Judging by the comments beneath a video of Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni bringing his kids to the podium after Sunday’s 20–16 win over the Cleveland Browns, I can almost guarantee that the fan he was screaming at toward the end of the game deserved it.
The Eagles’ coach showed up to his first game after the bye week with a shaved head, barely beat one of the worst teams in football, was all at once rambling and combative during his postgame interview and was seen chirping at what looked to be a member of the team’s own fan base. From 30,000 feet, some might call these the ingredients of a spiral. But those who have watched Sirianni grow into a coach who thrived in Philadelphia, became a part of its zeitgeist and, at least momentarily, tenderized the hearts of a place that tends to be highly conditional in its affection, should know what’s really happening. They should appreciate the fact that he’s still comfortable being himself in a city full of people famous for doing exactly the same. It might be the kind of decision that turns this sleeping giant around.
