Chip addressing the media today

Chip addressing the media today

For the second time in three seasons, Eagles training camp is kicking off with a race issue.

The recently-traded Brandon Boykin told Derrick Gunn in a text that, yep, Chip Kelly is basically a racist. Geoff Mosher writing about Gunn’s scorching inbox:

In a text message to Comcast SportsNet’s Derrick Gunn, Boykin said Kelly is “uncomfortable around grown men of our culture.”

“He can’t relate and that makes him uncomfortable,” Boykin added in the text message. “He likes total control of everything, and he don’t like to be uncomfortable. Players excel when you let them naturally be who they are, and in my experience that hasn’t been important to him, but you guys have heard this before me.”

The “heard this before me” reference pertains to other Eagles who were sent packing, one way or another, during Kelly’s tenure as head coach. Kelly’s third training camp starts Sunday at the NovaCare Complex.

Gulp.

This is now becoming a theme. And whether these accusations from spurned players are real or imagined, the damage is done. Chip is cast as a racist. It’s that simple.

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There are so many layers to this that can’t be unpacked in a single blog post. So for now, that’s what was said. We’ll see how Chip responds… though if I’m an Eagles PR guy, I’m sending Chip out on a community project in the deep hood, stat.

UPDATE: At his press conference, Chip seemed genuinely surprised and disappointed at Boykin’s comment. Said he gave him a handshake and a hug when he left last night. Said Boykin had a great work ethic. Said he liked Boykin. He admitted that he’s disappointed by the comments made by Boykin and others. Here’s the audio:

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UPDATE 2: Chip said Mychal Kendricks isn’t going anywhere. “You can write that down in ink, not pencil.” What about in editable online type?