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Shutdown Corner

Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:18 pm EST

Donovan McNabb makes a late-game phone call

By Chris Chase

With his team coasting toward a berth in the NFC championship game, Donovan McNabb picked up a phone on the New York Giants sideline after running out of bounds and had a brief, fake conversation before getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Philadelphia Eagles were leading the defending Super Bowl champions by a score of 23-11 with 3:07 remaining in the game when McNabb grabbed the phone. He had been chased to the Giants sideline by linebacker Chase Blackburn after a gain of 8 yards and ran directly over to a small table, picked up one of the phones that connects the sideline with the coaching booth and pretended like he was engaging in a brief chat.

"Hello, information? Yes, I was wondering if the NFC championship game can end in a tie?"

Late-game unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are nothing new to McNabb. When he was a junior at Syracuse in 1996, the quarterback drew a flag during a nationally televised contest against Army after saluting the corps of cadets following a touchdown.

After the game, FOX's Chris Myers asked McNabb about the move. He acknowledged that he shouldn't do such things, but stopped short of apologizing. Instead, he blamed his antics on over-excitement.


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4419 Comments

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  1. lambeau4ever
    1. Posted by lambeau4ever Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    Dude doesn't get enough credit...glad he's not in Chi or Minn.
  2. s k
    2. Posted by s k Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:49 pm EDT

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    thank you Eagles. the Cardinals are now on their way to the Super Bowl...
  3. s k
    3. Posted by s k Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:49 pm EDT

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    ps: how about that Subway Series Super Bowl, folks?
  4. Anton
    4. Posted by Anton Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:48 pm EDT

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    Wow, don't vote for the home team. I didn't root for anyone in this game b/c it was anybody's game. But the eagles did it. Killed the Giant. Be funny if the Superbowl ends up being an all bird Superbowl.
  5. a
    5. Posted by a Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

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    lol...........cards will not go to the super bowl........ but isnt that a joke a 7 loss team host the nfc championship game.....
  6. s k
    6. Posted by s k Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:49 pm EDT

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    good chance it will be an all-bird Super Bowl. my pick? Cardinals vs. Ravens (this week's Sproles will not be last week's, so it's Baltimore at Pittsburgh in the AFC title game). if Warner isn't picked off, oh, more than once, and they actually have a bit of a running game, they'll win. of course, what the heck do I know?
  7. John
    7. Posted by John Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    The Giant fans r crying now!
  8. Demetric M
    8. Posted by Demetric M Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:53 pm EDT

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    He was calling the giants gm to see if he can get a backup role there cause he wont be in philly next year without bringing a ring home.
  9. John S
    9. Posted by John S Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:45 pm EDT

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    a little biased, don't you think, Chris Chase?
    A good writer doesn't take sides.
  10. Doog
    10. Posted by Doog Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:31 pm EDT

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    What an amazing win for the Eagles, not to long ago coach Andy Reid was benching McNab. The Eagles are on a high right now, and they will prove next week they are a better all around team than the Cardinals. There's a great chance we might see Chargers and Eagles in the Superbowl. Who would ever thunk it? The Chargers got in through Denver's collapse, while the Eagles took full advantage of the floundering Cowboys, who chocked in the last couple weeks of the regular season.
  11. Anton
    11. Posted by Anton Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:48 pm EDT

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    If Boldin plays, then it may be over for the Eagles. Seriously, was there a deadlier combination this season than those two (Boldin and Fitzgerald)? This is an exciting playoffs though.
  12. Genesis
    12. Posted by Genesis Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:23 pm EDT

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    this is going to be an all PA Super bowl Stellers vs Eagles i see it now cause eagles going to spank cards next week i dont think there ready if steelers can keep the ball in the air and off the ground we will see....AND ON ANOTHER NOTE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HI TO ALL THE EAGLES HATERS KEEP HATING THEM CAUSE THEY ON THE ROAD BABY....FIRST THE PHILADELPHIA SOUL THEN THE PHILLES NOW THE EAGLES........PHILAPADELPHIA ALL THE WAY KIDS......
  13. RetFireFEMTech
    13. Posted by RetFireFEMTech Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

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    Thanks giants fans for helping to clear the field for us...SUCKAS!!!
  14. Ben S
    14. Posted by Ben S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    if you earned the win, why not do some goofy celebrating, after all, you watch football to be entertained, and this was certainly entertaining
  15. Mike
    15. Posted by Mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:33 pm EDT

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    Thank you Eagles for puttin the Giants where they belong...over-rated...over-stated....no repeat this year....How bout an all Pennsylvannia Superbowl ...!!!
  16. Justus
    16. Posted by Justus Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    & rules must be a dallas fan
  17. John
    17. Posted by John Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    Go eagles!!!!!!!!!!!
  18. GregR
    18. Posted by GregR Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:20 pm EDT

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    It was his agent, he just got picked up for Campbell's Chunky Soup again.
  19. phillies08
    19. Posted by phillies08 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:53 pm EDT

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    Battle of PA for the superbowl!
    EAGLES/Steelers!
    Cards won't make the playoffs.
  20. gothoustononlock
    20. Posted by gothoustononlock Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    Eagles gonna wreck the Cardinals they have no answer for westbrook
  21. Big O
    21. Posted by Big O Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:45 pm EDT

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    Wow...
  22. Genesis
    22. Posted by Genesis Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:23 pm EDT

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    BUT ALL THEY REALLY HAVE IS FITZGERALD we have one of the best defensive back teams we will double him and thats game and James is washed up hes not going anywhere next week kinda like jacobs was supposed to run all over the eagles this week right....SIKE
  23. Peter
    23. Posted by Peter Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:07 pm EDT

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    hahahahahaha... glad that the giants loss.... here we go to the superbowl!!! go get them birds!!! GO EAGLES!
  24. Creme de la Creme
    24. Posted by Creme de la Creme Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:30 pm EDT

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    GO MCNABB the kicked butt today!
  25. DEE
    25. Posted by DEE Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    and anyone who wants to jump on the cardinal [profane]..umm remember what the eagles did to them on thanksgiving...
    FLY LIKE AND EAGLE!!!

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Contributors:
Chris Chase, Doug Farrar, Blair Johnson, Kevin Sullivan, Kerry Rhodes,

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