"The first time Andy Reid did the Philadelphia podium thing, it was 12 years ago last month at the Marriott in Center City. The day he was hired as the Eagles' coach, the unknown quarterbacks coach from Green Bay was faced with a barrage of negativity, about his new roster and his crumbling stadium and his lack of a practice facility and the perception around the NFL that this was a lousy franchise. Oh, and welcome to town.

Reid batted away the questions and pushed back at the cynicism of the questioners. Along the way, he offered approximately zero in the way of information - really, about anything.

Nobody expected a detailed blueprint on the first day, but after 4 years of Ray Rhodes' earthy wisdom, preceded by 4 years of Rich Kotite's unintentional comedy, preceded by 5 years of Buddy Ryan's unrelenting rambunctiousness, this empty patter had all of us in the press seats kind of glancing at each other with an arched eyebrow. He did not have us at hello.

A dozen years later, the podium remains Reid's biggest problem. It prevented the fan base from offering him a full, heartfelt embrace when the Eagles were close to winning championships, and it gives his critics ammunition now as he works to win a Super Bowl before his expiration date.

The latest business with David Akers is just the most recent example. Reid has banked so little goodwill with people over the years - because he is so unforthcoming from the podium, or clumsy, or howlingly untruthful at times - that pretty much anything he says at this point can be used against him in the court of public opinion.

As we all know, Akers missed two field goals in the Eagles' five-point playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. After the game, in response to a question late in his press conference, Reid said, "We can all count. Those points would have helped."

It was a statement of fact, offered without malice. But it failed to acknowledge the back story that was then unknown to the public: that Akers' week before the game was filled with the ache that only a parent can know, as one of his children was in the process of being diagnosed with a cancerous cyst on her ovary. According to an Inquirer story, the diagnosis was made on the day after the Green Bay game. The cyst has since been removed and the hope is for her good health in the future."