The Andy Reid Quit Watch has officially begun. The head coach of the Eagles has had a tumultuous family life since the start of 2007, and it just got worse, thanks to his 22-year-old son, Britt, getting arrested on suspicion of driving drunk in a shopping center parking lot. Although the professionally guarded coach (and equally guarded organization) has declined commenting on his private life, his family’s unraveling suggests a leave of absence for Big Red is forthcoming.

Kevin Katz, of the Philadelphia Sports Chronicles, also sees this as bad sign for the 2007 Eagles: “[I]’m sick to my stomach thinking that Britt’s cries for attention might force Reid to take an inopportune vacation and hinder our chances to put ourselves in the best position to win each week.” Maybe that’s a selfish thought on the part of an Eagles fan, but it’s one shared by many.

After Reid’s leave of absence last February, when both Britt and his brother Garrett were mired in legal and personal drama, it was obvious that the coach needed to rearrange some priorities at home. Now, with the latest alleged transgression, Reid really has no other option but to bow out of this season. The one month he took off last winter wasn’t enough.

In fact, sports blog The NOIS has suggested that Roger Goodell suspend Andy Reid before anything worse happens:

“The time has come for Mr. Reid to either voluntarily, or through the invocation of the conduct policy, step away from the game and get his household in order. It’s time for Andy Reid to follow the example set by Michael Vick.”

The crux of the NOIS blog is that Reid’s children — even though they’re technically young men — are causing enough of a disturbance that Goodell needs to hold Reid accountable to the same personal responsibility policies he demands of NFL players. As a policy argument, it’s a total reach, but the message is still the same: Andy Reid needs to take some real time away from professional football and the Philadelphia Eagles for 2007. We’ll know soon enough.

Britt Reid taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving [Inquirer]
Reid’s family woes are a reminder that coaches are human, too [USA Today]
NFL: Suspend Andy Reid [NOIS]
Will Britt Reid Ruin Our Season? [PennLive]

This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 1:17 pm and is filed under Andy Reid Quit Watch, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by A.J. Daulerio on 8/24/07 in Andy Reid Quit Watch, Sports