Screen Shot 2012-06-07 at 8.43.11 AM
Ding dong the witch is dead?

Something like that.

You are waking up this morning to news that Joe Banner is no longer the Eagles’ president. 

In an exclusive story on the cover of the Inquirer, the Eagles told beat writer Jeff McLane that Banner will no longer be the team's president. He will become a strategic adviser to the owner and will be allowed to “pursue opportunities outside the organization,” which may include being part of a group that buys sports teams.

Banner will be replaced by chief operating officer Don Smolenski and Howie Roseman will take over contract negotiations, something he was pretty much already spearheading anyway. 

Asked if a power struggle, reported by the LA Times this spring, played a role in the move, Andy Reid said:

"There's always a report [about] a power struggle. That's not the case at all. . . . You only have so much time to have an opportunity to be in this business. And so, [Banner has] got goals for himself and wants to do those things. Just like we do with [assistant] coaches – give them an opportunity to move on and fulfill their goals."

 

One may wonder how a story this big makes the front page of the paper without leaking sooner, and the answer is quite simple: The Eagles have long given exclusives to the Inquirer, and at times used them as a mouthpiece of sorts. This is a perfect example of that. 

Daily News beat writer Les Bowen, who once punched McLane in the head, added some color to the topic, saying on his blog that he wasn't surprised by the news… or Banner's choice to – and I quote – "summon a representative from the Inquirer to impart the news": [Philly.com]

At the Eagles' Youth Partnership Playground Build last week, I chased Joe around while he conferred with State Sen. Hardy Williams, then attended to urgent business with a paintbrush, too busy to do anything but tell me over his shoulder that his role wasn't changing. When it came time to admit it was, he summoned a representative from the Inquirer to impart the news, which is Banner's longtime custom.

 

Press conference today at 2:30 p.m.

One thing you can expect is local sports reporters covering this like it is the end of days. So, I ask you, the reader: On a scale from 1 to wake me when September begins, how much do you care about this?