Did the Tush Push survive because, or in spite of, its biggest fan?

The Eagles' owner is a passionate advocate for the sound of his own voice

Photo by Larry Bridges Jr. on Unsplash

Jeffrey Lurie generally avoids the media. He used to store all his material for one annual blowout, a “State of the Eagles,’’ speech/presser, infamous among Philly press-types for its filibuster-like length and tendency to induce eye-rolls.

The Eagles’ owner can be a bit full of himself.

“During my days at WIP,’’ that station’s former morning-show host Angelo Cataldi wrote the other day, “I often demanded to hear from the elusive owner, and then begged for silence right after he started speaking.’’

In 2020, mid-COVID 19 pandemic, Lurie did the State of the Eagles thing virtually, and talked for 15 minutes¹ before mentioning football.

Philly Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski wrote, “Like many wealthy men, Lurie often fancies himself a thought leader because he is a wealthy man, and he reflected on the sociopolitical goings-on of the last six months as if the Philadelphia football press corps had been waiting for nothing else, for all that time, but to hear what he had to say, …

“The football is what matters most, still, even if Jeffrey Lurie didn’t and won’t admit it. He did quote Gandhi, though.’’