Buzz Bissinger Owes Nick Foles an Apology

Photo Credit: Eric Hartline – USA Today

Long before the cheap shot on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles by Washington Redskins 325-pound nose tackle Chris Baker, Buzz Bissinger launched his own cheap shot at Foles. Baker attacked Foles’ body; Bissinger attacked his character.

Bissinger penned the cover story on Foles for the July issue of Philadelphia magazine. Bissinger, frustrated that Foles refused an interview, lashed out like a petulant child. In the article he called Foles a “one-dimensional choirboy caricature.” He said Foles has “fragility embedded into everything.” Bissinger, always Mr. Class, even called Foles “chicken shit” and said he needed to “man-up.”

But of all the quotes in the article, one paragraph stands out as especially foolish now that Foles has bounced back from a hit that would have sidelined most quarterbacks.

“… there’s still an aura of softness about him, no fire. Maybe it’s the hee-haw face. Maybe it’s the stream of selfless platitudes about others. Maybe it’s that at 25, he’s still very much a boy among men with the Eagles, with no interest in the extracurricular world of clubbing. Or maybe it’s the reality that if he fails in football, he has the likely cushion of going into an enormously successful family business. It’s the intangible hunger factor that appears to be missing.”

First, Hee-haw face? Have you seen Buzz Bissinger? I don’t want to stoop to his level, but maybe Bissinger should avoid making light of anyone else’s appearance. Second, “softness,” “a boy among men,” missing a hunger?

It all seems so blatantly absurd now that Foles rose from the turf, played through pain and led his team to a record third come-from-behind victory in three weeks. After the game, player after player used the word “tough” when talking about their quarterback. The exclamation mark came when coach Chip Kelly shook his head, smiled, and said, “He’s a tough sucker.” The swagger, the hunger, the fire that Bissinger couldn’t see now defines Foles after one game.

In his article, Bissinger writes that he wants Foles to be arrogant and spend more time drinking in nightclubs. In other words, Bissinger wants Foles to be more like Bissinger.

The Eagles quarterback was asked about the Philly Mag article at training camp and, much like he did at Lincoln Financial Field against the Redskins, he gave the perfect response to a cheap shot.

“If I were to go and do all of that, that’s sort of out of my norm. I’ve always been more of a laid back Texas boy, I love my family and being with my family, and that’s what I stick to. I love the game of football, I love getting better. My teammates know me because I show them who I am in the locker room and then I don’t change when I get on the field, I’m the same guy everywhere they see me. It’s not like anything changes.”

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