While Nick Sirianni has since apologized for jawing with Philadelphia Eagles fans following the team’s 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, he’s less remorseful about bringing his three children to his postgame press conference.
For the uninitiated, the fourth-year Eagles head coach received plenty of criticism for having his kids accompany him to his postgame press conference, a move that many saw as an attempt to shield himself from criticism following the lackluster win. If that was the case, then Sirianni’s efforts proved unsuccessful, as he wasn’t only grilled about his team’s strategy, but his sideline antics — a question he sidestepped before ultimately apologizing a day later.
On Tuesday, Sirianni joined the 94WIP Morning Show with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie, where he was asked whether he had any regrets about bringing his kids to his postgame press conference. But while the 43-year-old admitted he shouldn’t have cussed in front of his children — as he did on multiple occasions during the presser — he was adamant that he wasn’t intending to use them to deflect criticism.
“I have so many great memories of football and growing up in football. It’s why I’m in this position today,” Sirianni said, reiterating a point he made in his postgame press conference about growing up with a dad who was a high school coach. “There are limited opportunities to share these moments. I love my family with everything I have. And I want them to love this game the way I love this game because of what this game has done for me. And so that was my only intention…
“My kids love going up on that press conference with me. And my only intention is to share a moment after that. And in my eyes and in my mind, I’ve learned in this game that it’s hard to win and you have to appreciate the wins. If you don’t appreciate the wins, it is a miserable, long, lonely experience. And so my only — only — intention is my love for my family and want them to share that moment with me. Because again, because of my past.”
Nick Sirianni explains his decision to bring his children to Sunday’s postgame press conference:
“My ONLY intention is my love for my family and wanting them to share that moment with me.”
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Sirianni’s explanation makes sense, although it doesn’t necessarily invalidate any of the criticism he received. While most fans may not see it this way, the reality is that answering questions in the postgame press conference is just as much a part of a head coach’s job as anything he does on the field during a game or in practice throughout the week.
It also didn’t help that Sirianni bringing his kids to the podium for the first time this season appeared to be awfully conveniently timed following his sideline spat. Still, this is a spot where he deserves the benefit of the doubt — even if it seems like a safe bet we won’t be seeing his kids at any postgame press conferences in the near future.
