There are plenty of valid reasons to go after Nick Sirianni. He oversaw one of the greatest collapses in NFL history in 2023. He can be immature and a distraction, such as when Jalen Hurts had to get him in line during Super Bowl LVII.
Nick Sirianni could be the problem in Philadelphia
Rewind to the Super Bowl when Sirianni was taunting the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts had to make him stop… was this a sign?pic.twitter.com/au4XxCRESg
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 16, 2024
Most recently, cameras caught him chirping Eagles fans after a uninspiring win over the Browns on Sunday. (He may have been jawing with this fan. Or possibly this one.)
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni appears to have some words towards the crowd as the clocked ticked down in the Philly victory. pic.twitter.com/XILkMvVamD
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 13, 2024
The reactions were swift and brutal:
"This dude is a straight clown, bro. I just don't have any respect for what this man is doing."@damienwoody weighs in on Nick Sirianni's postgame comments following the Eagles win vs. the Browns. pic.twitter.com/8qzyW5XM9n
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 14, 2024
"He reminds me of a crypto bro, but the crash is coming... Can you imagine Andy Reid jousting regularly with fans?"
— @ColinCowherd on Nick Sirianni pic.twitter.com/SQJWZx0500
But the most vicious criticism came from those who accused Sirianni of using his three kids to soften the atmosphere in the postgame press conference. From the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski:
Sielski's full Inquirer article is available here ($).
Here's another example, from Boston Globe writer Ben Volin:
Such a bush league move by Sirianni to bring his kid to the podium while he’s under fire for bad play and acting like a maniac on the sideline. Kids are not human shields pic.twitter.com/66aeuXO8at
I think Sielski, Volin, and others went a little overboard with this particular criticism.
Reasonable people can disagree over whether it's appropriate to bring children to a press conference. I think coaches should probably not do that, and believe Sielski and others have a good point regarding professional journalists in the room trying to do their jobs. In a celebratory press conference after a Super Bowl win? Why not. In a media day sort of thing? Ok. After a lackluster performance at home against the Cleveland Browns... eh, not a great look.
But those accusing Sirianni of using the kids as "shields" are going too far. Whether the kids bother you or not, there's no indication that Sirianni's intention was to use them for any particular purpose. Here's what the coach said to WIP about it:
Nick Sirianni on @WIPMorningShow:
"After a win my kids love going up on that press conference with me...I've learned in this game that it's hard to win and you have to appreciate the wins. My ONLY intention is my love for my family and wanting them to share that moment with me." pic.twitter.com/bFaMGQPI59
It's important to note that this isn't the first time the Sirianni clan showed up at a presser:
Counterpoint… football coaches rarely get to see their kids and Sirianni brings his kids to lots of press conferences, win or lose and maybe not everything should be seen through the most cynical lens, ever https://t.co/8GlkcitaM9
And one last defense of a guy I'm really not in the mood to defend: Did the kids' presence really make it harder to "lean into tough questions," as PHLY's Les Bowen suggested? Seems like it would be annoying, sure. But I didn't see the little ones shutting down hostile questions.
Any Eagles beat reporter who felt like they couldn’t ask Sirianni questions because of his kids should be fired. That’s the most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard in my life. 😂
In summary and conclusion, fire Nick Sirianni (but not because of the kids thing).
