In the early 1970s, special counsel to the White House Charles Colson composed a list of President Richard Nixon’s most hated political opponents — a group of 20 people ranging from legendary actor Paul Newman to Representative John Conyers of Michigan, a Democrat who was the longest serving African American member of Congress
When another White House counsel, John Dean, made the existence of the list public at the 1973 Watergate hearings, the term “Enemies List” was entered into the public lexicon forever — 52 years later it’s applicable across not just politics but every part of popular culture.
The Philadelphia Eagles now have their own “Enemies List” after the annual NFL owners meetings revealed the group of teams, head coaches and owners who came out as proponents of a proposed ban of the Tush Push — the Eagles’ signature goal line play that’s been all but unstoppable for the last few years.
At the annual NFL meetings, 16 of the 32 teams came out against the Tush Push. The ban was initially proposed by the Green Bay Packers.
“Eagles fans … they want to know who their enemies are on this thing, and they will never forget,” The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia said on the”Philly Special” podcast on April 2. ” … The next time they face the Green Bay Packers, I mean, the Eagles fans are going to treat that game like they are facing the Jimmy Johnson Dallas Cowboys. It can be 30 years from now. The Eagles will be playing the Packers and there will be man people, not just one person, being like ‘These losers. We beat them in the playoffs and they tried to ban the Tush Push.’ ”
The Eagles defeated the Packers, 22-10, in the NFC Wild Card Round on the way to a blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.
According to Kapadia, the Eagles’ “Enemies List” contains the teams who are now known to have come out in support of the Tush Push ban: the Packers, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams and the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid, who was Philadelphia’s head coach from 1999 to 2012.
Heated Argument Between Roseman, 2 NFL Head Coaches
ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler reported on a tense meeting between Eagles’ executives and opponents of the Tush Push on March 30.
“During the Sunday afternoon session, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, assistant general manager Jon Ferrari and two head coaches on the competition committee, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills, gathered in a hallway outside of the ballroom to have a private and animated side conversation about the Packers’ proposal,” Kahler wrote.
The NFL announced on February 24 that an NFL team submitted an official proposal to ban the Tush Push and the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the Green Bay Packers were the team that filed the complaint.
On a “Tush Push” — also known as “The Brotherly Shove” — Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center with 2 teammates behind him in a short-yardage situation. Hurts takes the ball and his teammates come from behind and shove him toward the yardage he needs.
It’s produced 27 touchdowns for the Eagles over the last 3 seasons.
