Finally, we are going to settle some debates in Philadelphia.
Next week kicks off Once and For All week on 94WIP, a chance for all of us to finally get to the bottom of some of the best debates we have had over the years. Donovan McNabb. Gabe Kapler. The Process. All of them will be debated. We will decide, once and for all, on an answer for all them.
I couldn't wait for the week to kick off on Monday, so until then, here are some of my initial thoughts on each topic:
Monday: Is Donovan McNabb underrated or overrated?
92 wins, 32,873 yards, 216 touchdowns, nine playoff wins, five division championships, one NFC championship — what are we even talking about here? McNabb isn't just the best quarterback in the history of the franchise, he is on the short list of best players period — and that probably extends to all four sports, not just the Eagles. McNabb was the most important player during the best stretch of football in franchise history, and if the front office got him more help earlier on in his career, he would have a Super Bowl title. There is no getting around the fact he didn't bring a title to Philadelphia, but the list of those who have is very short. There is zero argument to be made for McNabb being overrated.
Once and For All: Underrated
Tuesday: Who was really the most important player on the '08 Phillies?
This is a tough one. There are three players who can make an argument — Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. Utley might have been the best overall player of the three. Howard was the most dangerous and carried the offense for long stretches. The most important of the three, however, was Rollins. Rollins wasn't just the lead off hitter, and there best defensive player, but he got the Phillies going when he declared them the best team in the NL East before they had won anything. The Phillies are a very good team without Rollins. They were a special team and a World Series team because of him.
Once and For All: Jimmy Rollins
Wednesday: Was Sam Hinkie a good general manager for the 76ers?
Hinkie arrived to a Sixers team that had no real direction, no real superstars and no real chance of competing for an NBA title. When he left they had Joel Embiid, were about to get Ben Simmons and had enough cap space to add plenty of other talent. Hinkie created the core of the team that won 50-plus games in back-to-back seasons. It wasn't Hinkie that drafted Markelle Fultz, traded for Jimmy Butler or signed Al Horford. Whether the team would have been able to win a title with Hinkie as general manager will never be known, but one thing is clear — his process was a huge success.
Once and For All: Yes
Thursday: Carson Wentz vs. Nick Foles
Easily the most complex, most heated, and if we are being honest, most fun Philly sports debate of my life. It is almost impossible to discuss one without the other, and even now, two years after the Super Bowl, the answer still isn't clear. Is Carson Wentz a more talented player than Nick Foles? Probably, although Foles is a more accurate passer. Does Foles win a Super Bowl without Wentz? Absolutely not. Should the Eagles have kept Foles over Wentz? That is an incredibly interesting hypothetical, and depends on so many things — compensation, what kind of deal Foles would have signed, etc. In a topic that has so many layers and so many tough, heated questions, one thing is very clear — Foles has had a better career than Wentz has so far.
Once and For All: Foles
Friday: Joe Giglio vs. Everyone on Gabe Kapler
Talk about defending a take you believe in. Giglio will be in the WIP studios next Friday from 6am to 10pm, defending the Phillies ex-manager against almost single host at the station. It will be an uphill battle, but what will make it so interesting is that Giglio might be right. Kapler didn't make the playoffs during his time with the Phillies, but there is certainly an argument to be made he got more of his roster than most managers would have. He kept the Phillies in the playoff race for two seasons despite having a bad rotation, a terrible bullpen and — even after Bryce Harper arrived — a lackluster lineup. Moving on to Joe Girardi might have been the right decision, but that doesn't change the fact that Kapler was a good manager during his time with the Phillies.
Once and For All: #TeamGiglio
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
