Eagles

A Tale of Two Marcuses

By Kyle Scott

Published: Dec 14th, 2016 · 10:37 AM EST

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Marcus Hayes, in 2012, writing about DeSean Jaccson refusing to answer questions:

AT HIS locker in Seattle, DeSean Jackson made naked his true character.

He reacted with a violent disdain at accusations that, during a loss to the Seahawks, he ignored teammates on the sideline; that he was unprepared for the game; that he was uninterested in the team’s objectives.

This, 3 weeks after he was suspended for a game – a loss to Arizona – and just 4 days after a cowardly performance against the Patriots, in which he was benched for the fourth quarter.

Jackson could have maturely responded with a mild refutation; instead, despite his recent history of punk actions, he refused to acknowledge the questions. With indignation.

So what?

“Character” does not create 25-yard cushions on his side of the field. “Character” does not give the Eagles the most feared offensive weapon on the planet.

Marcus Hayes, in 2013, writing about Claude Giroux refusing to answer questions:

IN THE MOMENT of crisis, like a famous (if fictional) ginger who predated him, Claude Giroux was nowhere to be found.

The Flyers, assumedly led by Captain Claude, held a players-only meeting after their mind-numbing, 3-0 loss to the visiting Devils. Afterward, Giroux was seen heading into the training room, assumedly to regroup before addressing the press.

Soon thereafter, Flyers staffers told the press that Giroux had left the building.

That’s right: He scarpered off, left Hal Gill and Wayne Simmonds and Ray Emery and Andrej Meszaros, Goat of the Night, to explain why the team with nine points in 15 games needed 20 minutes afterward to cleanse its collective soul.

?