Why are Eagles fans celebrating Mychal Kendricks' fall from grace?

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I’m all for a joke that’s too soon. 

So it hasn’t bothered me to see some of the jokes that have been tweeted about Mychal Kendricks in the past day after news broke that he’s being charged with insider trading (see story). In fact, some of the jokes were pretty good. Like this one: 

Fair enough. That’s funny. 

What I’m really having trouble with is all the vitriol that’s being tossed Kendricks’ way from Eagles fans. Some of the jokes are coming from a really mean place. And I don’t really get why. 

Now, if you’re a staunch defender of the sanctity of the U.S. financial system and hate what Kendricks did — you’d have to understand it first — that’s fine. Then, by all means, be mad about that. Kendricks did something wrong and he’s about to face the consequences for it. 

But if you’re saying this is happening to Kendricks because of “karma” after his comments on "Hard Knocks" … really? 

I just don’t understand why some fans are celebrating the fact that Kendricks is about to plead guilty for insider trading, that his career is probably over and that he might end up doing time. 

Does he really deserve that from Eagles fans? 

Sure, he didn’t come off great in the HBO television show. He first said he thought the Browns had more talent than the Eagles. That’s just not true, but he was trying to motivate his new teammates. Then, in the episode on Tuesday night, we saw him give a scouting report of his former teammates. Maybe he went a little far with Zach Ertz, but that type of scouting report is given in NFL meeting rooms all the time; it was just unfortunate for Kendricks that the camera caught his. 

While still in Philly, Kendricks had felt under-appreciated and underutilized for a long time before the Eagles cut him this May. There was a time not that long ago when Kendricks, the former second-round pick, was a popular player on the rise. But his career has been nearly as peculiar as his personality. Kendricks had Pro Bowl written all over him early, but then the trajectory changed. 

In 2015, Chip Kelly brought in Kiko Alonso and Kendricks became part of a rotation at inside linebacker with DeMeco Ryans and then an ascending Jordan Hicks. In 2016, new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz brought in Nigel Bradham, which meant Kendricks was, again, basically a rotational player. The Eagles went 7-9 that season and Kendricks played just 26 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. 

After the 2016 season, Kendricks had enough and asked to be traded. The Eagles denied that request. 

Kendricks wasn’t happy, but he honored his contract. He showed up to practice every day. He didn’t hold out. He didn’t become a problem in the locker room. He was still liked by his teammates. 

And the Eagles ended up needing him. After Hicks went down early in the 2017 season with an Achilles tear, Kendricks became a true starter again. He played nearly 60 percent of defensive snaps and was fifth on the team in tackles. Kendricks wasn’t the best player on the defense, but the Eagles don’t win the Super Bowl without him. 

Let me repeat that: The Eagles don’t win the Super Bowl without him.  

I can’t help but feel a little bad for Kendricks, which admittedly isn’t seeped in logic — because he did something illegal and he admitted to doing it knowingly. But in a few months time, Kendricks went from Super Bowl champ, to Cleveland Brown and might soon be in prison. That’s a hard fall from grace. 

Celebrate if you want. To me, it just seems petty. 

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