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'Dream teams' don't always win. Ask Vince Young and the Eagles

Frank Schwab
NFL writer
Vince Young dubbed the 2011 Eagles a
Vince Young dubbed the 2011 Eagles a “dream team,” but it was no dream (AP)

This offseason, Shutdown Corner will travel down memory lane with a series of stories presenting some interesting and sometimes forgotten stories from the NFL’s past. Join us as we relive some of the greatest and craziest moments in the sport’s history.

On the list of memorable and regrettable sports quotes, Vince Young gave one that became the NFL equivalent to Michael Ray Richardson’s “The ship be sinking” in NBA lore.

The Philadelphia Eagles went on a free-agent spending spree in 2011. And for whatever reason, two words uttered by Young stuck with that team and probably will be forever remembered when some NFL team gets too excited about winning the offseason.

“Dream team,” Young said in the preseason of 2011.

At that moment, when Young described the Eagles as a dream team, everyone seemed to turn on them in unison. And the downward spiral for the Eagles pretty much coincidentally started right there too.

So before we hand the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors an NBA title for signing Kevin Durant, let’s look back on the 2011 Eagles. Dream teams don’t always win.

Of course it’s ridiculous to compare that Eagles team to the Warriors, a great 73-win NBA team that just added an MVP. But the Eagles had good reason to be excited. In 2010 Philadelphia stumbled upon a resurgent Michael Vick, who made a run at an MVP award after he replaced Kevin Kolb, and had a good season before the Green Bay Packers upset them in the playoffs. Then the Eagles signed free agents like cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (if you have a short memory, Asomugha was an All-Pro and considered a grand slam addition), defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, defensive end Jason Babin and guard Evan Mathis. They were set. Even won their opener. And that was pretty much the peak of their season.

The Eagles lost their next four games in a row. Vick couldn’t repeat his magical 2010. The defense, with Asomugha beginning a sudden and inexplicable slide, was just decent. When Young had to play for an injured Vick, he was a turnover machine. The Eagles fell to 4-8 at one point before saving some face with a four-game winning streak to end the season. Philadelphia wasn’t a terrible team, but an 8-8 finish with no playoff berth was a major disappointment.

It didn’t get better for the Eagles in 2012. They went 4-12 and fired coach Andy Reid. Vick never recaptured his 2010 form. Asomugha was cut by Philadelphia after the 2012 season and played only three more NFL games. Young never played in another NFL game after the 2011 season.

The 2011 Eagles ended up being a fairly forgettable bunch really, except for the “dream team” quote.

The reaction to Young’s comment seems to be a prime example of criticizing athletes for being boring, then ripping them to shreds when they’re not boring. It was also some typical backlash against teams or players bragging before they’ve produced any results. It seemed like an innocuous comment, but it turned out to be a memorable one. Young said late last year in an interview with Graham Bensinger if he could go back he would “keep my mouth closed, for one, and just play football,” and you have to assume his “dream team” comment was a part of that regret.

“I definitely won’t make that comment again because it was definitely blown out of proportion,” Young said in 2012 after the Buffalo Bills signed him.

Will the Warriors win an NBA title in 11 months? They are overwhelming favorites to do so, but nothing is guaranteed. And in the meantime, someone tell them it would be unwise to dub themselves a dream team. That might follow them around forever.

Previous Shutdown Corner NFL throwback stories: Joe Montana’s underrated toughness | Barry Sanders’ long-forgotten final game | Jake Delhomme’s playoff nightmare | Barry Switzer, outspoken as ever | Was Sebastian Janikowski worth a first-round pick? | How Jim Harbaugh punching Jim Kelly helped Colts land Peyton Manning | Jay Cutler makes the greatest throw ever | “Has anyone ever kissed your Super Bowl rings?” | How the Patriots once faced a fourth-and-63 | The Packers survived a miserable two-decade run | “NFL PrimeTime” changed how we watch football | One of pro football’s greatest games happened in the crazy USFL | The time Warren Moon should have had 650 yards in an NFL game | In 1979, Lyle Alzado boxed against Muhammad Ali. Seriously | Meet the NFL team that lost its only game before folding | In 1969 the NFL demanded Joe Namath sell his bar, so he retired | Let’s Ram It! An oral history of 1985 Los Angeles Rams’ rap song | The historic AFL-NFL merger 50 years ago | Was O.J. Simpson’s 1973 the best season in NFL history? | Hertz made advertising history with O.J. Simpson’s airport runs | Before they were coaches, Bill Cowher once broke Jeff Fisher’s leg | The man who turned down the NFL because of his religious beliefs | The short list of players drafted by the NFL and NBA | The crazy story behind Steve Young’s crazy 43-year USFL contract | When NFL players fought Andre the Giant and others at WrestleMania | Joe Delaney’s legacy still strong, 33 years after he died trying to save others | The time a coked-up Packers kicker beat the Bears

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!