The professional sports industry can be a complex environment to understand about the phenomenon surrounding incredibly talented people and the increased scrutiny they receive when they have reached the top. In many instances, an inquest into their ability only begins after they successfully reach the summit of their specific industry.
Put more colorfully, the debate around whether they are an imposter or not begins in earnest. This, to a large degree, is now Nick Sirianni’s reality after he successfully guided the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. In particular, the world wants to know if he has contributed to the Eagles’ success or merely been a bystander as his swashbuckling team steamrolls the NFL.
Can the Eagles win the NFL?
It should be said that victory against the Kansas City Chiefs at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is not a foregone conclusion just yet. At least, anyone betting on NFL fixtures will see that there is very little to separate the franchises before kick-off as the handicap line is 1.5, with the Eagles priced at -111 for -1.5.
The latest Super Bowl odds price the Chiefs at evens while the Eagles are marginally ahead at -120. Ultimately, these prices suggest that it could go either way and that will be a prospect that is playing on Sirianni’s mind.
Indeed, with his management now being called into question with some arguing that the Eagles didn’t need a coach this season and could have gotten to the Super Bowl by having the most talented players, the 41-year-old will be desperate to win the one-off game for the noise to die down.
Even then, that may not be enough to silence his naysayers but do they have a point or is this criticism unfair? To begin with, it’s, admittedly, not hard to see why Sirianni has earned his fair share of detractors since being appointed Eagles coach on account of how charismatic he is.
Undoubtedly, many would stress that this description is far too charitable when taking into consideration his boisterous antics on the touchline which often sees the Eagles coach wearing his heart on his sleeve. Granted, it can come across as brash which is not a trait that will endear Sirianni to people outside of the Eagles’ setup.
The link between Sirianni’s CV and the Eagles’ success
But there is a crucial and perhaps even obvious distinction between being unliked and untalented. The inescapable truth is that Sirianni is immensely skilled, especially in orchestrating offensive plays. Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone as the 41-year-old spent three seasons working as the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts before he joined the Eagles.
In short, the results of this time spent learning at the Lucas Oil Stadium are there for all to see and serve as a timely reminder that the Eagles’ unmatched creativity is the product of Sirianni cutting his teeth with the Colts. Furthermore, it is no coincidence at all that the Eagles have performed to the level they have this season by reaching the Super Bowl.
Of course, Sirianni has been assisted by having very good players but good teams on paper rarely make Super Bowl-winning sides without a head coach that can bring it all together. The same is true for any other sport and history actually tells us that managing high-profile players can be a thankless task owing to the number of egos in the changing room. In this instance, Sirianni has got the best out of his charges and will rightly look back on the 2023 season as being his best in management yet.
