If you're like most Philadelphians, you probably spent some time at your New Year's Eve party or along Broad Street the following day talking about Chip Kelly's dismissal from his job as head coach of the Eagles. Everyone has their own theories on the when/where/why of it all. But the common theme seems to involve both a culture clash and a lack of leadership from Chip that owner Jeffrey Lurie simply couldn't let stand.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora tells a story today about how the timing of when the team's holiday party would take place put a magnifying glass on Chip's people skills problems and was just another factor in Lurie opting to end the relationship.
For instance, Lurie has always taken considerable pride in the team's holiday party, going to great expense to throw the large gathering, with it becoming something of a prized tradition with him. According to numerous sources with knowledge of the situation, Kelly basically refused to attend it this year on its normal Monday night, and ultimately Lurie had to move it to a Friday afternoon onsite to facilitate Kelly's schedule. Kelly argued Monday night would disrupt the coach's planning for the week -- a fair enough claim -- but Lurie apologized to the organization for the haphazard way the party was conducted this year and told others it would not happen in that fashion ever again.
In and of itself, it's not a big deal, but given the timing, with the team falling out of the playoffs around Christmas and with the atmosphere in the organization growing more toxic, it exemplified the growing divide between the way Kelly operated and what Lurie wanted his organization to be. "That's just part of a long list of reasons why Jeffrey made this move," said one source close to the situation, "but the whole thing with the Christmas party just epitomizes the split from what Jeffrey wants the Eagles to be, and what he felt like they were becoming."
There will likely be more tales of Chip clashing with people inside the organization, but the bottom line as our own Andrew Kulp wrote, Kelly simply failed to become an effective leader.
As for Chip's replacement, Duce Staley has already interviewed for the position. And Doug Pederson's name has popped up today as a "leading candidate." Although CSNPhilly.com's Derrick Gunn called the Pederson reports false on Pregame Live.
Hopefully, they can make it to Lurie's next party.
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