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PHILADELPHIA -- Before Steve Spagnuolo chose New Orleans, the former Rams coach was offered an unspecified position with the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Perry Packers Jersey . Spagnuolo was highly sought-after following his dismissal from St. Louis. Eagles coach Andy Reid wanted his old friend to join his staff and work with current defensive co-ordinator Juan Castillo. But Spagnuolo picked the Saints over returning to the Eagles, where he served as an assistant coach from 1999-2006. "When Steve was released from the Rams, I did offer him a spot here to coach, if he needed one, a place to land with open arms," Reid said Tuesday. "And my feeling was that you can have two great coaches on defence and thats even better than just having Juan himself, so thats about as far as it went there. We didnt talk about titles. We didnt go into any of that. He had opportunities to look at other places. He wanted to do that, which I completely understand. "And he ended up going to New Orleans." Speaking to reporters for the first time since the season finale on Jan. 1, Reid was more candid than hes ever been during his 13 seasons in Philadelphia. He said he understood owner Jeffrey Luries comments about needing to do a better job, and expects more from himself and the team following a disappointing 8-8 season. "I understand where hes coming from and Im right there with him on that," Reid said. "He didnt say anything in there that ruffled my feathers or anything else that I dont completely agree with. And listen, I know thats how the fans feel and I understand that. I completely understand that. And its a frustration, I understand that. My point is that were going to bust our tail to get it right, thats where Im at." Reid ended his monthlong silence a day after hiring former Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles to coach the secondary. His decision to retain Castillo wont be popular among fans. Castillo was heavily criticized in his first season at a new position after coaching the offensive line for 13 years. Spagnuolo wouldve been a perfect fit in Philadelphia. He worked under Eagles defensive co-ordinator Jim Johnson for eight seasons, and was the defensive co-ordinator for the New York Giants when they beat New England in the 2008 Super Bowl. Spagnuolo joined the Saints two weeks after the Rams fired him. He was 10-38 in three seasons in St. Louis. "Spags and I talk all of the time and thats an important part of this," Reid said. "When he was released, I had obviously talked to him and said, If youd like to come back here, this door is always open. You and Juan would be spectacular together. And he wanted to think about it for a while, and then he had an opportunity to take a couple looks at other places. "He knows how things operate here, so he went and looked at other places; never came in here. So he went and visited other places and he loved the situation in New Orleans and Im happy for him." The Eagles were preseason favourites to reach the Super Bowl after adding several high-profile players last off-season. But they started 1-4 and never recovered. They werent eliminated from playoff contention until the next-to-last game in a mediocre division, and won their last four games to finish one game behind the Giants. Reid said he never considered not returning to coach his 14th season, but wanted to take time to evaluate his performance before speaking to reporters. "I wanted to make sure I stepped back and looked at it," he said. "I wanted to make sure that I can still do the things that I think are the responsibilities of the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl. So thats what you do. "You step back and you analyze those things." Note: Reid said defensive tackle Mike Patterson is "doing very well" following surgery last Friday for a brain AVM. He said doctors expect Patterson to be ready for training camp. Packers #51 Jersey . Glen Perkins pitched another tenuous ninth inning but got his 19th save in 22 tries after giving up two runs to blow one the night before. Adam Eaton led off with a triple and scored on Gordon Beckhams sacrifice fly. Pinch-hitter Paul Konerko then smacked a single up the middle, but Perkins struck out Jose Abreu and Adam Dunn to end it and punctuated the final swing and miss with a big pump of his left arm. Packers #70 Jersey . The timetable for his return is unclear, but the prognosis is optimistic. Though sobered by and concerned about the news, the Twins expressed confidence in the ability of their front offices long-time leader to beat the disease and get back to running the team.TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ryan Malone was charged Saturday with DUI and possession of cocaine after a traffic stop, police said. An officer saw Malones SUV strike a curb after making a left turn from the centre lane early Saturday, said Tampa Police Lt. Paul Lusczynski. After being pulled over, Malone got out of his vehicle, and the officer smelled alcohol on his breath, Lusczynski said. According to the police report, the officer also found 1.3 grams of cocaine in one of Malones pockets. Malone refused to take field sobriety tests, but a breath test given at the jail recorded blood alcohol levels of 0.112 and 0.116 per cent, Lusczynski said. Florida law considers a driver impaired at 0.08. Malone was released from the Hillsborough County jail on US$2,500 bond. Jail records didnt show whether he had an attorney. Police impounded Malones SUV. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said Malone would not travel with the team for Tampa Bays final regular season game Sunday against the Washington Capitals. Packers #50 Jersey. He declined further comment. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly released a statement Saturday afternoon. "We are aware of the situation this morning involving Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Malone," Daly said. "Under the terms of the collectively bargained joint NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, Mr. Malone is subject to mandatory evaluation and, if deemed necessary by the program doctors, treatment pursuant to the terms of that program. "His future playing status, both in the near term and during the playoffs, will be determined in accordance the terms of our SABH program." The Lightning are set to meet Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. Malone has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and 67 penalty minutes in 57 games this season. He has 370 points (179-191) in 641 career NHL regular-season games with the Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins. ' ' ' |
