Philly fans would have been sick to their stomachs and in such a deep mourning that they may have sat shiva until training camp or invited into their homes 50 Italian grandmothers as "designated wailers" like they used to do at all those old-school South Philly funeral homes while the body was laid out.
We're talking about fans who still can't get over the Eagles' 2002 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC title game.
Just as it was in Green Bay last week, it was bone-cold that day at Veterans Stadium - the last time football would ever be played there.
The Eagles were a prohibitive favorite that day and a Super Bowl in sunny San Diego became close enough to touch, especially after Duce Staley punched in a touchdown on the Eagles' first drive.
And then it became Nightmare on Pattison Avenue, the names and the images burning gaping gut holes, even today: Joe Jurevicius running away from pursuers, with Blaine Bishop flailing helplessly; Barry Gardner at middle linebacker instead of Jeremiah Trotter; Donovan McNabb getting intercepted.
Don't even remind me of the following year, when Carolina's Ricky Manning Jr. punked Eagles receivers.
And I especially don't want to hear about the Birds losing to the Arizona Cardinals a couple of years later, with Kevin Curtis falling to the earth juggling a football he couldn't snatch on a fourth down, the last desperate Donovan McNabb play on a final drive he once again couldn't complete.
Had the Eagles lost to the Giants last week with a No. 1 seed and a 15-1 record, with a quarterback as accomplished as Aaron Rodgers . . . dios mio!
But in Green Bay, life moves on.
