Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni changed course Monday and apologized for getting into it with a group of fans as his team finished off a win over the visiting Cleveland Browns.
The Eagles had trouble pulling away from the woeful Browns, and fans were heard booing the team and chanting “Fire Nick” at certain points of the game.
As Philadelphia (3-2) ran out the clock on a 20-16 victory over Cleveland (1-5), the FOX broadcast caught Sirianni walking in the direction of the stands. With a smile, he was yelling and pointing to one ear, as if to say he couldn’t hear them booing anymore.
Sirianni said postgame that he was “having fun” and “just excited to get the win.” He sang a different tune Monday during a conference call with reporters.
“I was trying to bring energy and enthusiasm (Sunday), and I’m sorry and disappointed at how my energy was directed at the end of the game,” Sirianni said. “My energy should be all-in on coaching, motivating and celebrating with our guys. And I’ve got to have better wisdom and discernment of when to use that energy and that wasn’t the time.”
Sirianni, who has interacted with opposing fans at road games before, said football is an emotional game but he needs to check himself in certain situations.
“I don’t think there’s a playbook for that, but I think at the end of the day it is OK if you want to be passionate and have energy just like I did in there today with the guys, you know, when we watch film together, but again it’s having that discernment of when to do that,” he said.
Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation for being particularly boisterous and quick to boo. Sirianni, 43, is in his fourth season on the job and has taken the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his first three years, including a Super Bowl appearance, but the team is just 4-8 in its past 12 games (regular season and playoffs) after a 10-1 start to last season.
“We have the best fans in the world,” Sirianni said. “There’s no place like this.”
–Field Level Media
