I am extraordinarily hard on Marcus Hayes and his usually awful, staccato sonnets. But when he writes something worth reading, I’ll happily steer you towards it.

Today, Hayes gets a standing ovation for blasting Andy Reid for the 2012 season. 

An excerpt:

A cataclysmically awful signing; the drug-related death of a nepotistic hire; the insistence by his agent that he could coach in Philadelphia forever; the firing of a loyal, if miscast, lieutenant, and the subsequent, disastrous ascension of an overmatched assistant; the late-game injury to the most valuable player on the team in an unwinnable game; the dismissal of an insubordinate defensive lineman, then his insubordinate position coach.

And, throughout, Reid's pernicious refusal, in defiance of his owner's dictate, to put a congenial face on the franchise he represented.

These things actually happened.

We checked our notes.

What happened Aug. 5 might be the worst thing to happen in Philadelphia sports history.

Reid's oldest child, Garrett Reid, died of a heroin overdose in August at training camp. Garrett, 29, was in employ of the Eagles as a strength coach, despite no qualifications for the job besides bloodlines. He was on property the team leased, actively serving in his capacity as a coach. Steroids and syringes also were found in his room.

In 2007, Garrett went to jail on drug charges. Steroids were in the mix then, too. In 2009 he went back to jail for fighting at a halfway house.

No coach in the NFL has the sort of baggage Garrett Reid carried.

 

Go read.