After Patriots fans seeth about the billboard near Gillette Stadium that celebrates the Eagles' Super Bowl victory, they can direct their anger at a certain Philadelphia offensive tackle when the champs visit Foxboro Thursday night.
In fact, noted Pats troller Lane Johnson welcomes it.
The Eagles lineman, who tried to make a name for himself all offseason with his anti-Pats diatribes ("fear-based organization" etc.), was asked after practice if he expects a less-than-pleasant reception Thursday night in New England.
"Oh yeah. I hope so. I hope they raise hell," Johnson said. "They can cuss me, they can say whatever they want. At the end of the day, I'm not blocking them, I'm blocking guys on the edge, so it really doesn't matter what they say. I know that I'm not going to be well-liked, this team is not going to be well-liked going there, so it's going to basically bring out our best."
Then, of course, it was on to more trash-talking the Pats. The starters don't expect to be out there long Thursday, giving Johnson plenty of opportunity to hear from Patriots fans from his spot on the sidelines
"I just felt like we weren't even given a chance going into the game. I felt like we were disrespected, and we were by them," he said. "I made plenty of comments about why I said what I said. It's not like I was coming out of the blue just to talk. It's because I felt like I've been disrespected and the team's been disrespected. It's not like I'm coming out here running my mouth because I want to. No other teams really came out and ran their mouth."
- PHIL PERRY - The 53-man Patriots roster projection
After yet another anti-Pats harangue, Johnson then said he's "over it."
New England Patriots
"At the end of the day, man, I'm over it. ... It's a totally different year."