Best of the Eagles broadcast: Jordan Mailata’s stalker, Will Shipley’s celebration, and a science lesson
If you were paying too much attention to what was happening on the field against the Patriots, you missed all the fun.
We’re going to be keeping a close eye on the Eagles’ broadcasts this season. The Inquirer is always in the press box, taking in the game and providing expert analysis, but most of you are like me, watching at home on NBC10, or on NFL+ (don’t get me started on that one again). The fun stuff often happens on TV, as fans in the stands go viral and broadcaster calls and slip-ups become nightly memes.
So here’s everything you might have missed if you took a bathroom break, were scrolling on your phone, or sat in the rain in Foxborough during the Birds’ 14-13 win over the Patriots …
Will Shipley’s celebration
Rookie running back Will Shipley scored his first touchdown in an Eagles uniform during last week’s preseason opener in Baltimore. After the touchdown, he hit an eagle flap celebration, which he said after the game was spur-of-the-moment.
“I had no clue what my celly was going to be, so that was the first thing that went through my head,” Shipley told NBC Sports Philadelphia after Friday’s game
But on this week’s broadcast, Ross Tucker and Scott Graham shared how that celebration was received in the locker room — not well. Tucker said Shipley felt good about it when he did it, but reviews from his teammates were not as good as he’d hoped, including some jokes from fellow running back Saquon Barkley.
It looks like he’s back to the drawing board for a more permanent celebration. He didn’t reach the end zone against New England, so we’ll have to wait another week at least.
» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Cornerbacks earn high marks, while the offensive line struggles in win over Patriots
Wait, you don’t know all the stages of the lunar cycle?
Late in the second half, NBC used an establishing shot of the moon while Graham and Tucker read ads as they returned from a commercial break. After one ad, Graham said he’d learned the name of the moon on the morning news, but could no longer remember it — “a golden something?”
Tucker couldn’t contain his laughter.
“If you don’t remember, maybe just keep it to yourself!” Tucker joked.
“On social media, we’ll find out the name of that moon within the next five minutes,” Graham said.
» READ MORE: Three Eagles on the way up — and three on the way down — after the Patriots game
Sure enough, X came through — sort of.
“Waxing gibbous is the name of that moon, my sources are ironclad,” Graham shared minutes later.
“I’ll put that in the category of useless knowledge I don’t need to have in my brain,” Tucker added.
However, Graham was likely talking about the “Supermoon Blue Moon” — those are NASA’s words — that begins next week and has received news coverage across the nation. So while the above replies and Graham’s description of the waxing gibbous weren’t technically wrong, they’re weren’t exactly right either.
» READ MORE: Eagles-Patriots analysis: Offense doesn’t escape preseason win unscathed despite the starters sitting
Brandon Graham
Defensive lineman Brandon Graham did not play in his team’s second preseason game, but the 15-year veteran was featured on the broadcast in a sideline interview. Graham is planning to retire after the 2024 season, and said he’s looking to enjoy the final year with his family and leave everything he has on the field with the Eagles.
Graham, of course, was the player behind one of the greatest moments in Eagles history, the strip-sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII. So after Graham put the headset down, Tucker shared what he’d do in Graham’s shoes.
“If I were Brandon Graham, my phone ring would be Merrill Reese calling the strip sack in the Super Bowl,” Tucker said. “I’d have it running on multiple TVs.”
Jordan Mailata’s interview gets crashed
Left tackle Jordan Mailata hasn’t played yet in the preseason, but he was a part of the “competitive” joint practices against the Patriots on Tuesday. He’s also ushering in a wave of Eagles’ fans in his native Australia, as he learned during his trip home in the offseason.
“It was kind of weird seeing the amount of support that’s accumulated over time back home,” Mailata said. “I didn’t think anybody would recognize me, but I was very wrong, especially in my hometown.”
During the interview, a hooded figure appeared over his right shoulder, stepping closer and closer as Mailata kept speaking. Landon Dickerson, the evil Kermit on Mailata’s shoulder, breathed in his ear during his final answer.
Hold on to that photo. It’ll be such a good meme during the season.