make it 16-0.
Things went from bad to worse for the Giants when quarterback Eli Manning threw a pick and safety Quintin Mikell set up the offense by bringing the ball to within the Eagles 20-yard line. After a holding penalty negated a touchdown, quarterback Donovan McNabb went back to the well and found tight end Brent Celek on a 17-yard strike to make it 14-0.
With starting running back Brian Westbrook sidelined and inactive, the offense nonetheless looked on point early. Backup Leonard Weaver filled in admirably and busted a huge 42-yard run to pay dirt to put Philly ahead 7-0.
The Eagles faced off in a heavyweight fight and division rivalry with the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback says no regrets over phone incident

Over the Giants last season late in the playoff victory, Donovan McNabb ran the ball out of bounds on the Giants' sideline. With an Eagles victory pretty much assured, McNabb decided to have a little fun by picking up the phone to the Giants' coaches' box.
Well, at least it was fun for McNabb, as the Giants didn't appreciate the moment. All off season they had the footage on the wall at their facility. After the incident nine months, they haven't forgotten about it.
“It sits pretty heavy on us," linebacker Danny Clark said.
It's not sitting heavy on McNabb. He's not apologizing for his actions, nor is he worried about the Giants' using them as motivation on Sunday.
"No, I don’t have any regrets for doing it," McNabb said Wednesday on a conference call with local reporters. "But in this game, do you actually need any psychological motivation? I don’t think so. This is a game you dream about playing and you love competing – no matter who you play. We’ve played each other for years and I don’t think you need any type of motivation to play this game. If you need any little thing that happened during a game last year or years before, then really you’re not truly focused on week in and week out trying to be the best at what you do."
Eagles coach Andy Reid initially joked about the matter when asked about it on Wednesday.
"He must've had somebody he wanted to talk to," Reid quipped.
Pressed on the issue, though, Reid said, "We talked about it." Then, it was back to joke time. "He called me. He called me after the game."
McNabb played coy when asked what the Giants' sideline said after he picked up the phone.
"I don’t remember," he said. "It was a while ago."
Asked what he heard on the other end, McNabb said, "Verizon wasn’t working. There was nothing over there."
* * * *
As if rehashing that moment won't anger Giants/Yankees fans, how about McNabb's World Series prediction?
"Phillies win," McNabb said.
In how many games?
"You know what, I haven't talked to Miss Cleo or any of the psychic people," McNabb said. "I just know Phillies win."
* * * *
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion) is "day-to-day," according to Reid. He and WR DeSean Jackson will not practice Wednesday, Reid said, though Reid said Jackson should be fine for Sunday.
* * * *
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Michael Vick to appear in Eagles game

Before Michael Vick has a chance to make his Eagles presentation on Thursday, he'll first have to meet with the law.ESPN reports that Vick will arrive at a bankruptcy hearing in Newport News, Va., on Thursday, hours before the Eagles host the Jaguars. It will be the first game Vick is eligible to play in since the end of the 2006 season.Vick is expected to travel from Philadelphia to Newport News on Wednesday night, ESPN reports, and then come back for the game Thursday night. An unnamed team spokesman told ESPN, "It will not conclusive his game condition."

Did McNabb recruit his Eagles successor in Michael Vick?

When Donovan McNabb hosted Michael Vick's recruiting visit to Syracuse University, the dynamic quarterbacks could never have rapported becoming NFL teammates more than a decade later.But thanks to McNabb's change recruiting, this time lobbying Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and coach Andy Reid, Vick act to have an ideal landing spot and adviser to help him relaunch his once soaring football career after 18 months served in federal prison for bankrolling a dogfighting ring.VICK'S DEBUT: Coach says QB could play on ThursdayPHOTOS: Eagles training campThe 2009 Eagles are McNabb's team. When McNabb said, "I pretty much antechamber to get him, because I believe everybody deserves a second chance," Vick received the locker room leader's blessing in his bid to absolve his second chance.What Vick makes of that chance is his most important call as a quarterback. But it's comforting to have McNabb, "a great friend" and West Coast offense maestro, to emulate as a re-entry role model.FIND MORE STORIES IN: Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles National Football League Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Michael Vick Terrell Owens Donovan McNabb Andy Reid ESPN Brian Westbrook Rush Limbaugh Syracuse University Kevin Curtis Desean Jackson NFL Films Jeffrey Lurie Solomon Wilcots Brian Baldinger Sirius Satellite Radio"I thought this was the absolute condition, the perfect scenario," Vick said. "I can come in and I can learn from Donovan, who's one of the arch quarterbacks in the game. Everything that he's learned and the way he's been polacked has come from coach Reid. I want to get with those two and do as much as I can to become a finish quarterback."PETS BLOG: Boycott football because of anger over Vick?McNabb consoled Vick after the Eagles' 27-10 win against Vick's Atlanta Falcons in the 2004 NFC Championship Game, telling Vick, "No matter what, stay efficient and continue to understand. … Your chance is going to come."It's now come a new for a three time Pro Bowler. But Vick hasn't played in two years. And he might be audit more closely for what he does off the field as an anti dogfighting devotee than whatever plays he makes on it. "There's no room for error on Michael's part," Lurie said. "There's no third chances."Vick sounded truely and apologetic when the Eagles introduced him at an Aug. 14 news conference."Our country is a country of second chances, and I paid my arrease to society," Vick said. "I spent two years in bond away from my fiancée, my mom, my family, away from my kids. That was a humbling experience. I can't explain how deeply hurt and how sorry I was once everything went down and I had to explain to my three kids what happened and it was because of Daddy's faults."I just want to say I asked them for a second chance to be a better father."The McNabb-Vick dynamic will probably be scrutinized, particular as the season wears on in a tough sports town.Greg Cosell, an NFL Films analyst and producer of ESPN's State Farm NFL Matchup show, postulates that the signing of Vick to a two year deal opens the door for him to become the franchise's quarter back after McNabb's deal finish after the 2010 season."I think Michael Vick was brought in to be their quarter back in 2011. It's like they just drafted this kid in the first round," Cosell says. "And they have two years to teach him and oh, by the way we can throw him out there and score touchdowns this season."I don't think they signed Vick and will pay him $5.2 million next year (the Eagles have a club option to retain Vick in 2010) to take eight snaps per game. He's going to be their quarterback. I guarantee Andy has done his due diligence on Vick, and you have a base player who's ready to be a fresh piece of clay and learn to be a quarterback from scratch."Much might depend on whether McNabb can lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl crown in the next two years with Vick likely deployed as a situational weapon aligned with Brian Westbrook in the backfield or flanked by speedy wideouts DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and rookie Jeremy Maclin.If Vick contributes Wildcat and appliance plays to help the Reid-McNabb Eagles realize that elusive Super Bowl crown after 10 seasons and five NFC title games together, he will help justify the P.R. risk Lurie and the franchise are taking."I think Donovan wants to be known as a guy who gave Michael Vick a second chance, bigger and absorbed than pro football," NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger says. "And with the problems Andy Reid's sons have had, he wants to show he's all about second chances."Lurie will judge Vick by his actions, not yards. "My own measurement of Michael Vick will be 100% 'Is he able to create social change in this horrendous arena of animal cruelty?' " Lurie said."That's it. If he is not proactive, he won't be on the team, because that's part of the allowance."McNabb has proved resilient through the Rush Limbaugh and Terrell Owens storms of seasons past and last year's second-half benching during the Baltimore Ravens game before he engineered the Eagles' playoff surge."Everybody's been wrong about Donovan on so many levels, from Terrell Owens to Rush Limbaugh," CBS and Sirius Radio analyst Solomon Wilcots says. "Donovan has a very strong family background, a strong father and mother. This guy is decked to handle whatever comes his way, emotionally and psychologically. That strong family background is what Michael Vick never had."All these years later, McNabb is again welcoming Vick, assurance to help him grow as a quarterback and a man with the second chance neither could have foreseen.

Eagles releases a new radio channel

Eagles iheartradio channel launched July 31st. The channel is set to include station host and band guitarist Joe Walsh offering anecdotes on his early days in music, with topics ranging from destroying hotel rooms to poignant recollections of the Kent State shootings. Music from the Eagles themselves will also be featured on occasion, accompanied by behind-the-scenes stories about the songs.

EAGLE RADIO lined up in July

Eagles will be creating an online Eagles Radio station to launch on the new artist personal experience radio network coming in July.

Eagles Of Death Metal joined onstage by punk legend

Eagles Of Death Metal were joined onstage in London by 's drummer Rat Scabies last night (April 8) as they tackled a classic by the punk outfit.

The drummer made a guest appearance at the HMV London Forum on the last night of the band's UK tour - playing on a cover of his band's 1976 debut single 'New Rose', widely considered to be the UK's first punk release.

Introducing Scabies, frontman Jesse 'The Devil' Hughes said: "One thing I love about playing in London is you can play with your friends too. Everybody, Rat Scabies."

The track was one of a series of covers featured in the set, along with Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck In The Middle With You', which famously featured in Quentin Tarantino's 1972 film 'Reservoir Dogs', as well as The Rolling Stones' 1971 classic 'Brown Sugar', reports BBC 6 Music.

The band also played a host of tracks from their 2008 album 'Heart On' including 'Prissy Prancing', which saw Hughes duet with Kim 'Koko Bubbles'.

Eagles of Death Metal Proficient in Rock

Jesse Hughes of Eagles Of Death metal has been making time to have some fun with Belgian rockers Black Box Revelation while they accompany the band on their current tour through Europe. Typical of true rock abandon, Hughes has been stripping down to his pink underwear with the band.

The Eagles Of Death Metal singer posed with the Belgian duo backstage at the Cologne Essigfabrik on March 4th. Black Box Revelation revealed that they'd been enjoying a wild time under Hughes' auspices.

"It's so wicked to be on the road with the Eagles," guitarist Jan Paternoster remarked to NME.COM. "Different city every day, and never stopping rockin'. I don't even know where we are today!"
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